In This Issue Ecologist; His Death Is, Therefore, a Great Loss to Old, to Attend in Large Numbers the SIL 2010 Limnology Per Se (Dr

www.limnology.org

Volume 54 - June 2009 Editorial SIL 2010 by the problems, including financial cuts, facing reservoir limnology in South Africa. I believe it is not a must to write an editorial for I thank Rob for contributing regularly to the While care is taken to accurately report every issue of the SILnews. It is, nevertheless, a SILnews as well as coordinating the inputs from information, SILnews is not responsible privilege that an editor has, and I am happy I his S. African colleagues. Rob’s help has gone for information and/or advertisements have so far used it more frequently than some a long way to introduce us to the basics of S. published herein and does not endorse, would to. I am sorry to say that once again I African limnology, and thereby get acquainted approve or recommend products, have to start with sad news, the death on 2nd with the problems and perspectives of reservoir programs or opinions expressed. March, 2009 at the age of 91 years of Prof. limnology from this relatively the best devel- Dr. H.B. Noel Hynes at Manoir Lac Brome, oped country in the vast continent, Africa. I am Quebec, Knowlton, Canada. Many of us have confident such contributions are working as a known that Dr. Hynes was a pioneer stream hors d’oeuvre for the limnologists, young and In This Issue ecologist; his death is, therefore, a great loss to old, to attend in large numbers the SIL 2010 limnology per se (Dr. Hynes’ detailed obituary (please see Announcement of the SIL 2010 on Obituary: follows directly after this editorial). I also got a subsequent page in this SILnews if you missed H.B.Noel Hynes, 1917-2009...... 2 the sad and belated news about the demise of to read it earlier. Announcement of 31st SIL...... 2 Dr. Roger Pourriot, a famous French limnologist. The news of Dr. Pourriot’s passing away on Limnological studies in other geographical SIL Meeting in Nanjing, China...... 3 24th August 2008 reached me only recently: it regions ranging from Australia, North America was very distressing to learn that he had been to Europe (including countries in the both Regional Limnology: Reports Mediterranean region and the north), are well on Lakes and Reservoirs...... 3 suffering from cancer for some time. Those in touch with French limnology certainly know represented here. From the United States, “A The Legacy of James G. eedhamN ..... 25 of Dr. Pourriot, who was not only a famous Century of Limnology at Cornell University’’ by French limnologist—and an expert on rotifer Dr. Nelson Hairston and Dr. Gene Likens is a News: Book Reviews/Journals...... 27 ecology—but also by disposition a naturalist. beguiling story devoted primarily to the teaching of general limnology by James G. Needham Upcoming Meetings, To commemorate Roger’s death, a Scientific at Cornell University, starting in spring semester Conferences and Reports...... 32 Meeting was organized on 18th May 2009 in Paris by the Zoological Society of France and 1908, and onwards. The authors will welcome Call for Proposals to the French Association of Limnologists. For details, information concerning any other classical Edward B. and Phyllis E. Reed please contact Dr. Pierre Clement (pierre. teaching courses in limnology held in Europe Endowment...... 33 [email protected]) and Claude Rougier (Germany, Switzerland, or England?) previous ([email protected]). I hope Dr. to Needham’s limnology course at the Cornell. Clement and Dr. Rougier would like to report Last, I welcome new or novel ideas, including Material for the December 2009 more on this Meeting in a subsequent issue of letters to the editor, and invite feedbacks from issue should be sent to the Editor by: this SILnews Letter. our readers to make the reading of this news I am both glad and enthused by the response of letter more engaging. As you most probably 1 October 2009 SILnews readers to my invitation to contribute noted, the hard copy version of the SILnews has Dr. Ramesh D. Gulati to SILnews. There is this time a great diversity been suspended since December 2008 to cut fi- NIOO/Centre of Limnology of articles and information on limnological nancial costs. One positive upshot of this is that Post Box 1299 studies from various regions in all continents. SILnews contributors will feel less confronted 3600 BG Maarssen South Africa, the venue of the forthcoming by the space constraint (and more work for the The Netherlands SIL Congress in 2010, is well represented by editor!). Your contributions for December 2009 Fax: +31.294.232224 three articles, one of which is by Dr Rob Hart Issue should reach me by 1 October 2009. E-mail: [email protected] (University of KwaZulu-Natal) concerning the typically silt-laden turbid reservoir systems of S. Contributions on a PC formatted disk, Ramesh D. Gulati Africa. Here, Rob Hart also appeals to all fellow in any standard word processor or Editor SILnews DOS (ASCII) text, or as e-mail limnologists not to be dissuaded to attend the attachments, will assist the Editor.

