Textbook of Limnology

Book excerpt: The interdisciplinary nature of limnology requires lucid and well-integrated coverage of biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and resource management. Paul Weihe skillfully accomplishes this objective in his revision of Gerald Cole’s classic limnology text. This long-awaited revision introduces concepts in straightforward terms, replete with detailed examples, elegant illustrations, and up-to-date, well-researched documentation. Outstanding features of the fifth edition include: • A global outlook with examples from every continent • Discussions of the impact of environmental challenges (e.g., climate change, eutrophication, river regulation) with case studies of real-world examples • A chapter devoted to wetlands • A thorough examination of biogeochemistry, including recent anthropogenic alteration and a reconsidered understanding of stoichiometric relationships • Expanded treatment of hydrology, utilizing empirical approaches to discharge determination and effects of land-use changes • A reorganized presentation of biodiversity, explicitly correlating profiles of biota with community ecology and ecosystem function • Updated taxonomy with a description of the new metagenomic approach, nomenclature strictly adhering to the intergovernmental Integrated Taxonomic Information System