Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Bio-indicators - Assignment Example

Critical Review Evaluating the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Bio-indicators for Monitoring Environmental Change Introduction Bio-indicators are organisms or species used to indicate any alterations in the ecosystem. These organisms are used by scientists to indicate the status of an ecosystem or environment. Environmental changes may be caused by either human actions or natural events. Organisms possess the ability to report on the status of their environment. Organisms are able to put up with a range of biological, physical and chemical conditions, which scientists rely on to assess changes in the environment (Conti, 2008). Bio-indicators, however, have their own shortcomings despite having several advantages. The advantages of bio-indicators outdo their disadvantages. Understanding what bio-indicators are and how they work is necessary as it will help in understanding their advantages and disadvantages. Bio-indicators Bio-indicators convey information on changes in the environment through chemical, physiological and behavioral changes. It would be difficult for scientists to perform their experiments without proper and timely conveyance of environmental information. Environmentalists deduce information by studying a number of things. They study the behavior of the organism, population, morphological structure, content of compounds and the metabolic processes of the organism (Paoletti, 2012). There are five different types of indicators. Plant indicators are commonly used to provide information on changes in the environment. Scientists can observe the absence or presence of certain plants in the environment and derive clues from this. Plant indicators include leaves, mosses, lichens, fungi, tree barks and rings around trees. Animals are also used as bio-indicators. A decrease or increase in the population of animals within an environment can be used to indicate alterations in the ecosystem. Scientists also analyze changes in the environment by monitoring the amount of toxins in animals, their deformities and behavior (Borowski, 2005). Microorganisms are bio-indicators used to monitor terrestrial or aquatic environments. They are found in plenty, which makes it easier to test them. A large number of microorganisms release trauma proteins, when exposed to contaminants such as benzene and cadmium. Industries that mine oil or gas rely on microbial bio-indicators to identify potential areas that can produce oil. Another bio-indicator is microalgae. They are common and found in abundance (Singh, 2014). They are used to indicate the quality of water. Macro invertebrate are also used to indicate the quality of water. Advantages of Bio-Indicators Bio-indicators are less costly; scientists and environmentalists interested in studying bio-indicators do not incur huge costs to buy them. This is one of the advantages of bio-indicators. Bio-indicators are largely available and free to pick from their ecosystems. Microalgae, for example, are found in abundance and are common. One can pick plants for studying from anywhere without being charged. They are common and evenly distributed, which makes it easier to use them as bio-indicators (Balmforth, 2009). Common and even distribution in a wide environment gives them the potential to indicate the features of a wide environment. Bio-indicators are economical because they can be monitored using passive trap sampling method, which is more economical than other sampling methods. Additionally, most of the bio-indicators usually have a local habit and most f them are excellent in habitat, thus, can be easily ranked quantitatively. Another advantage is that bio-indicators can be observed and studied from their environment. It is easier and cheaper to observe the pattern in plants growth within an environment than going with it to the laboratory. A scientist can study and observe wild animals from their wild habitat. Plants, for example, may fail to grow due to pollution in the environment. Scientists or environmentalists will not need laboratory tests to ascertain changes in that environment. They will just make daily observations of the plant in their ecosystem and record the findings. The findings are later on used to analyze changes that have occurred in the environment. Bio-indicators possess the ability to be good indicators. This means that scientists or people relying on them to observe changes in the environment do not fail in their mission. Response from Bio-indicators normally reflects on the entire population. Environmentalists or scientists studying changes in the environment usually take samples of species or organisms. The sample taken represents the entire population of that organism (Larkin, 2008).Taking samples are necessary in scientific experiments because it is not easy to study the whole population. A sample of algae for example represents the entire population of algae. A study on fish dying from exposure to certain chemicals in their ecosystem can be used as an assumption that all fish will die if exposed to the same chemicals. This makes bio-indicators the best indicators. Bio-indicators also have high-quality indicator capabilities since they are able to react in proportion to the level of degradation or contamination. In a nutshell, bio-indicators provide good responses that are measurable and can be used in monitoring the environment. Bio-indicators are easy to study. This is another advantage of bio-indicators as monitors of change in the environment. A large percentage of bio-indicators share the same characteristics. This is regardless of the difference in their region, environment, organism and the nature of