SILnews 54: June 2009 1 Obituary They include pioneering work on stream drift In1946, he and his wife Mary returned to and recolonization, the fate of autumn-shed England where he took up a university lecture- H.B.Noel Hynes, 1917-2009 leaves, the estimation of secondary production, ship in Liverpool. At Liverpool University, he H. B. Noel Hynes, groundwater discharge and recharge, and the established a research program, largely funded internationally renowned importance of the hyporheic zone. During the through industrial contracts. His reports were freshwater biologist and course of his career, he supervised more than not necessarily what the industries wanted to Distinguished Emeritus 30 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, hear, but were too rigorous to be rejected. Professor at the University and advised and mentored countless others, both at Waterloo and internationally. As a Dr. Hynes moved with his family to Canada of Waterloo, died peace- in 1964, as the first full-time Chair of the fully at Manoir Lac Brome supervisor he was encouraging and supportive, offering constructive suggestions and effort- Department of Biology at the University of in Knowlton, Québec, Waterloo. While building the Department, on March 2nd, at the age lessly transforming paragraphs of students’ tortured prose to a few expressive sentences. he established an active research program and of 91. Dr. Hynes was a wrote The Ecology of Running Waters. After serv- pioneer in modern stream His clarity of thought and expression set a very high standard, but he was always open to talk ing as Chair, he declined higher administrative ecology, considered by posts to concentrate on research and teaching. many to be the father of about ideas, new or old. Whether in the lab or beside his backyard pool, conversation with He retired from the university in 1984, but the field. His most widely remained active counseling students, serving known contributions, Noel always yielded more information than expected. His casual mentions of ‘that paper by on editorial boards and advising government The Biology of Polluted Waters (1960) and The agencies for many more years. Ecology of Running Waters (1971, reprinted …’ prevented the reinvention of many wheels. in 2001), combined his own work with truly His facility with and love of languages were Noel loved to share stories of his field adven- global interpretations of the literature and daunting: he was fluent in French and Italian, tures in Africa, Australia, North America and had immediate and lasting influence on both understood German, and delighted in advising Europe. He included many of these, together applied and basic aquatic biology. Similarly, his us that Swahili was a very simple language that with sometimes pointed opinions on the world Elgardo Baldi Memorial Lecture “The Stream everyone should know. we inhabit and evidence of his love of language, and Its Valley” at the Societas Internationalis He received honorary doctorates from the in his autobiography Nunc Dimittis: A Life Limnologiciae meeting in 1974 was a lucid syn- University of London, the University of New in the River of Time (2001). His wife, Mary, thesis of ideas about the connections between Brunswick and the University of Waterloo. He passed away in 1999. He is survived by his four rivers and their drainage basins that expanded was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada children, nine grandchildren and eleven great aquatic ecology to the landscape scale and and received their Centennial Medal in 1967. grandchildren. stimulated new lines of research into nutrient He also received the Hilary Jolly Award from cycling, the importance of allochthonous inputs the Australian Limnological Society (1984) and st and the effects of land-use on aquatic systems. the inaugural Award of Excellence from the The 31 Congress of SIL North American Benthological Society (1988). Noel published 190 papers, the first in 1940, st The Canadian Rivers Institute at the University The 31 Congress the last in 2008, including two citation clas- of SIL will be held sics and 44 reflecting his lifelong interest in of New Brunswick holds a Hynes Lecture Series, and the North American Benthological from 15 to 20 August stoneflies. These publications cover topics as 2010 in Cape Town, diverse as the parasites of sticklebacks and the Society gives a Hynes Award for New Investigators in his honour. In 1998 Dr. Hynes also referred to as the control of migratory locusts, and are based on Mother City of South work conducted from Australia to the Arctic. received the Naumann-Thienemann Medal, the highest award available to an aquatic biologist, Africa. Overlooking the city is Table Mountain by the Societas Internationalis Limnologiciae, from where the best views of the city and “for establishment of the field of lotic limnol- surrounds are seen. The area is a national park ogy as a major, rich and varied discipline, and and encompasses the incredibly scenic Table for wide-ranging contributions that brought Mountain Chain stretching from Signal Hill innovative research, insight, and synthesis to all in the north to Cape Point in the south and aspects of lotic ecosystems for six decades.” the seas and coastline of the peninsula. The narrow finger of land with its beautiful valleys, Born in Devizes, England, Noel Hynes bays and beaches is surrounded by the waters of exhibited an interest in biology, especially en- the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the warmer tomology, at a very early age. He graduated in waters of False Bay. The Park is recognised biology from Imperial College (now part of the for its extraordinarily rich, diverse and unique University of London) in 1938 and obtained fauna and flora - with rugged cliffs, steep slopes a Ph.D. from the University of London in and sandy flats. It is a truly remarkable natural, 1941. His thesis research focused on Plecoptera scenic, historical, cultural and recreational asset in the English Lake District. After a year in and although debatable, nowhere else in the Trinidad, where he was sent by the British world does an area of such spectacular beauty Colonial Office to learn about tropical biology, and such rich biodiversity exist almost entirely Dr. Hynes joined their locust-control program within a metropolitan area. and worked in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.

