Criteria for the selection and use of indicator species for environmental monitoring

Indicator species (IS) are used to monitor environmental changes, assess the efficacy of management, and provide warning signals for impending ecological shifts. In this study, a variety of indicator species, and criteria for the selection, use and assessment of them by ecologists were investigated. The results showed terms used to describe organisms in indicator species research included ecological index, environmental index, indicator species, bioindicator, and biomonitor, respectively. Twenty percent of research used only a single species as an indicator; the remainder used groups of species as indicators(60%). Nearly 50% of the taxa used as indicators were animals, 70% of which were invertebrates. The most common applications the use of indicator species were including respectively, monitor ecosystem and environmental integrity (42%); assess habitat restoration (18%); and assess effects of pollution (18%). The criteria for use of indicator species based on previously cited research (40%), local abundance (5%), ecological significance and/or conservation status (13%), or a combination of two or more of these reasons (25%). This study can be improve a comprehensive understanding from the use and recent application of indicator species and also showed that the indicator species as a biological tool have ability to detect sources of perturbations in ecosystem.

Keywords:

Indicator species , Ecological indicators , Ecological monitoring , Environmental changes