Biological and ecological traits in bioindication: example of trait responses to toxic pollution

Abstract

Constant deterioration of the aquatic ecosystems has intensified the need for relevant assessment methods of environmental quality, based on species biology and ecology. Also known as "life history traits", biological and ecological traits bring together all the qualitative and quantitative information associated with the biology of organisms and their relationships with the environment. In this context the use of biological and ecological traits provides new perspectives for biological assessment methods. We propose, through the example of both diatoms and macroinvertebrates, to see how these bioecological traits are used in term of toxic bioindication.