2 SILnews 54: June 2009 Some 2 200 species of plants are found on Diarise the dates and visit http://sil2010.ufs.ac.za of the meeting is global change and freshwater the mountain and has been declared a World environments, and the topics include: 1) global Heritage Site, with many members of the Johan U. Grobbelaar change and its impact on freshwater ecosystems; famous Proteaceae family. The dassie (rock Chairperson of the LOC 2) human accelerated environmental changes hyrax) is the most common animal not to [email protected] in freshwaters; 3) algal blooms in freshwaters: forget the porcupines, mongooses and even ecological mechanisms and consequences; 4) snakes. Five dams have been built before aquatic toxicology and water quality safety of 1907 to supply the city of Cape Town with SIL Meeting in Nanjing, China freshwaters; 5) resource use and conservation water. They have been the subject of several of freshwaters;, and 6) ecosystem services and limnological investigations. The world famous 24-27 October, 2009 restoration of freshwaters. Kirstenbosch botanical gardens are situated Global change and freshwater environments There will be a special session for students to on the eastern slopes of the mountain, not far During the 30th SIL Congress in Montreal from the University of Cape Town and Groote discuss their respective studies in limnology and in August 2007, a motion encouraging exchange information. A limited number of Schuur hospital where the world’s first heart non-Congress SIL meetings was passed by the transplant was done by Dr. Chris Barnard. scholarships is available for supporting students International Committee. Such meetings are to participate in this meeting. The scholar- Visits to Kirstenbosch and Table Mountain considered to serve the society at large. The ships will cover registration fee, meals and will be options for the mid-congress excursions follow-up meeting will be held from October accommodation. during the 31st SIL Congress in 2010. 24 to 27, 2009 in Nanjing, China. The theme Prof. Gene Likens has kindly agreed to act as chairman of the scientific committee and Prof. Zhengwen Liu is the chair of the organizing committee. For more information please contact: Dr. Zhengwen Liu Nanjing, Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, East Beijing Road 73, Nanjing 210008, China E-mail: [email protected] Fax: 0086-25-57714759. View of Table Mountain and the City of Cape Town

Regional Limnology: Reports On Lakes and Reservoirs

Reservoirs in South Africa, South Africa’s acclaimed Water Act of 1998 turbidity, largely owing to its commonplace promulgated an equitable entitlement of water natural occurrence in rivers, is ‘not a particu- and silt-laden turbid systems to society at large; the accomplishment of this larly significant water quality variable’ in South in particular right for most urban/peri-urban and some rural Africa, it is a defined criterion for 9 of 15 residents has, however, inevitably increased listed water uses (Kempster et al 1980). More South Africa is indubitably a water-scarce demands on the country’s undoubtedly most importantly, it has fundamental impacts on the nation. Rainfall is low (annual average ~500 limiting natural resource. mm) and extremely variable between years; Concomitant increases in evaporation increases radically from east to west waste-water return flows across the country and exceeds precipitation exacerbate declines in water over much more than half its land area (DWAF quality, a problem which 1986; Davies & Day 1998), rendering much equals or surpasses the of the country semi-arid to arid. The country constraints on quantity. accordingly experiences water shortages at least Nutrient enrichment and cyclically, and global warming raises prospects salinization are major, of regional exacerbation of this constraint. almost ubiquitous concerns Reservoirs (colloquially termed dams) are (Oberholster & Ashton pivotal water supply sources. Some 500 ‘large’ 2008). However, catch- 3 reservoirs (each storing > 1 million m ), that ment geology and climate, are spatially distributed broadly in concordance and changing land-use with major river drainage systems and local de- intensity and practices, mand (Fig 1), collectively store around 28.6 x lead to an additional water 9 3 10 m , roughly 50 % of the country’s mean an- quality issue – that of nual runoff. In addition, there are over 150,000 elevated mineral turbidity. smaller reservoirs and farm dams which remain Although Dallas & Day basically unexplored limnologically. Fig 1. The distribution of 497 large reservoirs in relation to major rivers in (2004) conclude that South Africa (from Oberholster & Ashton 2008, with authors permission.)

SILnews 54: June 2009 3 structural and functional limnology of affected of sediment, jocularly but uncomfortably re- heating is increased, potentially enhancing reservoirs (and rivers). Here, I sketch some of ferred to as ‘South Africa’s major export’. River physical stability of the water column, and the features of turbid reservoirs as elucidated by reservoirs inevitably impound such sediment- evaporative loss. The underwater light climate South African limnologists who spearheaded or laden water, rendering a large proportion of is altered both quantitatively and qualitatively, contributed substantially to reservoir limnology reservoirs ‘turbid’ with suspended sediments, with long wavelength light predominating in general in past decades when such water bod- and Secchi depths commonly below 40 cm (Fig (imparting the reddish hues characteristic of ies were a focus of attention. Broad generaliza- 2). Otherwise ‘clear-water’ systems also become turbid waters), and selectively influencing the tions are necessitated by space limitations; for transiently turbid during drought years (see Fig primary producer assemblages. Chemical elaboration, interested readers are referred to a 3) when reduced water depth resulting from effects are foremost related to the huge sur- regional synthesis by Allanson et al (1990) and operational draw-down allows sediment re- face area (commonly of the order of m2/ml) a recent review (Hart & Hart 2006). suspension. This renders it difficult to quantify provided by astronomical densities (106 – 107/ the number of reservoirs that can be termed ml) of suspended clay particles and colloids. Low rainfall limits vegetation cover; soil organic turbid. Suffice it to say, they are abundant. Selective chemical adsorption of nutrients matter content is commensurately low, and and toxicants in particular, along with various along with underlying geology and topography, The foremost direct impact of suspended dissolved organics, render this particle milieu much of the country is vulnerable to severe particles is increased (back)scattering of light, variously attractive or inhibitory to saprobic erosion, especially during erratic high rainfall reducing its vertical penetration and the and autotrophic biota. The effects of mineral events. Accordingly, rivers carry great quantities depth of the euphotic zone. Localized surface suspensoids on autotrophs, primary consum-

