Chiara Accolla, Amelie Schmolke, Nika Galic, Steve Bartell, Daniel Dawson, Klaus Peter Ebke, Jana Gerhard, Analise Lindborg, Ann-Kathrin Loerracher, Isabel O'Connor, Robert Pastorok, Damian Preziosi, Brandon Sackmann, Jürgen Schmidt, Conner Schultz, Nele Schuwirth, Tido Strauss, Roman Ashauer
{"title":"Comparison of aquatic system models using outdoor mesocosm data for ecological risk assessment, part I: methodology.","authors":"Chiara Accolla, Amelie Schmolke, Nika Galic, Steve Bartell, Daniel Dawson, Klaus Peter Ebke, Jana Gerhard, Analise Lindborg, Ann-Kathrin Loerracher, Isabel O'Connor, Robert Pastorok, Damian Preziosi, Brandon Sackmann, Jürgen Schmidt, Conner Schultz, Nele Schuwirth, Tido Strauss, Roman Ashauer","doi":"10.1093/inteam/vjaf121","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mesocosm studies are conducted in the context of higher-tier ecological risk assessments (ERAs) to integrate environmental conditions and study species interactions within waterbodies in agricultural landscapes. Aquatic system models (ASMs) could provide tools to extrapolate the dynamics and effects of chemicals observed in mesocosm studies to a wider range of environmental conditions and exposure scenarios. In this paper, we present the methodology of a ring study with four ASMs (Aquatox, CASM, StoLaM+, Streambugs) applied to data from mesocosm studies, while the results of the ring study are presented in a companion paper published alongside this manuscript. The ring study aimed to test the feasibility and capability of ASMs to represent mesocosm data and to evaluate if such models can be used as an extension of mesocosm experiments in ERAs. The ring study methodology allowed for model comparison and identified models' strengths and limitations in representing the ecosystem dynamics in control and treated mesocosm studies. Groups of species were defined to map the diversity of the mesocosm ecosystem in the taxa represented by the models, and a consensus trophic web was agreed upon to ensure harmonization among the models. Control and effect calibration criteria were developed to evaluate and compare model performances for each species group, explicitly considering the variability in mesocosm data. Our proposed methodologies and the challenges in using mesocosm data to inform modeling approaches are discussed. Finally, we derived recommendations for future research to facilitate the development of models representing mesocosms to support ERAs.</p>","PeriodicalId":13557,"journal":{"name":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/inteam/vjaf121","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Mesocosm studies are conducted in the context of higher-tier ecological risk assessments (ERAs) to integrate environmental conditions and study species interactions within waterbodies in agricultural landscapes. Aquatic system models (ASMs) could provide tools to extrapolate the dynamics and effects of chemicals observed in mesocosm studies to a wider range of environmental conditions and exposure scenarios. In this paper, we present the methodology of a ring study with four ASMs (Aquatox, CASM, StoLaM+, Streambugs) applied to data from mesocosm studies, while the results of the ring study are presented in a companion paper published alongside this manuscript. The ring study aimed to test the feasibility and capability of ASMs to represent mesocosm data and to evaluate if such models can be used as an extension of mesocosm experiments in ERAs. The ring study methodology allowed for model comparison and identified models' strengths and limitations in representing the ecosystem dynamics in control and treated mesocosm studies. Groups of species were defined to map the diversity of the mesocosm ecosystem in the taxa represented by the models, and a consensus trophic web was agreed upon to ensure harmonization among the models. Control and effect calibration criteria were developed to evaluate and compare model performances for each species group, explicitly considering the variability in mesocosm data. Our proposed methodologies and the challenges in using mesocosm data to inform modeling approaches are discussed. Finally, we derived recommendations for future research to facilitate the development of models representing mesocosms to support ERAs.
期刊介绍:
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management (IEAM) publishes the science underpinning environmental decision making and problem solving. Papers submitted to IEAM must link science and technical innovations to vexing regional or global environmental issues in one or more of the following core areas:
Science-informed regulation, policy, and decision making
Health and ecological risk and impact assessment
Restoration and management of damaged ecosystems
Sustaining ecosystems
Managing large-scale environmental change
Papers published in these broad fields of study are connected by an array of interdisciplinary engineering, management, and scientific themes, which collectively reflect the interconnectedness of the scientific, social, and environmental challenges facing our modern global society:
Methods for environmental quality assessment; forecasting across a number of ecosystem uses and challenges (systems-based, cost-benefit, ecosystem services, etc.); measuring or predicting ecosystem change and adaptation
Approaches that connect policy and management tools; harmonize national and international environmental regulation; merge human well-being with ecological management; develop and sustain the function of ecosystems; conceptualize, model and apply concepts of spatial and regional sustainability
Assessment and management frameworks that incorporate conservation, life cycle, restoration, and sustainability; considerations for climate-induced adaptation, change and consequences, and vulnerability
Environmental management applications using risk-based approaches; considerations for protecting and fostering biodiversity, as well as enhancement or protection of ecosystem services and resiliency.