Realism and usefulness of multispecies experiment designs with regard to application in radioecology: A review

Hallvard Haanes; Elisabeth Lindbo Hansen; Tanya Helena Hevrøy; Louise Kiel Jensen; Runhild Gjelsvik; Alicja Jaworska; Clare Bradshaw

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134485

Realism and usefulness of multispecies experiment designs with regard to application in radioecology: A review

Sci Total Environ. 2020 May 20:718:134485. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134485. Epub 2019 Nov 6.

Authors

Hallvard Haanes¹, Elisabeth Lindbo Hansen², Tanya Helena Hevrøy³, Louise Kiel Jensen⁴, Runhild Gjelsvik⁵, Alicja Jaworska⁶, Clare Bradshaw⁷

Affiliations

¹ Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, P.O. Box 329 Skøyen, NO-0213 Oslo, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD CoE), P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway. Electronic address: hallvard.haanes@dsa.no.
² Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, P.O. Box 329 Skøyen, NO-0213 Oslo, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD CoE), P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway. Electronic address: Elisabeth.Hansen@dsa.no.
³ Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, P.O. Box 329 Skøyen, NO-0213 Oslo, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD CoE), P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway. Electronic address: Tanya.Hevroy@dsa.no.
⁴ Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD CoE), P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway; Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, The Fram Centre, P.O. Box 6606 Langnes, 9296 Tromsø, Norway. Electronic address: Louise.Kiel.Jensen@dsa.no.
⁵ Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, P.O. Box 329 Skøyen, NO-0213 Oslo, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD CoE), P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway. Electronic address: Runhild.Gjelsvik@dsa.no.
⁶ Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, P.O. Box 329 Skøyen, NO-0213 Oslo, Norway; Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD CoE), P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway. Electronic address: Alicja.Jaworska@dsa.no.
⁷ Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: Clare.Bradshaw@su.se.

PMID: 31839283
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134485

Abstract

Multispecies experiments like microcosms and mesocosms are widely used in many fields of research but not in radioecology. In radioecology, size limitations are important as large experimental volumes involve problems with waste (radionuclides), or shielding, absorption and available space in gamma fields (often within a climate chamber). We have therefore performed a literature review (ISI Web of Science, n = 406) of the design and properties of multispecies effect studies <100 L in size and with three or more mentioned taxa in other research fields to assess their suitability to radioecology. Studies with more mentioned taxa assess structural ecosystem parameters more often than studies with fewer mentioned taxa, while the opposite trend is seen for indirect effects/interactions. Studies of indirect effects benefit from more replicates and longer experiments. Almost all studies assess some ecosystem level parameter but only a quarter take a holistic approach assessing both structural and functional as well as indirect effects. We find that most cosms are custom-made systems, rather than standardised designs. Unmanipulated cosms consist of excised portions of the natural environment with a higher number of mentioned taxa, high ecological complexity and high realism, but have a relatively low replicability. In contrast, standardised cosms with fewer mentioned taxa have less ecological complexity but much higher replicability. This literature review shows that smaller cosm sizes have similar ecological complexity (e.g. number of taxa and trophic levels) and experimental duration as larger sized cosms, allowing for ecologically-relevant investigations, despite their small size. We encourage multispecies radioecology studies, preferably with environmental relevant doses and sufficient detail on dosimetry.

Keywords: Multispecies experiment design; ecosystem approach; indirect effects; microcosm; radioecology.

Publication types

Review