This book introduces various mathematical models used in ecological risk assessment, primarily discussing models used in hazard assessment. The book aims to link ecology and conservation biology with risk assessments, bringing together the knowledge of ecotoxicology and ecology for effective risk assessment.

The first part describes population-level assessment in ecological risk assessment. The chapters cover current methodologies for ecological risk assessment, individual-level assessment, population dynamics models for population-level assessment, case studies, mathematical models for population extinctions, the derivation of mean time to extinction (MTE) and their case studies. The second part of the book discusses the mathematical models involved in hazard assessments. It introduces the method of risk assessment using species sensitivity distributions (SSDs), hazard assessment of metals, chemical mixtures using the Michaelis-Menten equation, basic elements of statistics and related topics.

Expected readers are risk assessors in governments and public sectors, students and young researchers interested in environmental science. The book is made accessible and easy to follow by beginners in mathematical biology and theoretical ecology.

Covers basic methods and various case studies of ecological risk assessments Describes mathematical models in an easy-to-follow manner Provides necessary knowledge and way of thinking for risk assessment

Autorentext
Masashi Kamo has been a researcher at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability (RISS), Japan since 2004. His research interests include ecology, evolutionary biology, and risk assessment. In evolutionary biology, he is interested in topics such as the evolution of infectious diseases and uses various models to study and solve related problems. In risk assessment, he looks for topics that can be analyzed using mathematical models. This approach leads him to conduct research on a diverse range of topics within risk assessment.

Inhalt

0. Introduction - Ecologist in Wonderland.- Part 1. Linking Ecotoxicology and Ecology.- Chapter 1. Basic Concepts of Ecological Risk Assessment.- Chapter 2. Population-level assessment.- Chapter 3. Population models of extinction.- Chapter 4. Population level assessment using the canonical model.- Part 2. Models for ecotoxicology.- Chapter 5. Species Sensitivity Distribution in Ecological Risk Assessment.- Chapter 6. BLM: A model for predicting metal toxicities.- Chapter 7.Mathematical models for chemical mixtures.- Chapter 8.Statistics and related topics.