Guidelines for risk assessment in wetlands
This paper presents some guidelines for risk assessment in wetlands. Ecosystem analysis, i.e., understanding how wetlands function on the landscape, should be at the heart of the process. Another key point is to identify human values that derive from these wetland functions. Knowing the relationship between functions and values will greatly improve the problem identification phase and aid in the selection of appropriate test methods and evaluation endpoints. The result will be more accurate risk identification and more effective risk management. Risk characterization in wetlands should involve a two-step process: (1) utilize a wholistic, ecosystem approach to develop a detailed understanding of how the system functions, and (2) overlay this knowledge base with three tiers of testing, as appropriate; exposure assessment, biological assessment, and ecological assessment. Although this methodology may seem too complex for routine application, integrating ecosystem analysis may actually reduce the overall time and cost by identifying key biological, chemical, and physical parameters that must be evaluated early on in the assessment process.
Duke Scholars
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- Environmental Sciences
Citation
Published In
DOI
ISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Related Subject Headings
- Environmental Sciences