TOXICOLOGICAL STUDIES OF ENERGY FLOWS IN ECOLOGICAL-SYSTEMS

A short survey is given about calorimetric investigations on ecologica l systems. Relevant literature is sparse, and moreover often dedicated to ''indirect'' calorimetry. Systems under research range from very c omplex entities like forests, lakes or marine shore sites to simpler p arts of them as soils and sediments or various types of animals living in these habitats. Two examples of toxic effects are presented in som e more detail: the influence of the organic pollutant pentachloropheno l on the different components of a forest system and that of the heavy metal cadmium on an aquatic organism.