BIO3210 River & Lake Biology
Although only 1% of the Earth's water is fresh, Freshwater ecology is very fundamental. This course focuses on five aspects of Freshwater ecology. (1) Fundamentals of the origin and age of rivers and lakes, lake morphometry and river and lake catchment properties. (2) Focus on the physicochemical parameters of aquatic systems, as well as the underlying concepts. (3) River and lake biotics, such as phytoplankton, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, etc, in running and standing waters. (4) The inter-relationship between both biotic and abiotic aspects of these water bodies; addressed in the context of food web interactions. Emphasis will be laid on shallow lakes and concepts of cascading trophic interactions, alternative stable states, niche shifts, succession, and trophic concepts. (5) Finally, discussion on the effect of anthropogenic pressure on these systems would be made in the light of contamination and eutrophication; Concepts of biomonitoring, restoration, rehabilitation, and biomanipulation will also be discussed as part of remediation efforts.