Long-term population monitoring is an important tool in our investigations of the role waterbirds play in their environment. This book is international in scope and presents information on species as diverse as the Common Loon, Harlequin Duck, and Semi-Palmated Sandpiper, and habitat in locations ranging from Iceland to Japan. Papers presented in this volume further our understanding of the important role that limnology plays in determining habitat suitability for waterbirds.
Birds are an integral part of most freshwater ecosystems (lakes, rivers, wetlands) but their role in the trophic dynamics of these water bodies has often been overlooked. As a conspicuous part of the biota of water bodies, aquatic birds are indicators of their trophic state both in terms of species composition (quality) as well as occupancy and breeding (quantity). Birds may also influence the trophic state of a water body by importing nutrients (.e.g. resident or migrating birds feeding on adjacent watersheds or the sea). Because of anthropogenic activities, predation or their mobility, birds may not utilize otherwise suitable aquatic habitat. These factors complicate the relationship between aquatic bird production and the trophic status of habitats. As a consequence, the role of aquatic birds in freshwater ecosystems has usually been ignored. This volume contains a wide range of papers selected from those presented at the symposium and reviewed.
The rapid growth of the discipline of aquatic ecology has been driven both by scientific interest in the complexities of aquatic ecosystems and by their enormous environmental importance and sensitivity. This book focuses on the remarkably diverse roles played by underwater plants, and is divided into three parts: 10 thematic chapters, followed by 18 case studies, and rounded off by three integrative chapters. The topics range from macrophytes as fish food to macrophytes as mollusc and microbe habitat, making this of interest to aquatic ecologists as well as limnologists, ecosystem ecologists, microbial ecologists, fish biologists, and environmental managers.
Freshwater Ecology, Second Edition, is a broad, up-to-date treatment of everything from the basic chemical and physical properties of water to advanced unifying concepts of the community ecology and ecosystem relationships as found in continental waters.With 40% new and expanded coverage, this text covers applied and basic aspects of limnology, now with more emphasis on wetlands and reservoirs than in the previous edition. It features 80 new and updated figures, including a section of color plates, and 500 new and updated references. The authors take a synthetic approach to ecological problems, teaching students how to handle the challenges faced by contemporary aquatic scientists.This text is designed for undergraduate students taking courses in Freshwater Ecology and Limnology; and introductory graduate students taking courses in Freshwater Ecology and Limnology. - Expanded revision of Dodds' successful text. - New boxed sections provide more advanced material within the introductory, modular format of the first edition. - Basic scientific concepts and environmental applications featured throughout. - Added coverage of climate change, ecosystem function, hypertrophic habitats and secondary production. - Expanded coverage of physical limnology, groundwater and wetland habitats. - Expanded coverage of the toxic effects of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupters as freshwater pollutants - More on aquatic invertebrates, with more images and pictures of a broader range of organisms - Expanded coverage of the functional roles of filterer feeding, scraping, and shredding organisms, and a new section on omnivores. - Expanded appendix on standard statistical techniques. - Supporting website with figures and tables - http://www.elsevierdirect.com/companion.jsp?ISBN=9780123747242
Ponds are an exceptional freshwater resource around the world and represent thirty percent of the global surface area of standing water. Furthermore, the millions of ponds which exist exhibit a particularly high biodiversity and have a high potential for ecosystem functions and services. Despite these impressive features, ponds face many threats from a variety of human activities and receive little or no protection under European and national legislation. Consequently, there is an urgent need to protect, consolidate and increase the pond resource in Europe. In order to achieve these objectives, the European Pond Conservation Network (EPCN) was launched 2004 in Geneva. Its aim is to promote the awareness, understanding and conservation of these small water bodies in the European landscape. This volume of “Developments in Hydrobiology” presents a selection of 31 papers presented during EPCN conferences held in 2006 in France (Toulouse) and in 2008 in Spain (Valencia). They represent a diverse collection of themes from across the continent and North Africa and present new and original insights into topics as wide ranging as pond biodiversity; human disturbance; landscape ecology; ecological assessment and monitoring; practical management measures; ecological restoration; hydrology and climate change; invasive species and threatened species.
