Сергей (sergei) Остроумов (ostroumov) » Публикация

S.A.Ostroumov
Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow 119991

Key words: new scientific revolution, ecology, biospheric science, geosciences, Earth sciences, hydrobiology, ecological technology, biotechnology, environmental science, biology, biosphere, fundamental concepts, chemical communication, signals, preventing global change, ecosystems, environmental safety, hazards, poster session «Aquatic Ecosystems, Organisms, Innovations», biochemical ecology, ecological chemomediators, ecological chemoregulators,

The scientific achievements in several areas of modern science made less visible some important advances made in ecology and environmental science. They are as following (see: www.researchgate.net/profile/Sergei_Ostroumov/blog/1893_New_scientific_revolution_in_ecology_biospheric_science_and_hydrobiology_hi-ecological_technologies_and_preventing_serious_hazards):

Revisiting some basic concepts.
Several fundamental notions of ecology are undergoing a significant change. E.g., among the basic concepts of ecology is the concept of ecological optimum associated with many ecological factors. According to that concept, each or almost each of ecological factors there is some optimum (say, optimal temperature etc), at which organisms of the given species feel most comfortable and demonstrate maximum productivity. The research done by Professor A. S. Konstantinov (his presentation at the scientific session, Aquatic Ecosystems, Organisms, Innovations, Moscow, 2005) demonstrated that this concept is no longer correct. He proposed and substantiated a new concept of ecological optimum that is different from the currently accepted.

Information network in the biosphere.
We see now that the biological communities are not only the trophic webs but also networks of the information flows. The information channel are based on several types of communication: physical (optical, acoustical, possibly electromagnetic), and chemical (chemical signals). The details of the chemical communication were analyzed in our publications, e.g.:
www.springerlink.com/index/E58651U631313465.pdf:

Self-maintenance mechanisms.
The relative stability of ecological systems and the biosphere as whole is a surprising fact. The stability of the thermal conditions, the stability of the biotic communities, the stability of the chemical composition of water are important things that cannot be taken for granted. There are some complex ecological mechanisms behind those facts of stability. One of those mechanisms is the ecological mechanism for water self-purification in freshwater bodies and streams, as well as in marine systems. It was described in my another publication.

Negative entropy outsite organisms.
The Nobel Prizer Erwin Schrödinger (1887 — 1961) made a statement that organisms feed on negative entropy. His idea was that organisms produce entropy, which is equal to their eating negative entropy. However, our analysis showed that in aquatic ecosystems, as a result of activities of organisms, the water outside organisms is far away from passive equilibrium in terms of concentrations of organic and inorganic chemicals. In other terms, there is a flow of negative entropy from organisms to the external water. It is a paradoxical addition to the picture that was described by E. Schrödinger.

The biosphere and biomatrix.
One of previous concepts of the biosphere was that it is the part of space where organisms live; another concepts was that the biosphere is the sum of organisms. Now we see the biosphere in a different way. We see it as what we called biomatrix, which is densely packed with matter, ecologically important chemicals, and physical fields, all three components are either components of living matter or are of biogenic origin. This new vision is different from the traditional one, and the difference was analyzed in the publication ( Ostroumov, 2010 ) [4].

A new system of criteria for ecological hazard identification.
A new system of criteria for considering chemicals or other man-made factors as serious hazards to the biosphere is emerging. It was formulated in the publications (Ostroumov, 2003 ) [5].

Practical applications.
There are several interrelated ways of practical usage of new ecological knowledge. We may consider three examples.

Example 1: phytoremediation. More detail, in my publications, e.g.:
www.springerlink.com/index/ML1062K7271L318N.pdf; www.researchgate.net/file.FileLoader.html?key=8fd8998627b86102db72c9b237c25054
.

Example 2: preventing global change. It was shown that the global change is prevented or mitigated by a number of ecological or biogeochemical processes. Those processes and the biota which is the driving force for the processes should be better studied and protected.

Example 3: preventing new potential forms of terrorism (bioterrorism, ecoterrorism). Usually the term 'bioterrorism' is interpreted as something to do with harmful microorganisms and other infectious agents, including genetically constructed. They are dangerous, but the prophylaxis of bioterrorism must cover a broader range of potential threats. In our ecological analysis, we found the threats that we designated as 'the ecological hazard of the first type' and 'the ecological hazard of the second type'. Those threats are to be better studied and we are looking for sponsorship in studying them and the ways to counter the threats. We already discovered important biotic mechanisms that serve as a beneficial remedy to prevent the threat of the ecological hazard of the second type.

