Types of sublethal effects causing ecological death Ecological death

1 types of sublethal effects causing ecological death

1.1 behavioral effects
1.2 physiological effects
1.3 biochemical effects
1.4 histological effects

types of sublethal effects causing ecological death

sublethal effects consist of effects of organism caused toxicant not include death. these effects not observed in shorter acute toxicity test. longer, chronic toxicity test allow enough time these effects appear in organism , them lead ecological death.

behavioral effects

toxicants can affect organism’s behavior, aquatic organisms, may impact ability swim, feed or avoid predators. impacted behavior can lead organism’s death because may starve or eaten predators. toxicants may affect behavior impacting sensory systems organisms depend on collect information environment or impacting organism’s motivation respond sensory cues. if organism unable use sensory cues effectively, may unable respond warning signs of predation risk. toxicants can affect later stages of predation impacting organism’s ability respond predators or follow through escape strategies.

physiological effects

toxicants can affect organism’s physiology may impact growth, reproduction, and/or development. if organism not grow correctly , undersize or has growth defects, more eaten predators. if organism’s reproduction impaired, may not directly die, unable pass on genes population. organism no longer representative in population’s gene pool.

biochemical effects

toxicants can alter enzymes or ions present in organism. if alteration not directly cause death, impacts behavior or physiology of organism, can lead ecological death.

histological effects

toxicants can alter organism’s tissues. if alteration not directly cause death, impacts behavior or physiology of organism, can lead ecological death.