Abstract
Current methodology for environmental impact assessment relies heavily on population parameters to detect ecological effects of perturbation. We believe that recent advances in ecosystem analysis permit the identification of monitoring points that reflect changes in the total system. Focusing on mechanisms of ecosystem homeostasis, we suggest soil nutrient loss as a sensitive, holistic measure of ecological effects. In three separate studies, attempts were made to detect the effects of toxic substances by monitoring relevant population parameters. In each case, disturbance could be detected in nutrient cycling, but no significant change was evident in the population/community parameters. These results indicate that indices of total ecosystem function may be feasible.
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