Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
episode. In addition, the way in which vegetation responds to atmospheric pollution
provides an indication into what happens when living organic matter is exposed to
air pollution. As far as living organic matter is concerned, it's another type of
monitoring and method of collecting geographical information.
6.3.3.3.
Bio-indication
This type of information is associated with the study of the visual damage that is
caused by a pollutant on a test plant. It is defined as being the use of responses at all
levels of the biological
13
make-up of an organism or set of organisms to predict or
to show environmental changes and to monitor their evolution. In other words, it is
used to study the [VAN 02].
Using vegetation in this way is based on a recording of macroscopic activity that
occurs within an organism so that it becomes possible to examine the effects of
pollution. From the studies that were carried out it became clear that the pollutants
applied to the test plants led to the development of necrosis (the death of cells,
which is characterized by a discoloration of the epidermis), chlorosis (change in
color), or other morphological changes, such as change in size or changes to
flowering patterns, etc. Many different plants have been used for the purpose of
these studies. Tobacco plants were used for the bio-monitoring of ozone
14
(a
strongly phytotoxic pollutant). An extremely sensitive variety of the tobacco plant,
Bel W3, was used by this method. The presence of ozone on this plant leads to the
creation of white-brown foliac necrosis on sheltered tobacco plants that were
regularly watered. It is possible to map this type of necrosis, which affects plants
and vegetation at a given location, by using a GIS. The GIS will then produce
information on the spatial distribution of the harmful effects that are caused by
ozone.
In France this type of information gathering is not very common and is not very
developed. In France bio-monitoring is used as a complementary approach to the
physical and chemical measurements that are recorded. The results produced from
bio-monitoring are focused on the effects of pollution exposure on the ecosystem.
Due to the ever-changing nature of atmospheric pollution, bio-monitoring offers a
range of the latest observation tools that can be used to monitor this phenomenon.
Bio-monitoring is an approach that was developed from rigorous scientific research
and as a result it can be integrated into evaluation techniques which are used to
examine environmental and health risks. In addition to this, bio-monitoring can also
be used as a communication tool to provide the general public with information on
the pollution of organic living matter.
13 But also molecular, biochemistry, cell biology, physiology, tissue biology, morphology,
and ecology of the organism(s) in question
14 The use of bio-monitoring is subject to a normalization procedure that is carried out at the
French Normalization Association (AFNOR).