Mangroves are one of the most productive and biologically important blue-carbon ecosystems across the coastal intertidal zone of earth. In the current scenario of serious environmental changes like global warming, climate change, extreme natural disasters, mangrove forests play a vital role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and maintaining ecosystem balance. Mangroves are unique ecosystems with rich biological diversity of different taxonomic groups exhibiting great ecological and commercial importance. The book consolidates existing and emerging information on ecology of mangroves, with a special reference to their biodiversity and management. It emphasizes on the role of mangroves in providing various ecological services. The book is a comprehensive compilation covering all aspects of mangrove ecology. It is useful for students and researchers in ecology, plants sciences and environmental sciences.
This book is an attempt to acknowledge the discipline ‘wetland science’ and to consolidate research findings, reviews and synthesis articles on different aspects of the wetlands in South Asia. The book presents 30 chapters by an international mix of experts in the field, who highlight and discuss diverse issues concerning wetlands in South Asia as case studies. The chapters are divided into different themes that represent broad issues of concern in a systematic manner keeping in mind students, researchers and general readers at large. The book introduces readers to the basics and theory of wetland science, supplemented by case studies and examples from the region. It also offers a valuable resource for graduate students and researchers in allied fields such as environmental studies, limnology, wildlife biology, aquatic biology, marine biology, and landscape ecology. To date the interdisciplinary field ‘wetland science’ is still rarely treated as a distinct discipline in its own right. Further, courses on wetland science aren’t taught at any of the world’s most prestigious universities; instead, the topics falling under this discipline are generally handled under the disciplines ‘ecology’ or under the extremely broad heading of ‘environmental studies’. It is high time that ‘Wetland Science’ be acknowledged as an interdisciplinary sub-discipline, which calls for an attempt to consolidate its various subtopics and present them comprehensively. Thus, this book also serves as a reference base on wetlands and facilitates further discussions on specific issues involved in safeguarding a sustainable future for the wetland habitats of this region.
The present volume comprises aspects of both basic and applied limnology. They include works on physical, chemical, and biological limnology, as well as experimental approaches in selected areas. Contributions from investigators regarding aquatic conservation and biodiversity were specifically not available and therefore, these aspects are considered in various included works. Most manuscripts deal with lentic aquatic resources. This is not surprising since Mexican limnology followed the general study trend of that from temperate limnology. Despite this, we must emphasize that lotic resources in Mexico are quite important both locally and regionally. This does not mean that rivers are not under limnological research in Mexico, just that their study has only recently begun. It is the intention of the volume to stimulate a larger section of limnologists to further research in this field. It is to be hoped that policy-framing governmental authorities in Mexico will benefit from it, and consider some of the aspects described so that further damage to the epicontinental waterbodies can be halted, and remedial measures can be considered in the future.
A charismatic and arresting bird, the Painted Stork inhabits the plains and wetlands of India and Southeast Asia. This near-threatened species provides a good model through which to explore a variety of ecology and conservation issues. As a colonial nester, it is also useful for considering questions related to evolution and the development of avian coloniality. The Painted Stork sometimes nests opportunistically in the middle of large cities – the Delhi Zoo colony, for instance, has been active since 1960. This offers a splendid opportunity to study the species at close range, as attested by this book's lively photographic component. The Painted Stork is an important indicator of its wetland habitats, which themselves are highly threatened. Since environmental toxins, particularly organochlorine pesticides, travel rapidly along aquatic food chains, the study of piscivorous birds like the Painted Stork assumes special significance. Equally vulnerable today are the nesting colonies, located in marshes, village reservoirs and the wider countryside, including in urban settings. Perhaps because their natural nesting areas are becoming scarce due to habitat loss, colonial waterbirds look for suitable sites in parks and gardens. Hence, the behaviour of this species reflects changes occurring in its environment. Birds also help us monitor the effects of global climate change, and one of the most significant dimensions of the Painted Stork is its dependence upon the monsoon. How exactly do these seasonal rains govern the food cycles in wetlands? And what happens when the monsoon fails? Covering all aspects of Painted Stork ecology, behaviour, conservation and its relationship with humans, this accessible monograph contains a wealth of new insights.