Fig 2. Some examples of turbid reservoirs. a) South Africas second largest reservoir, Vanderkloof Dam (formerly Lake le Roux), on the Orange River, a prominent limnological study site (Allanson & Jackson 1983). b) Bridle Drift Dam on the Buffalo River, East London. c) A much younger author, collecting zooplankton in Vanderkloof Dam. d) Wagendrift Dam on the Bushmans River, Estcourt. Photos (except c) by RC Hart.

89 1990 91 92 93 94 1995 96 97 98 0 100 100 Non-turbid systems 200 Turbid systems A A 300 0 400 g/L) Secchi depth (cm) B µ 40 ( 10 a 80

120 p = 0.011 160 B 200 1 240

Secchi depth chlorophyll Mean 280 distributions 1989-1998, 320 n = 198 Midmar (43-395, mean = 140) 360 Secchi depth (Class ranges in cm) Albert Falls (10-350, mean = 133) 0.1 400 1 10 100 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 3 Frequency of occurrence Normalized annual TP loading (mg/m ) Fig 3. A) Secchi depth transparency values in Albert Falls Dam. B) Fig 4. Annual mean chlorophyll content as a function of phosphorus loading in 21 Frequency distribution of Secchi depth values in Midmar and Albert Falls impoundments (Walmsley & Butty 1980). Reservoirs with mean annual Secchi two typically clear-water (non-turbid) reservoirs in a mesic KwaZulu-Natal depth <40 cm are identified as turbid. Average ratios of P loading to chlorophyll region that become turbid during drought conditions see 1993 and 1995 in differ vastly and significantly (t test, p = 0.008) between turbid and non-turbid panel A. (Hart, original data.) systems (1570 vs. 23; n = 6 vs. 15, respectively). Response differences are especially marked at high P loading rates (compare groups A and B).

4 SILnews 54: June 2009 ers, and consequent food web cascades are of (Fig 6), with corresponding changes in fish sentence in this last paragraph to underscore both major fundamental interest and practical CPUE (Fig 5 in Hart 1986). Accompanying Rob Hart’s encouraging plea to all SILnews importance in reservoir management. changes in zooplankton community structure readers to attend the SIL 2010: Ramesh Gulati, – especially the reduction of filter-feeding daph- Editor SILnews) On the positive side, reduction of euphotic nids – correspond to the increasing dominance depth constrains the biological consequences of nutritionally inferior particles in the food References of eutrophication. Based on a subset of 21 environment (Hart 1988). Visual predation is Allanson BR, Hart RC, O’Keeffe JH & reservoirs compared in the 1970’s (Walmsley impaired, allowing the occurrence of remark- Robarts RD (1990). Inland waters of & Butty 1980), Fig 4 shows the depression of ably large-bodied taxa such as Daphnia gibba southern Africa. An ecological perspec- chlorophyll-nutrient relationship relative to and Lovenula spp., taxa with body lengths > tive. Monographiae Biologicae 64. Kluwer non-turbid systems. Light limitation essentially 3.5 mm otherwise characteristic of temporary Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. 458 pp. constrains the ability of autotrophs to respond to ephemeral (fishless) inland ‘pans’ and ‘vleis’. In Allanson BR & Jackson PBN (1983). increased nutrient loading, although undesirable short, turbidity associated with suspended sedi- Limnology and fisheries potential of Lake cyanophyte taxa may be favoured (Oberholster & ments collectively exerts undeniably profound le Roux. South Afrcan National Scientific Ashton 2008; see Fig 4 in Hart 2006). influences on reservoir ecosystems. Programmes Report No 77. 182 pp. Bruwer CA, van Vliet HR, Sartory DP & With increasing salinization however – an Unfortunately, national support for reservoir Kempster PL (1985). An assessment of example of which is shown in Fig 5, the limnology in South Africa was effectively water related problems of the Vaal River ‘protective’ buffering influence of light limita- terminated in the late 1980’s, when the limited between Barrage and Douglas weir. tion becomes tenuous. Concurrent changes in funding available was re-directed almost exclu- Department of Water Affairs, Hydrological ‘zeta potential’ affect stability of the sediment sively to lotic limnology on the grounds that Research Institute, Technical Report TR 121. suspension; silt-particles coalesce (Grobler et al rivers are effectively the major natural inland 185 pp. 1981) and gravitational deposition is acceler- water ecosystems. Today, however, as reservoirs Davies B & Day J 1998. Vanishing waters. ated. The rapid dissipation of sediment-laden face increasing pollution, aggravated by widely University of Cape Town Press. 487 pp. river plumes manifest in oceanic waters is a acknowledged infrastructural and managerial DWAF 1986. Management of the water clear analogy. Year-to-year variations in TDS collapses in waste water treatment, virtual resources of the Republic of South Africa. commonly relate to hydrological changes (dilu- absence of current capacity in reservoir limnol- Department of Water Affairs, Pretoria. tion and flushing effects). Accordingly in dry ogy and management bodes ominously for the xxviii + 466 pp. years, when water supply is more limited, com- future. And the proverbial crystal ball may be Oberholster PJ & Ashton PJ 2008. State of the mensurate increases in salinity raise prospects too muddy for fortune-tellers to read! of relaxed light limitation and associated algal Nation Report: An overview of the current proliferation. This is a potential time bomb But don’t let this account dissuade your attendance status of water quality and eutrophication awaiting detonation. of SIL 2010. Tap water is generally excellent in in South African rivers and reservoirs: CSIR/ South African towns and metropolises. Indeed, NRE/WR/IR/2008/0075/C, pp. 1-15. Pioneering studies on Vanderkloof Dam (Figs I almost ritualistically indulge in a long drink Grobler DC, Davies E & Young L 1981. The 2a, 2c) clearly revealed that the depressive influ- of washroom tap water in Jan Smuts (now O.R. stability of sediment/water suspensions as a ence of suspended sediments on primary pro- Tambo) international airport when I return to function of water chemistry. Water year + duction extends through the trophic cascade. South Africa from abroad – and yet await any 10 and then? Department of Water Affairs, Long-term data reveal the direct relationship detrimental effects of my exclusive use of tap Forestry and Environmental Conservation, between zooplankton biomass and Secchi depth water as drinking water! (I underlined the first Technical Report TR 114, 33-46.

