Barnett A. Rattner
N. H. Golden
2003
<p><span>The measurement of </span>contaminant<span> tissue concentrations or exposure-related effects </span>in<span> biota has been used extensively to monitor pollution and </span>environmental<span> health. </span>Terrestrial<span> vertebrates have historically been an important group of </span>species<span> </span>in<span> such evaluations, not only because many are excellent sentinels of </span>environmental<span> contamination, but also because they are valued natural resources </span>in<span> their own right that may be adversely affected by toxicant exposure. Selection of appropriate vertebrates for </span>biomonitoring<span> studies frequently relies on expert opinion, although a few rigorous schemes are </span>in<span> use for predicting </span>vulnerability<span> of birds to the adverse effects of petroleum crude oil. A </span>Utility<span> Index that ranks </span>terrestrial<span> </span>vertebrate<span> </span>species<span> as potential sentinels of </span>contaminants<span> </span>in<span> a region, and a </span>Vulnerability<span> Index that assesses the threat of specific groups of </span>contaminants<span> to these </span>species<span>, have been developed to assist decision makers </span>in<span> risk assessments of persistent organic pollutants, cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticides, petroleum crude oil, mercury, and lead shot. Twenty-five </span>terrestrial<span> </span>vertebrate<span> </span>species<span> commonly found </span>in<span> Atlantic Coast estuarine habitat (Rattner et al. 2001a) were ranked for their </span>utility<span> as biomonitors of contamination and their </span>vulnerability<span> to pollutants </span>in<span> this region. No single </span>species<span>, taxa, or class of vertebrates was found to be an ideal sentinel for all groups of </span>contaminants<span>. Although birds have overwhelmingly been used to monitor </span>contaminants<span> compared to other </span>terrestrial<span> </span>vertebrate<span> classes, the nonmigratory nature and dietary habits of the snapping turtle and mink consistently resulted </span>in<span> </span>ranking<span> these </span>species<span> as excellent sentinels as well. </span>Vulnerability<span> of Atlantic Coast populations of these </span>species<span> varied considerably among groups of </span>contaminants<span>. Usually a particular </span>species<span> was found to be at high risk to only one or two groups of </span>contaminants<span>, although a noteworthy exception is the bald eagle, which is highly vulnerable to all five of the </span>contaminant<span> groups examined. This index could be further enhanced by generation of additional comparative toxicity data to facilitate interspecific extrapolations. The </span>Utility<span> and </span>Vulnerability<span> Indices have application to many types of habitats </span>in<span> addition to estuaries and are of value to natural resource and risk managers that routinely conduct local, regional, or national </span>environmental<span> quality assessments.</span></p>
application/pdf
10.1007/978-1-4899-7283-5_2
en
Springer
Ranking terrestrial vertebrate species for utility in biomonitoring and vulnerability to environmental contaminants
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