Concluding remark.
The common denominator of many of the ecological mechanisms mentioned above is that they meet the criteria that we formulated in some of our recent publications as the criteria for a hi-tech device in the field of technology. Hence, we can consider some ecological mechanisms (involved in information transfer, in self-purification etc) as ecological (ecosystem) analogy of high technology. We suggest to use the term 'hi-ecological technologies' that we can found in natural ecosystems; we may create them in artificial ecosystems. The systems for phytoremediation are a good example.

Literature.

1.Ostroumov S.A. New scientific revolution in ecology and hydrobiology: hi-ecological technologies. — Ecological Studies, Hazards, Solutions, 2006, v. 11, p. 22-24.
2. Ostroumov S.A. On the concepts of biochemical ecology and hydrobiology: ecological chemomediators.-Contemporary Problems of Ecology, 2008, Volume 1 (2): 238-244 [© Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2008. distributed by Springer Science+Business Media LLC.] ISSN 1995-4255 (Print) 1995-4263 (Online)] www.springerlink.com/content/e58651u631313465; DOI 10.1134/S1995425508020100. Original Russian Text © S.A. Ostroumov, 2006, published in Sibirskii Ekologicheskii Zhurnal, 2006, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 73–82.
www.springerlink.com/index/E58651U631313465.pdf:
3. www.springerlink.com/index/ML1062K7271L318N.pdf; www.researchgate.net/file.FileLoader.html?key=8fd8998627b86102db72c9b237c25054
4. Ostroumov S.A. Biosphere: biomembrane or biomatrix? // Ecological Studies, Hazards, Solutions, 2010, vol.15, p. 13-16.
5. Ostroumov S.A. Anthropogenic effects on the biota: towards a new system of principles and criteria for analysis of ecological hazards // Riv. Biol. 2003 (Jan-Apr); 96(1): 159-69.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12852181;
6. scipeople.com/publication/70236/ (before going to that site, it is recommended that you register at the scientific network SciPeople.com)

Keywords:
new scientific revolution ecology hydrobiology ecological technology biotechnology environmental science biology biosphere fundamental concepts chemical communication signals preventing global change ecosystems

S.A.Ostroumov
Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow 119991

Key words: new scientific revolution, ecology, biospheric science, geosciences, Earth sciences, hydrobiology, ecological technology, biotechnology, environmental science, biology, biosphere, fundamental concepts, chemical communication, signals, preventing global change, ecosystems, environmental safety, hazards, poster session «Aquatic Ecosystems, Organisms, Innovations», biochemical ecology, ecological chemomediators, ecological chemoregulators,

The scientific achievements in several areas of modern science made less visible some important advances made in ecology and environmental science. They are as following (see: www.researchgate.net/profile/Sergei_Ostroumov/blog/1893_New_scientific_revolution_in_ecology_biospheric_science_and_hydrobiology_hi-ecological_technologies_and_preventing_serious_hazards):

Revisiting some basic concepts.
Several fundamental notions of ecology are undergoing a significant change. E.g., among the basic concepts of ecology is the concept of ecological optimum associated with many ecological factors. According to that concept, each or almost each of ecological factors there is some optimum (say, optimal temperature etc), at which organisms of the given species feel most comfortable and demonstrate maximum productivity. The research done by Professor A. S. Konstantinov (his presentation at the scientific session, Aquatic Ecosystems, Organisms, Innovations, Moscow, 2005) demonstrated that this concept is no longer correct. He proposed and substantiated a new concept of ecological optimum that is different from the currently accepted.

Information network in the biosphere.
We see now that the biological communities are not only the trophic webs but also networks of the information flows. The information channel are based on several types of communication: physical (optical, acoustical, possibly electromagnetic), and chemical (chemical signals). The details of the chemical communication were analyzed in our publications, e.g.:
www.springerlink.com/index/E58651U631313465.pdf:

Self-maintenance mechanisms.
The relative stability of ecological systems and the biosphere as whole is a surprising fact. The stability of the thermal conditions, the stability of the biotic communities, the stability of the chemical composition of water are important things that cannot be taken for granted. There are some complex ecological mechanisms behind those facts of stability. One of those mechanisms is the ecological mechanism for water self-purification in freshwater bodies and streams, as well as in marine systems. It was described in my another publication.

