17 Bioindicator Examples: Detailed Facts

Bioindicators are the organisms used to biomonitoring and assess Earth’s living system changes by anthropogenic activities. It may be microbial biomass, fungi, actinomycetes, lichens, and the population of earthworms, nematodes, termites, and ants.

Let us see some bioindicator examples:

1. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
2. Euglena gracilaris
3. Chlorella vulgaris
4. Vogesella indigofera
5. Hyloconium splendens
6. Paramoecium Aurelia
7. Lobaria pulmonaria
8. Wolfia globosa
9. Cyclops
10. Benthos/Macroinvertebrate
11. Fungi
12. Frog and Toads
13. Earthworm
14. Nematodes
15. Salmon
16. Ants
17. Pteridophyta

Bioindicators are of four types depending upon the indication of behavioural and functional changes in their surroundings by their activity, growth and behaviour.

1. Pollution bioindicators
2. Ecological bioindicators
3. Biodiversity bioindicator
4. Environmental bioindicator

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

This is prokaryotic, unicellular green algae. They show aquatic contamination of heavy metals. As they offer the metal toxicity of cadmium and copper. They cannot grow above 0.3µM. They inhibit the function of nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite reductase (NiR) and glutamate synthase required for the cycling of nitrate and sulphate ions.

Vogesella indigofera

It is strictly aerobic, non-pathogenic, gram-negative, bioluminescent bacteria found in fresh water. As they release a blue pigment which shows the toxic level of some specific metallic ions.

Pigmentation is blocked due to the toxicity of hexavalent chromium ions, as it gets reduced by almost 50%. The Cr6 + threshold concentration of inhibition of pigment production was 200-300 μg ml-1.

Euglena gracilaris

They show heavy metal contamination in water as they revealed the genotoxic effect of organic pollutants in Taihu lake of China,2008. They affect the activities of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase and peroxidase by bond breakage in DNA and manipulating the synthesis of proteins.

Chlorella vulgaris

It is also one of the bioindicator examples most intensively studied microalgae used for waste treatment. They start releasing stress proteins encounters with contamination of two pesticides in water bodies i.e. 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and Atrazine.

Hyloconium splendens

They show the toxicity of metal pollutants in the terrestrial ecosystem. As they are bryophytes and have no true root system for absorption of nutrients so they depend on the composition of elements present in the air.

They show some physiological changes above a few heavy metals like lead, manganese, copper, zinc, nickel etc. Unit varies for different metals.

Paramoecium aurelia

They show a great effect on respiratory metabolism and oxidative stress by cellular disruption and apoptosis by increasing the level of benzene and organic-phosphorous compounds in an aquatic ecosystem.

Lobaria pulmonaria

As this is the lichen present in tree trunks and access the air pollutant in the surrounding. They are very sensitive to sulphur dioxide and sulphur-containing organic compounds. They are also known as lung-lichen as they cannot live in heavy pollutants.

Wolfia globosa

This is the smallest angiospermic plant. They show the phytotoxicity of cadmium and chromium ions. This decreases biomass productivity and chlorophyll content.

Cyclops

These organisms are indicating water quality or eutrophication in a river basin. They show some behavioural changes due to the accumulation of cadmium in their cells, as they react towards the excess amount of cadmium in water.

Benthos

Macroinvertebrates of the benthic zone include some crustaceans, Crayfish, a few echinoderms and molluscs. The heavy metals Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn affect the growth and life cycle of members of the benthic zone.

Fungi

Ecto-mycorrhizae are the highly sensitive fungal bioindicators of air pollution. They show the heavy metal toxicity present in soil and also influence the soil biota. Heavy metals are nickel, cadmium, manganese is sometimes responsible for phytotoxicity.

Frogs and Toads

They are most sensitive to some pollutants like fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides. As they show reactivity against nitrate, sulphate, calcium, zinc etc. These may alter the function of some enzymes like cholinesterases, glutathione-S-transferases and their respective proteins.

Earthworms

This organism acts as an ecological indicator as it helps to recognise the metal pollution monitoring in the soil ecosystem. The number of individuals present resembles the soil health and accumulation of chemicals in a particular area. The concentration of Zn, Fe, Pb and Mn affects the growth of earthworms.

Nematodes

They indicate the heavy metal toxication in soil ecology. Abundance in soil shows the good quality of the soil. Increased chromium concentration in sediments was found to increase the prevalence of four nematode species. They get their nutrient from the detrimental organism.

Salmon

Chinook salmon is an aquatic species that shows the contamination of water or eutrophication due to the accumulation of chemicals in their cells and indicates by some behavioural changes. Fishes also act as a bioindicator for aquatic pollution.

Ants

They are everywhere, great variety of insects that dominate many ecosystems with numbers and biomass. Reflecting the loss of diversity, changes in species composition, and changes in interspecific and intraspecific interactions. They are involved in soil decomposition, nutrient cycling, seed dispersal etc.

Pteridophytes

Pteridophytes are a positive indicator of forest integrity because they show a typical plant response to the harmful environmental conditions of the city. They reflect climate change and the global biodiversity crisis are often overlooked due to the relatively small size and lack of vibrant colours of these species.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed the bioindicator from different classes of organisms like some algae, plants, zooplankton, phytoplankton and fishes etc. The purpose of their existence is to indicate the contamination and pollution in the different ecosystems and contribute to the conservation of respective biota.

Also Read:

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• Insectivorous plant example
• Prism
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• Anticodon example
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