750 0 Annual mean TDS 3 - year moving mean 20 40 dry wt) dry

2 60 500 80 Secchi depth(cm) Secchi 400 Daphniids % contribution of daphniids to Non-daphniids total zooplankton biomass 300 250 200

Total Dissolved Solids (mg/L) Solids Dissolved Total 27% 100 24% 25% 22% 22%

0 1% 4%

Zooplankton biomass (mg/m biomass Zooplankton 0 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 77-78 78-79 79-80 80-81 81-82 82-83 83-84 Year Fig 5. Mean annual TDS levels in Vaal River Barrage water (redrawn Fig 6. Mean annual total zooplankton biomass in Vanderkloof Dam correlated directly (r2 from Fig 1.2 of Bruwer et al 1985.) Prevailing TDS values around 540 = 0.86) with mean annual turbidity (Secchi Depth) between 1977 and 1984; daphniid mg/L in 2007/2008 suggest that former progressive increases in TDS have components were effectively excluded at Secchi depths below ~25 cm (Hart 1986, 1988). fortunately been contained.

SILnews 54: June 2009 5 Hart RC 1986. Zooplankton abundance, com- Rob C Hart, vulnerable ecosystems. Both groundwater ab- munity structure and dynamics in relation Professor Emeritus, straction and climate change may induce shifts to inorganic turbidity, and their implica- School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, in the hydroregime of these systems that may tions for a potential fishery in subtropical University of KwaZulu-Natal, have significant consequences for the temporary Lake le Roux, South Africa. Freshwater Pietermaritzburg. wetland biota. Biology 16, 351-371. E-mail: [email protected] Hart RC 1988. Zooplankton feeding rates in During the last five years we have been studying relation to suspended sediment content: po- the current state of temporary wetlands in tential influences on community structure Status of temporary wetlands of selected regions of the Western Cape (Figure in a turbid reservoir. Freshwater Biology 19, 1). Our study provided information concern- 123-139. the Western Cape, South Africa ing the current and past status of Western Hart RC 2006. Food web (bio)manipulation Cape wetland habitats and their nature value Temporary wetlands have a high ecological as determined by remote sensing techniques of South African reservoirs – viable eutro- value and fulfil important ecosystem services, phication management prospect or illusory and flagship taxa. More specifically, we have but are threatened worldwide. The status and classified satellite images of the Western Cape pipe dream? A reflective commentary and structuring processes of these systems are largely position paper. Water SA 32, 567-573. (South Africa) and determined the occurrence unknown, despite the need of this knowledge and changing patterns of wetlands over the Hart R & Hart RC 2006. Reservoirs and their for a good conservation policy. Although in management: A review of the literature last twenty years. Next, we sampled Western some regions of South Africa >50% of wetlands Cape temporary wetlands from seven different since 1990. Water Research Commission are destroyed, they still form an important type Report No KV 173/06. 288 pp. regions in the winter of 2004 and from one of aquatic system in the country. According to region in the winter of 2005. The status of large Kempster PL, Hattingh WHJ & van Vliet HR the Water Act of 1998, South African water 1980. Summarized water quality criteria. branchiopods was assessed by means of these resources must be protected, used, developed, samples and literature. Department of Water Affairs, Forestry and conserved, managed and controlled in ways Environmental Conservation, Technical that take into account the protection of aquatic We detected still a lot of temporary and perma- Report TR 108, 45 pp. ecosystems and their biological diversity. The nent wetlands in the area (in winter on average Walmsley RD & Butty M (eds) 1980. The Resource Directed Measures (RDM) provide about 0.23 wetlands per km²; in summer about limnology of some selected South African an instrument to implement this Water Act. 0.09 wetlands per km²). The average distance impoundments. A collaborative report by the It is especially important to find out to what to the nearest wetland was larger in summer Water Research Commission and the National extent changing hydrological regimes may have (Figure 2). No decrease in the area of wetlands Institute for Water Research. Council for Scientific an impact on structure and diversity of these was observed over the last 20 years, which is and Industrial Research, Pretoria; 229 pp. in contrast with expectations. The observed

