The Biology of Streams and Rivers
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$60.00 (04)See more from the series
Description
An easy-to-read, beautifully illustrated undergraduate-level introduction to fresh- and running-water biology. Each chapter includes practical information on simple experiments. The text begins with the physical features that define running water habitats, then continues with organisms that inhabit these habitats, and concludes with a discussion of applied issues surrounding water use, including pollution, species diversity, and conservation.Reviews
"The biology of running waters is a very large topic for which this small volume aims to provide an overview. It is written by stream ecologists primarily as an undergraduate textbook, but also for anyone interested in freshwater biology. A good volume should both inform and stimulate readers to want to learn more, and this book accomplishes these goals. ... [T]he authors' enthusiasm for their subject radiates as they deftly relate, along with many examples, ecological principles and hypotheses to the study of freshwater biology. Here they do a superb job of integrating the ecological and stream literature, and I was delighted to find a substantial amount of material that I can use in my ecology course. ... [T]he authors have done an excellent job of synthesizing the stream literature into a cogent textbook that teachers and anyone interested in stream biology will find stimulating and useful."--The Quarterly Review of Biology
"This book, a comprehensive overview written as an undergraduate text, provides more than a glimpse of the life below the water surface of streams and rivers. It 'delves into the rich and growing literature and provides an up-to-date introduction to stream and river biology.' The authors describe the different kinds of watercourses; outline the range of living organisms of rivers, and their adaptations; discuss population, community and ecosystem patterns and processes such as energy flow and secondary production; and discuss applied issues such as the effects of pollution, tourism, sport fishing and exotic species."--Aquaphyte
"Running water like fire, holds a fascination to the human eye, and to the freshwater biologist this fascination extends below the water surface. From the earliest descriptive investigations, it became clear how morphological and behavioral adaptations of the organisms related to the major environmental conditions of the habitat, particularly flow, substrate and water chemistry, as well as species interactions. . . . The Biology of Streams and Rivers is an up-to-date and comprehensive introduction to the study of stream and river biology worldwide. . . . The book is designed to provide a grounding in research in the area as well as a basis for field courses, project work, or for lectures. Its aim is to encourage students, researchers new to the field, and interested naturalists to couple the intellectual rewards of studying this exciting subject with work in the field in what are pleasant and fascinating habitats."--Biology Digest
About the Author(s)
Paul S. Giller, Department of Zoology, University College, Cork , and Björn Malmqvist, Department of Animal Ecology, University of Umea, Sweden
