of test organisms in single-species tests. The evaluation of toxicity under different
conditions of physiological activity is inadequate, especially for impact assessments
of ecosystem function; thus, the necessity of multi-species tests is noted at the
OECD. Meanwhile, mesocosm tests, in which natural environmental water is sealed
in a container or in which part of a natural ecosystem is isolated, suffer from
problems in terms of cost, reproducibility, and handling. The mesocosm test seems
to be meaningful in predicting the behavior of chemical substances evaluated in the
presence or absence of higher predators in the ecosystem. However, the test method
in which fish and other organisms are added is considered to not be useful because it
is inferior to the flask microcosm in terms of cost, speed, and reliability. Considering
these points, it can be said that the particle size of the microcosm N-system is
extremely useful as a multi-species coexisting system, with high reproducibility
and stability.
Literature Cited
Beyers RJ, Odum HT. Ecological microcosms. New York: Springer; 1993. 557pp.
Graney RL, Kennedy JH, Rodjers JH Jr. Aquatic mesocosm studies in ecological risk assessment.
Boca Raton: Lewis Publishers; 1994. 723pp.
Peterson JE, Kennedy VS, Dennison WC, Michael Kemp W. Enclosed experimental ecosystems
and scale; tools for understanding and managing coastal ecosystems. London: Springer; 2009.
221pp.
Matsuda H. Ecological risk science for beginners: precautionary adaptive management. Tokyo:
Kyoritsu Shuppan; 2008. 213pp.
Saijo Y, Sakamoto M. Experimental analysis of lake ecosystem using mesocosms. Nagoya: The
Nagoya University Press; 1993. 346pp.
10 A Scaled-Up Model Ecosystem Verification of the Microcosm N-System
193
conditions of physiological activity is inadequate, especially for impact assessments
of ecosystem function; thus, the necessity of multi-species tests is noted at the
OECD. Meanwhile, mesocosm tests, in which natural environmental water is sealed
in a container or in which part of a natural ecosystem is isolated, suffer from
problems in terms of cost, reproducibility, and handling. The mesocosm test seems
to be meaningful in predicting the behavior of chemical substances evaluated in the
presence or absence of higher predators in the ecosystem. However, the test method
in which fish and other organisms are added is considered to not be useful because it
is inferior to the flask microcosm in terms of cost, speed, and reliability. Considering
these points, it can be said that the particle size of the microcosm N-system is
extremely useful as a multi-species coexisting system, with high reproducibility
and stability.
Literature Cited
Beyers RJ, Odum HT. Ecological microcosms. New York: Springer; 1993. 557pp.
Graney RL, Kennedy JH, Rodjers JH Jr. Aquatic mesocosm studies in ecological risk assessment.
Boca Raton: Lewis Publishers; 1994. 723pp.
Peterson JE, Kennedy VS, Dennison WC, Michael Kemp W. Enclosed experimental ecosystems
and scale; tools for understanding and managing coastal ecosystems. London: Springer; 2009.
221pp.
Matsuda H. Ecological risk science for beginners: precautionary adaptive management. Tokyo:
Kyoritsu Shuppan; 2008. 213pp.
Saijo Y, Sakamoto M. Experimental analysis of lake ecosystem using mesocosms. Nagoya: The
Nagoya University Press; 1993. 346pp.
10 A Scaled-Up Model Ecosystem Verification of the Microcosm N-System
193