Figure 1. Examples of temporary wetlands in the Western Cape.

Figure 3. Large branchiopods of the Western Cape: left: Conchostraca (Leptestheria rubidgei); right: Anostraca (Streptocephalus purcelli).

Figure 2. Visualisation of the distance of each pixel to the nearest wetland in the winter of 2000 (left) and in the summer of 2001 (right); light shading = long distance, dark shading = short distance to the nearest wetland.

6 SILnews 54: June 2009 pattern can be related to the relatively low reso- Allanson, 1978) overlying base rocks of the The area surrounding Verlorenvlei, a shallow lution of the used satellite images (about 30 by Cape Granite Suite and Malmesbury Group freshwater oligotrophic estuarine Western Cape 30 meter), the influence of rainfall on the filling (Theron et al., 1992). The lakes in northern coastal lake, is particularly famous for archaeo- pattern of the wetlands and the unintentional coast are still almost pristine although a number logical remains. Meadows et al. (1996) analysed creation of new wetlands by man (for example of Western Cape lakes are adversely affected by sedimentary fossil pollen record recovered from by the construction of roads). High spatial anthropogenic activities. Many of these latter this lake. The authors (see references below) resolution images would most likely give more lakes are particularly interesting due to their provide insight into the complex interactions accurate results. Therefore, we plead for more shallowness (average depth 1-14 m), nitrogen between climate change, sea-level fluctuations, detailed studies concerning this topic. limited conditions and unique position in vegetation change, lake hydrology and human ac- winter rainfall Mediterranean climate region. tivities in the coastal region during late Holocene. Several large branchiopod species (Figure 3) are These warm temperate and mainly freshwater Furthermore, Das et al. (unpublished) recon- threatened or already extinct in the temporary lakes broadly share a similar geological origin structed the palaeoproductivity in Verlorenvlei wetlands of the Western Cape, since only a few and stratigraphy, and experience strong wind for last 1000 years, and linked the cyanobacterial species and populations were collected during that results near complete absence of water fluctuation to the catchment derived nutrient the extensive field samplings of 2004 and 2005. column stratification. Many of these lakes suffer supply and macrophyte dominance. The declining status of these flagship species from ecological consequences of eutrophication suggests that their habitat is threatened. Habitat driven changes in plant species. Eutrophication Shallow lakes, in general, are neglected in geo- destruction, land use changes and climate also reduces inflows into the lakes. This along chemical research and shallow coastal lakes in change are probably the most important threats with macrophyte encroachment in the relatively South Africa are among the least biogeochemi- to the persistence of these wetlands and their remote lakes has drawn considerable attention cally investigated water bodies in the world. typical biota. to local authorities and researchers. Submerged There is therefore a tremendous scope for research towards discriminating the natural vs. For detailed information of this research, we macrophyte explosion, for example, in Cape flat lakes is considered to have been triggered anthropogenic affects on the extremely complex refer to the Ph.D. thesis of Els De Roeck, which environment. The research is necessary in the by eutrophication. This is often combated with can be downloaded from: http://hdl.handle. quest for information on the extent of human net/1979/1686. expensive dredging operations or application of toxic chemicals, or both. Accelerated farming interference in the earth system. and agricultural activities in the catchment lead Else De Roeck, References Freshwater Biology, to increased supply of nutrients that results in Das S. K., Routh J. and A. N. Roychoudhury, Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences, eutrophication. Moreover, recent industrial de- 2008a. Sources and historic changes in Vautierstraat 22, B-1040, Brussels velopments accompanied by urbanisation have polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons input in E-mail: [email protected] caused increased supply of several organic (e.g., PAHs) and inorganic (trace metals) pollutants a shallow lake, Zeekoevlei, South Africa. Organic Geochemistry 39, 1109-1112 Luc Brendonck, into these lakes, and have led to negative impact Das S. K., Routh J., Roychoudhury A. N. Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology and on lake ecosystem (Das et al., 2008a,b). and J. V. Klump, 2008b. Provenance and Evolutionary Biology, Sediment cores recovered from shallow Western depositional history of trace metals, major K.U.Leuven, Cape lakes have served as an excellent reposi- ions and organic matter in Zeekoevlei, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 tory of past records. Anthropogenic imprints South Africa: a lacustrine record of recent Leuven, Brussels. preserved in sediments of hyper-eutrophic urbanization. Applied Geochemistry 23, E-mail: [email protected] Zeekoevlei (vlei is an Afrikaans word for lake), 2496-2511 the largest freshwater lake in South Africa, provide a palaeolimno- Sedimentary archive of palaeo- logical record of human limnological record from lakes induced changes within the lake, and of Western Cape, South Africa in the catchments South African coastal lakes are widely known (Das et al., 2008c, for their rich aquatic biodiversity. They primar- 2009). Zeekoevlei has a ily originated by the drowning of estuarine century long history of valleys and several of them have natural surface anthropogenic abuse, connections to the sea (Hart 1995). Depending where seepage from on the geomorphological origin, these lakes are nearby wastewater categorised into three groups (Hill, 1975): a) treatment plant has drowned valley type, which is always associ- caused hyper-eutrophic ated with river systems, b) inundation lake, conditions. In addition, which is formed behind the coastal sand dunes damming, submerged in low-lying land and can be connected to a macrophyte eradica- river system, and c) drowned deflation basin, tion, and dredging have which is formed by wind erosion. The lakes lay triggered changes in on Unconsolidated Quaternary or reworked plankton and macrophyte species. tertiary marine sands (Howard-Williams and Photo: A view of Zeekoevlei, South Africa, August 2004. Photo: Dr. SK Das

