River biota : Diversity and dynamics selected extracts from the Rivers handbook

Author(s)

    • Petts, Geoffrey E.
    • Calow, Peter

Bibliographic Information

River biota : Diversity and dynamics selected extracts from the Rivers handbook

edited by Geoffrey Petts and Peter Calow

Blackwell Science, 1996

Uniform Title

Rivers handbook

Available at  / 10 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographical references

Includes index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

As with all ecosystems, river systems involve a complex interaction of a rich diversity of micro-organisms, plants and animals with their physical and chemical environment. The river habitat presents unique problems for organisms exposed to unidirectional currents, seasonal variation in flow, and disturbance due to pollution and other human interference. The book starts with a description of the taxa, their adaptations and their ecologies, followed by chapters describing the ecosystem processes in terms of trophic interactions and the key production processes related to photosynthesis and decomposition. A major chapter then considers the principles, practices and problems associated with making reliable observations on river organisms, leading to final chapters investigating how river biota are impacted by human activity and how, in turn, they can be used as indicators of these effects in river-management programmes.

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • . Algae
  • . Macrophytes
  • . Heterotrophic microbes
  • . Invertebrates
  • . Riverine fishes
  • . Food webs and species interactions
  • . Detritus processing
  • . Primary production
  • . The sampling problem
  • . Responses of aquatic biota to hydrological change
  • . Prediction of biological responses.

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