The primary role of this book is to introduce the reader to, and hopefully stimulate interest in, the ecology of temporary aquatic habi tats. The book assumes that the reader will have, already, some gen eral knowledge of ecology but this is not essential. Temporary waters exhibit amplitudes in both physical and chemical parameters which are much greater than those found in most waterbodies. The organisms that live in these types of habitats have, therefore, to be very well adapted to these conditions if they are to survive. Survival depends largely on exceptional physiological tolerance or effective immigration and emigration abilities. Examples of such adaptations are given throughout the book and it is hoped that these will aid the reader in gaining an insight into the structure and function of plant and animal communities of these unusual habi tats. The final chapter suggests field and laboratory projects that should be useful to students in school and university studies."

Temporary waters are found throughout the world, and include intermittent streams and ponds, episodic rain puddles, seasonal limestone lakes, the water-retaining structures of plants, such as bromeliads and pitcher plants, and a variety of man-made container habitats. They are probably populated by various plant, animal, and microscopic communities ranging from the very simple to the highly complex. Temporary waters therefore represent fascinating and significant arenas in which to study the properties of species, as the latter deal with the rigours of living in highly variable environments. Obligate temporary water species display a remarkable array of adaptations to the periodic loss of their primary medium that largely set them apart from the inhabitants of permanent water bodies. Survival of individuals frequently depends upon exceptional physiological tolerance or effective migrational abilities that are timed to appropriate habitat phases. Quite apart from their inherent biological interest, temporary waters are now in the limelight from a conservation perspective as these habitats come more and more into conflict with human activities. Traditionally, many temporary waters (be they ponds, pools, streams, or wetlands) have been considered to be 'wasted' areas of land, potentially convertible to agriculture once drained. In reality, they are natural features of the global landscape that represent distinct and unique habitats for many species, some that are found nowhere else and others that reach their maximum abundance and/or genetic diversity there. Temporary waters are also very important from a human health perspective since they function as breeding places for the vectors of many disease organisms, including those that spread malaria, schistosomiasis, yellow fever, and dengue. Most of these exact a high toll in terms of global human suffering and reduced regional economies. This book collates and synthesises the highly scattered and diverse global literature on pure and applied aspects of these habitats and their biota. It examines the ecology of temporary waters in both natural and human environments, and seeks to identify common evolutionary themes. It will be of particular interest to aquatic ecologists, invertebrate and vertebrate biologists, environmental biologists, wetland managers and conservationists, those charged with controlling water-associated diseases, entomologists, educators, and natural historians.

Temporary fresh waters, whether seasonal rivers, streams, ponds or microhabitats such as a hollowed tree trunk or pitcher plant reservoirs, exhibit amplitudes in both physical and chemical parameters which are much greater than those found in most water bodies. Organisms that live in these types of habitat have, therefore, to be particularly well adapted to these conditions if they are to survive. Survival often depends on exceptional physiological tolerance or effective immigration and emigration abilities. Originally published in 1987, this book is one of the very few available on the subject and should be of great interest to freshwater ecologists and zoologists and botanists concerned with adaptation to extreme environments. "This interesting book describes some of the temporary waterbodies found in many parts of the world, such as rainpools, billabongs, and meltwater streams.... This book fills a gap in the literature and should stimulate further work on these fascinating waterbodies." Rosalind M. Pontin in The Biologist (1988) 35 (3): p. 162. "Here is a book on an unusual topic but one that will certainly prove to be thought-provoking ..... it has a mass of material not easily available to ecologists, limnologists, botanists and zoologists, especially those concerned with plant-animal adaptations.... Professor Williams is to be congratulated for making easily available the contents of this new book." Richard E. Schultes, Botanical Museum, Harvard University, in RHODORA (1988) "There really aren't any other books on the biota of temporary bodies of water, and this one presents a decent introduction. Although the book is short, Williams covers a lot of territory - the strength of this book lies in its breadth ..... certainly as an introduction and as a teaching aid, the Ecology of Temporary Waters is a useful addition." Michael Berrill, Trent University, Ontario, Canada in The Quarterly Review of Biology (1988) 63 (4): p. 473. "An interesting little book which speaks for itself about the importance of temporary water bodies, addressing beneficial and deleterious factors and dealing with both basic and applied apsects. It is logically organized and written in a readable and interesting fashion ..... an interesting and informative book for general reading; a supplementary reference source for college courses in aquatic biology." T.L. Hufford, George Washington University. in Choice (1988) July/August: p. 1716. D. Dudley Williams is Professor of Zoology and Environmental Sciences at the University of Toronto, and Honorary Professor at the University of Wales, Bangor. He obtained his B.Sc. in Marine Zoology from the University of Wales from where he was later awarded a D.Sc. He gained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Freshwater Ecology from the University of Waterloo, Canada. His research lab focuses on trying to understanding the ecological processes that control the distribution, formation, structure and dynamics of freshwater communities, especially the invertebrate components. He has published over 150 research papers, including 4 books and 9 book chapters. Invertebrate animals also have dominated his teaching interests and, at the University of Toronto, have resulted in courses on Invertebrate Zoology, Biodiversity and Biogeography, Entomology, Marine Biology, and River Ecology. He has taught at universities in the U.K., Sweden, and the West Indies.