SILnews 54: June 2009 7 Das S. K., Routh J., Roychoudhury A. N. and Australia’s mining boom leads (Banks et al., 1997). Conversely, such acidic J. V. Klump, 2008c. Elemental (C, N, H lakes have extremely low concentrations of car- and P) and stable isotope (δ15N and δ13C) to a boom in new lakes bon and phosphorus (Castro & Moore, 1997). signatures in sediments from Zeekoevlei, Australia is a major producer for many of the However, where remediation can achieve suit- South Africa-A record of human interven- world’s minerals and mining is the most sig- able water quality these pit lakes may become a tion in the lake. Journal of Paleolimnology nificant industry contributing to the Australian valuable asset to Australian communities and the 39, 349-360 economy (Mudd, 2007). However, a growing environment (McCullough & Lund, 2006). Das S. K., Routh J. and A. N. Roychoudhury, scale of mining continues to leave legacies of 2009. Biomarker evidences of macrophyte large open-cut operations with a depth that Low acidity mine lakes and plankton community changes in a shal- ensures part of the pit is often positioned below Coal mining in southern Western Australia low lake, Zeekoevlei, South Africa. Journal local groundwater tables (Radhakrishnan et al., has produced pit lakes that range in surface of Paleolimnology 41, 507-521 submitted). Once dewatering operations cease, area from <1 to 10 ha, depths from <10 to Meadows, M. E., Baxter A. J., and J. these voids can form pit lakes with water from 70 m and age from 5 to 50 years (Lund & Parkingtonl, 1996. Late Holocene surface sources and groundwater returning to McCullough, 2008) (Figure ). Although Collie environments at Verlorenvlei, Western pre-mining Cape province, South Africa. Quaternary levels. Quality International 33, 81-95 of pit lake Hart, R. C., 1995. Coastal lakes. In: water can vary Wetlands of South Africa. G. Cowan considerably, (Ed.) Department of Environment Affairs depending on and Tourism, Pretoria, South Africa. pp surrounding 103-130 geologies Hill B. J., 1975. The origin of southern African and exposure coastal lakes. Transactions of the Royal of mate- Society of South Africa 41, 225-240 rial previously Howard-William S. C. and B. R. Allanson, buried. Acid 1981. an integrated study on literoral mine drainage and pelagic primary production in a (AMD) is an southern African coastal lake. Archiv für example Hydrobiologie 92, 507-534 where Theron, J. N., Greese, P. G., Siegfried, H. P. exposed and J. Rogers, 1992. The Geology of Cape materials are Town Area. Department of Mineral and oxidised and Energy Affairs, Republic of South Africa, release acidity pp. 41-50 resulting in pit lake waters Dr. Supriyo Kumar Das, of low pH Figure 2. Effect of carbon and phosphorus amendments on mine pit lake water quality Department of Geographical and typi- over 7 months. Blue Waters Lake pH is lowest at 4.1, Lake Ewington is pH 4.3 and and Earth Sciences, cally elevated Black Diamond pH is highest at 5.5. University of Glasgow, concentrations Glasgow, G12 8QQ UK of heavy metals E-mail: [email protected]

Figure 3. pH changes in northern Australia GAEW pit lake from May 2005 to March Figure 1. ‘Blue Waters’ lake (Collie) formed in 1962. 2009. The black line indicates the beginning of organic dosing.

