From the mysterious depths of Lake Vostok, Antarctica, to tropical
floodplain lakes, inland seas, hydro-reservoirs and the variety of
waterbodies in our local environment, lakes encompass a huge
diversity of shapes, sizes, depths, colours, and even salinities.
Often very large and very deep, they sustain important and unique
ecosystems which can be hotspots of biodiversity, and are used by
humans as sources of drinking water and food, in particular, fish.
What is the origin of differences among lakes, and how does that
affect the life within them? What are the seasons of a lake, and
how do human actions alter lake ecosystems locally, and at a global
scale? In this Very Short Introductions, Warwick Vincent outlines
the essential features of lake environments and their biology,
offering an up-to-date view of lake ecosystems. Vincent traces the
origins of lake science (limnology) from the seminal work of
Francois Forel on Lake Geneva at the edge of the Swiss Alps, to
modern approaches such as environmental sensors, satellite
observations, stable isotope analysis, and DNA-based technologies
which are used to probe the microbial life support systems that
lead from sunlight to fish. Drawing on varied case studies he
considers the intimate relationship between humans and lakes, the
value of lakes as indicators of environmental change, the impact of
pollution,and our urgent need to improve the protection and
management of these vitally important living resources via an
integrated understanding of their ecology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The
Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press
contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These
pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new
subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis,
perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and
challenging topics highly readable.
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