Ecology Topics

Ecology

Studies from Environment Agency Yield New Data on Freshwater Research

2012 JUL 27 (VerticalNews) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Ecology, Environment & Conservation -- Fresh data on Freshwater Research are presented in a new report. According to news originating from Reading, United Kingdom, by VerticalNews correspondents, researchers stated "1. Rivers and their catchments are complex, dynamic and non-equilibrium systems."

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research by the authors from Environment Agency, "Although the general functioning of these ecosystems is familiar, the characteristics of particular sites are often poorly known and accurate prediction of future behaviour to inform management decisions is extremely difficult. 2. Simple relationships between river nutrient concentrations and the health of river ecosystems do not exist. Natural variability and practical and technical constraints reduce our ability to set nutrient targets to protect river ecosystems. Particularly challenging is the use of simple doseresponse relationships as regulatory threshold targets, whereby sections of river are classified as either passing or failing to meet good ecological status. 3. Ecologically meaningful frameworks are needed that take account of the epistemic uncertainty associated with our predictions. Such frameworks should have clearly defined goals; be holistic; allow for natural variability; help to define ecologically acceptable environmental regimes; recognise that significant uncertainties mean that we will often be using indices rather than absolute measures; and use measures that explicitly include uncertainty estimates."

According to the news editors, the researchers concluded: "Such approaches allow those outside the decision-making process to understand the level of environmental precaution included in the management of complex systems."

For more information on this research see: Managing the impacts of nutrient enrichment on river systems: dealing with complex uncertainties in risk analyses. Freshwater Biology, 2012;57():108-123. Freshwater Biology can be contacted at: Wiley-Blackwell, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (Wiley-Blackwell - www.wiley.com/; Freshwater Biology - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2427)

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from T. Page, Environm Agcy, Evidence Directorate Modelling & Risk, Reading, Berks, United Kingdom.

Keywords for this news article include: Europe, Reading, Ecology, United Kingdom, Freshwater Research