Bioindication

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The use of particular organisms or their reactions to indicate the health of an ecosystem involves evaluating the effects of environmental changes on biodiversity
2. Employing living organisms as indicators allows for the assessment of ecological balance and pollution levels in various habitats
3. The method of utilizing living organisms to assess the quality and changes in an ecosystem

Etymology: "Bioindication" is a plain technical compound: "bio-", from Greek "bios" meaning "life", joined to "indication", from Latin "indicatio", a pointing out or sign. Put together, the name describes exactly what the practice does: living things act as signs that reveal the condition of their surroundings. The idea behind the term is the one people already used before it had a name. Lichens that vanish near smoky cities, or fish that die when a river turns toxic, have long served as warnings that something is wrong. The compound simply gives that observation a single label for the scientific practice of reading environmental health through organisms.