Biomonitoring
The Biomonitoring pages are no longer maintained and updated on APIS. Please use them for information only. If you need further guidance then please contact us through the contact form.
APIS contains information on a powerful approach to environmental protection - Biomonitoring. Used properly, biomonitoring can provide insights that help answer the question "How is the ecosystem?" It can be used to diagnose problems, even unexpected ones. In its most developed form, biomonitoring methodologies can be used to determine the causes of environmental problems, identify sources of pollution and contamination, reduce uncertainty in risk assessment and validate decisions.
Biomonitoring schemes with a suitable temporal and spatial framework can help demonstrate that there are beneficial outcomes from pollution control or risk assessment and management in terms of environmental quality (e.g. recovery of affected species; enhanced conservation status of protected habitats). Further reading on biomonitoring.
APIS contains information on a wide range of chemicals. These include some compounds that are nutrients (e.g. nitrogen, sulphur) and others that are minerals essential for health (e.g. copper, zinc). Biomonitoring for these substances is complicated by their natural presence in the environment and in organisms. See Biomonitoring overview.
Biomonitoring methods
Select a 'Pollutant' or a 'Ecosystem' to view records for your combination.
Note: not all ecosystems have a corresponding pollutant record.
Effects Gallery
View the Plant Effects Gallery