Research Product

Authors discuss how to characterize ecosystem response to disturbance and its subsequent recovery after removal of stress. This chapter introduces the book, 'Ecotoxicology: Problems and Approaches,' and the problem of chemical and ecological change. Skeletal aspects are also analyzed. Initially principal characterization of ecosystem exposure, response, and recovery (Table 2.1) are discussed in depth; the scope of characterization examined here contrasts with that actually conducted for ecosystem and/or stress-specific problems addressed in succeeding book chapters, in which the reality is that characterization of these elementary aspects rarely has been achieved to a desired level for risk assessment.