disturbance in their environment. This makes it easier to document their taxonomies and use them for reference when monitoring changes in the environment. Bio-indicators are also easy to study because their ecological life and history is well known and understood (Klein, 2014). This makes them to have an advantage over other indicators used in monitoring changes in the environment. Using animals as bio-indicators is easy because their history is well known and understood. This is unlike a chemical that has been manufactured today and is used as an indicator. Its history may not be well known or understood by those using it. Bio-indicators are beneficial and advantageous because they show how pollutants indirectly affect biotic life (Elcome, 2014). A lake full of phosphorous will unfavorably impinge on the ecosystem. This is because it inhibits production in such ecosystems. Bio-indicators can be used to predict that eminent concentration in phosphorous increases growth in some species. It also increases growth in some species. They will also indicate how species have declined in that ecosystem. This is an advantage over other indicators because they do not reflect how species have reduced and declined as a result of competitive expulsion. Disadvantages Bio-indicators cannot be used in an environment with heterogeneous qualities. An environment that is heterogeneous consists of different kinds of organisms. It is hard to use bio-indicators in such an environment since it is impossible to differentiate environmental changes impacted by human beings and nature (Czinkota & Ronkainen, 2008). A large species of plant A for example, may fail to show the total biological composition of other plants. This may cause failure when analyzing environmental changes within that ecosystem. Another disadvantage is that bio-indicators rely on a dependent scale in their abilities to act as indicators. Fish for example, cannot be used to indicate the biological composition of insects within a confined community. Bio-indicators are disadvantageous because species habitually have diverse requirements in their habitat compared to other species living in their environment. It is difficult to manage an ecosystem in accordance to the environmental requirements of a specific bio-indicator. This is because exceptional species with varying requirements may be destroyed. Although the bio-indicators are advantageous due to their numerous in numbers, it is easy to destroy them at their wide ecosystems. The spread makes them easily destroyable by both natural calamities and human activities. The last disadvantage of using bio-indicators in monitoring changes in the environment is that they can indicate a gross generalization of a complicated system (Griggs, 2006). This is because only a single type of organisms or a small cluster of species can be used to ascertain the quality of an ecosystem. This is disadvantageous because it leads to inaccuracy when monitoring changes within an ecosystem or within a given environment. The long-term demerit of this constitutes collecting, recording and filing inaccurate data, which may lead to poor decision-making concerning environmental aspects. Conclusion Environmental changes may be caused by either human actions or natural events. Organisms possess the ability to report on the status of their environment. Bio-indicators are organisms or species used to indicate any alterations in the ecosystem or environment. They are used by scientists to indicate the status of an ecosystem or environment. Bio-indicators convey information on changes in the environment through chemical, physiological and behavioral changes. Bio-indicators are cheap and easy to study. They have high-quality indicator capabilities since they are able to react in proportion to the level of degradation or contamination. Bio-indicators are advantageous because they show how pollutants indirectly affect biotic life. A large percentage of bio-indicators share the similar characteristics regardless of the difference in their region, environment, organism and the nature of disturbance in their environment. This makes it easier to document their taxonomies and use them for reference when monitoring changes in the environment. Bio-indicators cannot be used in an environment with heterogeneous qualities. An environment that is heterogeneous consists of different kinds of organisms. It is hard to use bio-indicators in such an environment because it will be impossible to differentiate environmental changes impacted by human beings and nature. In a nutshell, bio-indicators are important tools that can be relied upon in monitoring changes within the environment. References Balmforth, J. 2009. Bioindicators. London: Routledge & K. Paul. Borowski, A. 2005. Environmental Monitoring. New York: Lea and Blanchard. Conti, M. 2008. Biological Monitoring: Theory and Applications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Czinkota, M., & Ronkainen, I. 2008. Biological Monitoring. London: Routledge. Dillingham, G. 2008. Bioindicators & Biomonitors. New York: Pantheon. Elcome, D. 2014. Sustainable Practices in Geoenvironmental Engineering. Massachusetts: McGraw-Hill Griggs, S. 2006. Geoenvironmental Sustainability. New York: Pantheon. Janic, M. 2011. Freshwater Algae: Identification and Use as Bioindicators. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Klein, N. 2014. Bioindicators and Biomonitors. London: Routledge. Larkin, J. 2008. Bioindicators and Environmental Management. New York: Lea and Blanchard. Paoletti, M. 2012. Inverterbrate Biodiversity as Bioindicators. New York: New York University Press. Singh, A. 2014. Reducing Disaster: Early warning systems for climate change. Massachusetts: McGraw. Read More