BIOLOGICAL MONITORING AS AN INTEGRAL TOOL FOR ASSESSING ECOSYSTEM HEALTH IN BULGARIA
Keywords:
biological monitoring, bioindicators, ecosystem health, lichens, mosses, macrozoobenthos, biodiversity, air pollution, aquatic ecosystems, Bulgaria.Abstract
Biological monitoring is an integrated scientific approach for assessing ecosystem health through the use of living organisms as bioindicators. Unlike point-based physico-chemical measurements, which reflect instantaneous concentrations of pollutants, biomonitoring provides information on the cumulative and long-term impacts of anthropogenic pressures on the environment. This review examines the main directions of biological monitoring in Bulgaria, including assessment of ambient air quality using lichens and mosses, biodiversity monitoring in protected areas, evaluation of aquatic ecosystems through macrozoobenthos, and population and genetic monitoring of key species. Selected national case studies illustrate the application of established biotic indices and methodologies harmonized with European environmental directives. The advantages, limitations, and future perspectives of biological monitoring are discussed, with particular emphasis on the importance of an integrated approach and the adoption of modern technologies. Biological monitoring is highlighted as a reliable scientific basis for natural resource management and as an early warning system for detecting ecological changes in Bulgaria.
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