The Biology of Lakes and Ponds

This book provides an introduction to the fascinating biology and ecology of lakes and ponds. Recently, there has been increasing interest in applying modern and evolutionary theory to the understanding of freshwater ecosystems, resulting in many new studies of the ways in which freshwater organisms adapt to abiotic constraints, and how direct and indirect biotic interactions affect their success. In this book, the new approaches and findings are summarized, and integrated with more traditional limnology, to give a comprehensive and accessible overview of the evolution of freshwater organisms, the importance of biotic interactions – including competition, predation, parasitism, and symbiosis – and community level processes such as food web interactions. The final chapter on conservation discusses the threats posed to this crucial resource by human activities, and the measures that we might take to counteract these. Throughout the book, theoretical background is combined with empirical studies illustrating the different interactions found in freshwater systems. Suggestions for practical experiments and observations that can be done in the laboratory or in the field are included, as well as a section on the ecology of the most important organisms in lakes and ponds. The book is illustrated throughout with exquisite original line drawings. It will be suitable as a core text for undergraduates in biology or environmental science taking courses in acquatic ecology or limnology, as well as being excellent supplementary reading for anyone taking a general ecology course or a course in systematics.