Ecological risk assessment and its research progress

Ecological risk is a hotspot in the present environmental management study, which mainly focuses on the chemical, physical, and biological stressors that may damage ecosystem or its components. Ecological risk assessment (ERA) has a great significance for making scientific environmental management strategies. In order to lessen the damage of ecosystem or its parts, and to manage the ecosystem effectively, it is necessary to predict the probability the adverse ecological effects would occur and the consequences. This paper summarized the research methods, tools and trends of ERA, and pointed out the areas that need to be further studied. It was suggested that under the background of urbanization, urban ecological risk should be given more attentions. The prospects of further study were discussed, based on the issues existed in current researches.