ABSTRACT
A relatively new area within the eld of toxicology is ecological toxicology or ecotoxicology. Although classical toxicology is concerned with assessing effects of toxicants on the molecular, cellular, or physiological levels, ecological toxicology focuses on effects on populations, communities, and ecosystems. This chapter reviews some basic principles of ecology and discusses effects of toxicants on the population, community, and ecosystem levels and how they can be measured. This chapter focuses more on general principles, with specic environmental toxicants discussed in Chapter 17.
