Environmental monitoring for the preservation of global biodiversity: the role in sustainable use of the planet

摘要

Biological monitoring is surveillance undertaken to ensure that previously established quality control conditions are being met. Surveillance is a systematic and orderly gathering of data, preferably using standard methods and procedures so that comparison between bioregions globally is facilitated. Biological monitoring should be closely linked and integrated with chemical/physical monitoring, otherwise the cause of biological deviation from the norm may not be reliably associated with chemical/physical deviations from the norm. Since biota may differ dramatically from one ecoregion to another, a universal biological monitoring system should use species with a cosmopolitan distribution so that multi-regional comparisons can be made, large-scale stress patterns will emerge, and biotic impoverishment of an indigenous biota can be confirmed using the biotic impoverishment of organisms with a cosmopolitan or, at least, a very wide distribution. When intimately associated with chemical/physical monitoring, the causes can be more readily identified. Finally, organisms with a cosmopolitan distribution tend to be relatively small and have better recolonization rates following disturbance than organisms with more limited distribution and can be assessed in large numbers because of their small size. These attributes enhance statistical validity and the assessment of structural and functional changes. Functional changes are particularly important in the determination of ecosystem services, which, in turn, are becoming increasingly linked with sustainable use of the planet. This method is in no way intended to denigrate biological monitoring of larger organisms or ones with more limited distributions, but rather to show how the linkage between the two will provide more persuasive evidence of change, should it occur. Additionally, because of short life cycles and the larger numbers that can be monitored, smaller organisms provide early warning systems that might prevent harm to the larger organisms with more restricted distribution. There is no robust evidence on what level of biodiversity is essential for sustainable use of the planet. Furthermore, not all the species on the planet have been given taxonomic names; for the many that have been named, their life cycles and habitat requirements are poorly understood. Worse yet, there are too few adequately qualified professionals to carry out these tasks even if human society deemed them important. As a consequence, the monitoring effort should initially concentrate at the systems level (landscapes, ecoregions, habitat) with the hope that a healthy ecosystem will retain most of its component species. Monitoring at the species level should accompany systems level monitoring to see if the assumption is correct. I seek acquaintance with nature - to know her moods and manners. Primitive nature is the most interesting to me. I take infinite pains to know all the phenomena of spring, for instance, thinking that I have here the entire poem, and then, to my chagrin, I learn that it is but an imperfect copy that I possess and have read, that my ancestors have torn out many of the first leaves and grandest passages, and mutilated it in many places. I should not like to think that some demigod had come before me and picked out some of the best of the stars. I wish to know an entire heaven and an entire Earth. [References: 75]