Negative entropy outsite organisms.
The Nobel Prizer Erwin Schrödinger (1887 — 1961) made a statement that organisms feed on negative entropy. His idea was that organisms produce entropy, which is equal to their eating negative entropy. However, our analysis showed that in aquatic ecosystems, as a result of activities of organisms, the water outside organisms is far away from passive equilibrium in terms of concentrations of organic and inorganic chemicals. In other terms, there is a flow of negative entropy from organisms to the external water. It is a paradoxical addition to the picture that was described by E. Schrödinger.

The biosphere and biomatrix.
One of previous concepts of the biosphere was that it is the part of space where organisms live; another concepts was that the biosphere is the sum of organisms. Now we see the biosphere in a different way. We see it as what we called biomatrix, which is densely packed with matter, ecologically important chemicals, and physical fields, all three components are either components of living matter or are of biogenic origin. This new vision is different from the traditional one, and the difference was analyzed in the publication ( Ostroumov, 2010 ) [4].

A new system of criteria for ecological hazard identification.
A new system of criteria for considering chemicals or other man-made factors as serious hazards to the biosphere is emerging. It was formulated in the publications (Ostroumov, 2003 ) [5].

Practical applications.
There are several interrelated ways of practical usage of new ecological knowledge. We may consider three examples.

Example 1: phytoremediation. More detail, in my publications, e.g.:
www.springerlink.com/index/ML1062K7271L318N.pdf; www.researchgate.net/file.FileLoader.html?key=8fd8998627b86102db72c9b237c25054
.

Example 2: preventing global change. It was shown that the global change is prevented or mitigated by a number of ecological or biogeochemical processes. Those processes and the biota which is the driving force for the processes should be better studied and protected.

Example 3: preventing new potential forms of terrorism (bioterrorism, ecoterrorism). Usually the term 'bioterrorism' is interpreted as something to do with harmful microorganisms and other infectious agents, including genetically constructed. They are dangerous, but the prophylaxis of bioterrorism must cover a broader range of potential threats. In our ecological analysis, we found the threats that we designated as 'the ecological hazard of the first type' and 'the ecological hazard of the second type'. Those threats are to be better studied and we are looking for sponsorship in studying them and the ways to counter the threats. We already discovered important biotic mechanisms that serve as a beneficial remedy to prevent the threat of the ecological hazard of the second type.

Concluding remark.
The common denominator of many of the ecological mechanisms mentioned above is that they meet the criteria that we formulated in some of our recent publications as the criteria for a hi-tech device in the field of technology. Hence, we can consider some ecological mechanisms (involved in information transfer, in self-purification etc) as ecological (ecosystem) analogy of high technology. We suggest to use the term 'hi-ecological technologies' that we can found in natural ecosystems; we may create them in artificial ecosystems. The systems for phytoremediation are a good example.

Literature.

1.Ostroumov S.A. New scientific revolution in ecology and hydrobiology: hi-ecological technologies. — Ecological Studies, Hazards, Solutions, 2006, v. 11, p. 22-24.
2. Ostroumov S.A. On the concepts of biochemical ecology and hydrobiology: ecological chemomediators.-Contemporary Problems of Ecology, 2008, Volume 1 (2): 238-244 [© Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2008. distributed by Springer Science+Business Media LLC.] ISSN 1995-4255 (Print) 1995-4263 (Online)] www.springerlink.com/content/e58651u631313465; DOI 10.1134/S1995425508020100. Original Russian Text © S.A. Ostroumov, 2006, published in Sibirskii Ekologicheskii Zhurnal, 2006, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 73–82.
www.springerlink.com/index/E58651U631313465.pdf:
3. www.springerlink.com/index/ML1062K7271L318N.pdf; www.researchgate.net/file.FileLoader.html?key=8fd8998627b86102db72c9b237c25054
4. Ostroumov S.A. Biosphere: biomembrane or biomatrix? // Ecological Studies, Hazards, Solutions, 2010, vol.15, p. 13-16.
5. Ostroumov S.A. Anthropogenic effects on the biota: towards a new system of principles and criteria for analysis of ecological hazards // Riv. Biol. 2003 (Jan-Apr); 96(1): 159-69.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12852181;
6. scipeople.com/publication/70236/ (before going to that site, it is recommended that you register at the scientific network SciPeople.com)

Keywords:
new scientific revolution ecology hydrobiology ecological technology biotechnology environmental science biology biosphere fundamental concepts chemical communication signals preventing global change ecosystems

Ключевые слова на русском языке: новая научная революция, экология, гидробиология, экологическая технология, биотехнология, наука об окружающей среде, биология, биосфера, фундаментальные концепции, химическая коммуникация, сигналы, экосистемы, С.А.Остроумов