title: Using an Ecosystem Approach to complement protection schemes based on organism-level endpoints.
abstract: Radiation protection goals for ecological resources are focussed on ecological structures and functions at population-, community-, and ecosystem-levels. The current approach to radiation safety for non-human biota relies on organism-level endpoints, and as such is not aligned with the stated overarching protection goals of international agencies. Exposure to stressors can trigger non-linear changes in ecosystem structure and function that cannot be predicted from effects on individual organisms. From the ecological sciences, we know that important interactive dynamics related to such emergent properties determine the flows of goods and services in ecological systems that human societies rely upon. A previous Task Group of the IUR (International Union of Radioecology) has presented the rationale for adding an Ecosystem Approach to the suite of tools available to manage radiation safety. In this paper, we summarize the arguments for an Ecosystem Approach and identify next steps and challenges ahead pertaining to developing and implementing a practical Ecosystem Approach to complement organism-level endpoints currently used in radiation safety.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: clare.bradshaw@su.se.
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.affiliation: LK Consultancy, P.O. Box 373, Turner Valley, Alberta T0L 2A0, Canada. Electronic address: kapustka@xplornet.com.
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kapustka
authors.affiliation: LWB Environmental Services, 1620 New London Rd., Hamilton, OH 45013, USA. Electronic address: Barnthouse@lwb-env.com.
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barnthouse
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Grini næringspark 13, P.O. Box 55, NO-1332 Østerås, Norway. Electronic address: Justin.Brown@nrpa.no.
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Electricité de France (EDF), Hydraulics and Environment National Laboratory, 6 quai Watier, 78400 Chatou, France. Electronic address: philippe.ciffroy@edf.fr.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ciffroy
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 348 Manter Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA. Electronic address: vforbes3@unl.edu.
authors.forename: Valery
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Forbes
authors.affiliation: Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology, Kievskoe shosse, 109 km, Obninsk 249020, Russian Federation. Electronic address: stgeraskin@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Stanislav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geras'kin
authors.affiliation: SKB, Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co, P.O. Box 250, 10124 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: ulrik.kautsky@skb.se.
authors.forename: Ulrik
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kautsky
authors.affiliation: IRSN, Institute of Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety, Direction générale, Centre of Cadarache, Bldg 229, BP 1, 13115 St Paul-lez-Durance, France. Electronic address: francois.brechignac@irsn.fr.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bréchignac
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment
keywords: Complex ecological systems; Ecological dynamics; Indirect effects; Non-linearity; Species interactions; Wildlife