Table Of ContentM
ultiple
S
tresses
_   in
E
cosystems
M
ultiple
S
tresses
_   in
E
cosystems
Edited by
Joseph J. Cech, Jn
Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology 
University of California - Davis
Barry W. Wilson
Departments of Avian Sciences and Environmental Toxicology 
University of California - Davis
Donald G- Crosby
Department of Toxicology 
University of California - Davis
CRC Press
Taylor &. Francis Group
Boca Raton  London  New York
CRC Press is an imprint of the
Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Multiple stresses in ecosystems / edited by Joseph J. Cech, Jr., Barry W. Wilson, Donald G. Crosby, 
p.  cm.
Resulted from an international conference held Oct. 14-15, 1993 and sponsored by the University 
of California Toxic Substances Program.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-56670-309-3 (alk. paper)
1. Pollution—Environmental aspects—Congresses. 2. Nature—Effect of human beings on— 
Congresses. 3. Ecology—Congresses.
1. Cech, Joseph J. II. Wilson, Barry W., 1931- . III. Crosby, Donald G.
QH545.A1M85 1998 
577.27—dc21
97-49109
CIP
This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reprinted 
material is quoted with permission, and sources are indicated. A wide variety of references are listed. 
Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and the 
publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use.
Neither this book nor any pan may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, 
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or by any information 
storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
All rights reserved. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the personal or 
internal use of specific clients, may be granted by CRC Press LLC, provided that $.50 per page 
photocopied is paid directly to Copyright Clearance Center, 27 Congress Street, Salem, MA 01970 USA. 
The fee code for users of the Transactional Reporting Service is ISBN 1-56670-309-3/98/$0.00-f-$.50. 
The fee is subject to change without notice. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license 
by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged.
The consent of CRC Press LLC does not extend to copying for general distribution, for promotion, 
for creating new works, or for resale. Specific permission must be obtained from CRC Press LLC for 
such copying.
Direct all inquiries to CRC Press LLC, 2000 Corporate Blvd., N.W., Boca Raton, Florida 33431.
Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used 
only for identification and explanation, without intent to infringe.
© 1998 by CRC Press LLC.
Lewis Publishers is an imprint of CRC Press LLC
No claim to original U.S. Government works 
International Standard Book Number 1-56670-309-3 
Library of Congress Card Number 97-49109
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
The  Editors
Joseph J. Cech, Jr., is Professor of Fish Biology/Physiology al the University of 
California, Davis.  He earned degrees in zoology from the University of Wisconsin, 
Madison (B.S.) and the University of Texas, Austin (M.A., Ph.D.).  After post
doctoral research experience at the Research Institute of the Gulf of Maine, he joined 
the UC Davis faculty in 1975.  He regularly teaches Physiology of Fishes, Physio
logical Ecology, and Field Studies in Fish Biology courses.  With his students and 
postdoctoral researchers, he is active in research on the functional responses of fishes 
to their environments (including contaminated ones) and is the author (or co-author) 
of over 90 research publications, including several books.  For example, he co
authored (with Dr. Peter B. Moyle) Fishes: An Introduction to Ichthyology, now in 
its third edition.
Barry W. Wilson is an ecotoxicologist/neurotoxicologist and Professor of Avian 
Sciences  and  Environmental  Toxicology  at the University  of California,  Davis. 
Wilson was educated in liberal arts at the University of Chicago, in biology at the 
Illinois Institute of Technology, and in zoology at UCLA, where he obtained his 
Ph.D. degree. His biomedical research includes work on neuromuscle abnormalities, 
muscular dystrophy, acute pesticide exposures, and polyneuropathies. Recently he 
and his colleagues have been developing biomarkers of exposure and effect for 
wildlife, including hepatocyte, muscle, and nerve cell cultures, blood cholinesterase 
assays, and fecal testosterone indices of the reproductive state.
Donald G. Crosby is Professor Emeritus of Environmental Toxicology at the 
University of California, Davis. With a Ph.D. in chemistry from Cal Tech and almost 
8 years’ research at Union Carbide, he joined UC Davis in  1961  to start its Envi
ronmental Toxicology Department. He was a founding member of the American 
Chemical Society Division of Pesticide Chemistry (now Agrochemicals), SETAC, 
and the UC Davis Ecotoxicology Program, and still serves on the editorial boards 
of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety and Reviews of Environmental Contam
ination and Toxicology.  He is author of a new book. Environmental Toxicology and 
Chemistry.
Contributors
S.  Marshall Adams, Ph.D. Edward D. Goldberg, Ph.D.
Environmental Sciences Division  Scripps Institution of Oceanography 
Oak Ridge National Laboratory  Marine Research Division 
Oak Ridge, Tennessee University of California 
La Jolla, California
Daniel W. Anderson, Ph.D.
Department of Wildlife, Fish, and  Charles R. Goldman, Ph.D.
Conservation Biology  Division of Environmental Studies 
University of California, Davis  University of California, Davis 
Davis, California Davis, California
Joseph J. Cech, Jr., Ph.D. K. D. Ham, Ph.D.
Department of Wildlife, Fish, and  Environmental Sciences Division 
Conservation Biology  Oak Ridge National Laboratory 
University of California, Davis  Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Davis, California
Bruce D. Hammock, Ph.D.
