Response Signatures of Four Biological Indicators to an Iron and Steel Industrial Landfill

Aquatic plant species, populations, and communities are used as indicators of the aquatic environment, allowing detection of ecosystem response to different stressors (Stewart et al., 1999). Endpoints measured include the loss of sensitive species, decrease in species richness, trophic state changes (Ravera, 1983), plant index of biotic integrity (PIBI) (Simon et al., 2001), and shifts in growth habits (Mesters, 1995). Species diversity of an aquatic plant community may be a direct reflection of water quality. The loss or predominance of certain species may indicate the presence of pollutants.