THE CONDITIONS

1
THE CONDITIONS PROCESSES
Physical Temperature Light Depth Wind Flow /
Discharge Geomorphology
Chemical Oxygen pH Nutrients Base
Cations Metals Sediments
Biological Production and Decomposition Detritus M
icrobes Algae Zooplankton Insects Fishes Amphibian
s Birds Mammals
Ecological Nutrient Cycling Organic Matter
Dynamics Herbivory Predation Competition Food Web
Dynamics Diversity
2
OBJECTIVES OF LIMNOLOGY

• Understand how the physical and chemical
  processes combine to influence the biological
  community and ecological processes.
• Determine to what degree different components of
  the biological community interact (roles of
  predation and competition).
• And how interactions are mediated by the
  physico-chemical environment
• Determine how human activities influence 1-3 and
  how human activities can best be managed to
  maximize the productivity and ecological
  integrity of aquatic ecosystems.

3
WHY IS LIMNOLOGY IMPORTANT?

• Value as a Basic Science.
• physically bounded
• tangible environmental properties
• influence of terrestrial systems
• temporal and spatial variability
• Complex but Tractable

4
WHY IS LIMNOLOGY IMPORTANT?

• 2. Value as an Applied Science.
• Value of water and aquatic ecosystems.
• Water quality and water availability is viewed by
  many to be the next major world-wide crisis.
  (Water Wars)
• Freshwater resources are finite.
• Our ability to manage for water quality depends
  on an understanding of basic limnological
  processes.
• Aquatic Resource Management Applied Limnology

5
HUMAN ACTIVITIES

• Agriculture
• Water Diversion
• Construction / Development
• Forestry
• Mining
• Power Generation

6
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS

• Nutrient Loading and Eutrophication
• Sedimentation
• Thermal Pollution
• Acid Precipitation
• Acid Mine Drainage
• Altered Stream Flow and Geomorphology
• Migration Barriers

7
Agriculture
8
Water Diversion
9
Eutrophication
10
Sedimentation
11
Barriers
12
Mtn Top Removal
Valley Fill
13
Acid Mine Drainage