Gary N. Cherr, Ph.D. Departments of Entomology and 
University of California, Davis  Environmental Toxicology 
Department of Environmental  University of California, Davis 
Toxicology and  Davis, California
Bodega Marine Laboratory 
Bodega Bay, California Adam S. Harris, B.S.
Departments of Entomology and 
Donald G. Crosby, Ph.D. Environmental Toxicology 
Department of Environmental  University of California, Davis 
Toxicology Davis, California
University of California, Davis 
Davis, California Alan G. Heath, Ph.D.
Department of Biology 
Anne Fairbrother, D.V.M.,Ph.D. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State 
ecological planning and toxicology, inc.  University
Corvallis, Oregon Blacksburg, Virginia
Shirley J. Gee, M.S. Sabine B. Kreissig, Ph.D.
Departments of Entomology and  Departments of Entomology and 
Environmental Toxicology  Environmental Toxicology 
University of California, Davis  University of California, Davis 
Davis, California Davis, California
Bill L. Lasley, Ph.D. James N. Seiber, Ph.D.
Institute of Toxicology and  University Center for Environmental 
Environmental Health  Sciences and Engineering 
University of California, Davis  Department of Environmental and 
Davis, California Resource Sciences 
University of Nevada, Reno 
R. R LeHew, M.S. Reno, Nevada
Environmental Sciences Division 
Oak Ridge National Laboratory  George E. Taylor, Jr., Ph.D.
Oak Ridge, Tennessee College of Agriculture 
University of Nevada, Reno 
Simon A. Levin, Ph.D. Reno, Nevada
Department of Ecology and 
Evolutionary Biology  Ronald S. Tjeerdema, Ph.D.
Princeton University  Department of Chemistry and 
Princeton, New Jersey Biochemistry
University of California, Santa Cruz 
Santa Cruz, California
Thomas E. McKone, Ph.D.
University of California 
Ingrid Wengatz, Ph.D.
School of Public Health 
Departments of Entomology and 
and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory 
Environmental Toxicology 
Berkeley, California
University of California, Davis 
Davis, California
Pierre Mineau, Ph.D.
National Wildlife Research Centre 
Barry W. Wilson, Ph.D.
Canadian Wildlife Service 
Departments of Avian Sciences and 
Hull, Québec, Canada
Environmental Toxicology 
University of California, Davis 
Davis, California
Monika Wortberg, Ph.D.
Departments of Entomology and 
Environmental Toxicology 
University of California, Davis 
Davis, California
Preface
The disciplinary areas of ecology and toxicology have made significant advances 
toward common goals of better detection, evaluation,  and  understanding of the 
complex interactions of toxicants in environmental settings. More than ever, we can 
piece together the physical, chemical, and biological influences of these substances 
and their effects on resident and migratory biota. We can often separate chronic from 
acute effects and follow substances through  food webs,  investigate processes at 
various levels of organization: from molecules and cells through tissues, organs, and 
organisms, to populations and communities, and are beginning to examine effects 
of more than one substance or impact on ecosystems. We are also assessing the 
health of ecosystems relevant to these impacts, and the risk to nonhuman and human 
inhabitants. The environmental impact review process and superfund site concerns 
are more closely linking the work of scientists in agencies, consulting firms, and 
universities. This volume is an attempt to pull together information from appropriate 
experts to assess: (1) where we are today in these relevant fields, and (2) which tools 
will be helpful in designing tomorrow’s studies.
The  volume  is  divided  into  three  sections:  Impact of Multiple  Stresses  on 
Ecosystems, Establishing the Health of Ecosystems, and Future Methods in Ecotox- 
icology. It resulted  from an international conference on this topic held October 
14-15,  1993. The conference was sponsored by the University of California Toxic 
Substances Program (Dr. Jerry Last, Director), especially through its Ecotoxicology 
Program (directed at that time by Dr. Daniel Anderson, now directed by Dr. David 
Hinton). The UC Ecotoxicology Program is a UC system-wide program that offers 
support, primarily in the form of traineeships, to students pursuing graduate degrees 
in areas such as ecology, pharmacology and toxicology, engineering, and others 
which relate to ecotoxicological investigations. The Davis Campus is currently the 
leader in the UC ecotoxicology thrust. The conference was also sponsored by the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through its support of the Center for Eco
logical Health Research (Dr. Dennis Rolston, Director) located on the Davis campus.
Many individuals contributed to the success of the conference.  Its program, 
leading to the chapters  in this  volume,  was constructed by program  committee 
members Drs. Daniel Anderson, Donald Crosby, and Thomas McKone. The co
chairs were Drs. Joseph Cech and Barry Wilson. Conference-related correspondence 
was handled by Ms. Marjorie Kirkman and Ms. Brenda Nakamoto of the UC Davis 
Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology. Ms. Evett Stranghellini- 
Kilmartin (UC Ecotoxicology Program) and Ms. Cheryl Smith (Center for Ecolog
ical Health Research) assisted with conference organization, facilities, publicity, and 
registration. Graduate student Monica Choi worked with Ms. Smith on the poster 
displays; and Nancy Autumn, Donna Bartkowiak, Seth Coleman, Steve Detwiler, 
Ruth Ann Elbert, Andrea Erikson, Adam Harris, Xiaoping Li, and Eric Mielbrecht