8 SILnews 54: June 2009 coal pit produces low amounts of acid mine decline is thought due to ongoing surface water McCullough, C. D.; Lund, M. A. & May, J. drainage, low natural alkalinity produces pH acidity inputs and water column mixing during M. (2008a). Field scale trials treating acidity as low as 3.5 in some pit lakes. Low pH is heavy cyclonic rainfall events. Nevertheless, in coal pit lakes using sewage and green waste. accompanied by low metal concentrations in this study suggests that addition of low-grade Proceedings of the 10th International Mine pit lake waters, except for aluminum, which at organic materials show promise for remediation Water Association (IMWA) Congress. high concentrations is often a toxic species (Neil of strongly acidic mine waters, particularly in a Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. Rapantova, et al., submitted). Analysis of historic Collie pit tropical climate. N. & Hrkal, Z. (eds.), 599-602pp. lake water quality data from 1995 to present has McCullough, C. D.; Lund, M. A. & May, J. shown that in the absence of significant surface Planned formation of pit lake environments M. (2008b). Treating acidity in coal pit lakes acidity inputs, acidity within the pit lakes slowly worldwide is still at an early stage of develop- using sewage and green waste: microcosm declines but without a commensurate change in ment and actual realisation of these often and field scale trials at the Collinsville pH. Increases in pH are only due to inputs of significant water resources is even less frequently Coal Project (Queensland). ACARP circum-neutral groundwater or surface waters. explored. After more than half a century of the Project Report C14052. Australian Coal Experimental water quality remediation by ad- first large flooded mining pits occurring, the Association Research Program, Perth, ditions of organic matter and phosphorus direct question how to utilise and manage pit lakes Australia. 112pp. Unpublished report the lakes to a different water quality evolution remains a challenge for the Australian mining to Australian Coal Association Research trajectory from that of natural remediation industry, governments, and communities. Programme. processes (Figure 1). Mudd, G. M. (2007). The Sustainability of References Mining in Australia: Key Production Trends In order to minimise wall exposure and Banks, D.; Younger, P. L.; Arnesen, R.-T.; and their Environmental Implications for subsequent acid production, a new pit lake, Iversen, E. R. & Banks, S. B. (1997). the Future. Research Report No RR5. Lake Kepwari, was rapidly filled by a diversion Mine-water chemistry: the good, the bad Department of Civil Engineering, Monash from the Collie River over three winters until and the ugly. Environmental Geology 32: University and Mineral Policy Institute, 2005 (Oldham et al., 2009). The volume of 157-174. Neil, L. L.; McCullough, C. D.; Lund, M. A.; Lake Kepwari is now 24 GL, with a maximum Bell, L. C. (2001). Establishment of native Tsvetnenko, Y. & Evans, L. (submitted). depth of 65 m and surface area of 10 ha. The ecosystems after mining - Australian experi- Toxicity assessment of acid mine drainage proposed end use for this pit lake was contact ence across diverse biogeographic zones. pit lake water remediated with limestone recreation such as water skiing (Evans & Ecological Engineering 17: 179-186. and phosphorus. Ecotoxicology and Ashton, 2000). However, although the river Castro, J. M. & Moore, J. N. (1997). Pit lakes: Environmental Safety water initially raised water pH, the pH has now their characteristics and the potential for Oldham, C.; Salmon, S. U.; Hipsey, M. R. & decreased to 4.8 with elevated metal concentra- their remediation. Environmental Geology Ivey, G. N. (2009). Modelling pit lake wa- tions (Salmon et al., 2008). This pit lake is 39: 254-260. ter quality - Coupling of lake stratification good example of how government-supported Evans, L. H. & Ashton, P. J. (2000). Value- dynamics, lake ecology, aqueous geochem- rehabilitation, lacking in understanding of on- added closure planning. Proceedings istry and sediment diagenesis. In, Workbook going limnological acidity-generating processes, of the 4th International and 25th of Technologies for the Management of Metal has resulted in water quality unsuited to the National Minerals Council of Australia Mine and Metallurgical Process Drainage, proposed end-use. Environmental Workshop. October 29th Castendyk, D.; Eary, T. & Park, B. (eds.) - November 2nd, Minerals Council of Society for Mining Engineering (SME), High acidity mine lakes Australia, 393-409pp. Kentucky, USA, Garrick East pit lake (North Queensland, Lund, M. A. & McCullough, C. D. (2008). Radhakrishnan, N.; McCullough, C. D. & north-eastern Australia) is located within the Limnology and ecology of low sulphate, Lund, M. A. (submitted). Pit lakes in semi-arid tropics and was mined during the poorly-buffered, acidic coal pit lakes in Collie, Australia. In, Acidic Pit Lakes - Legacies of 1990s. The lake has a pH of 2.4 with such high Western Australia. Proceedings of the 10th surface mining on coal and metal ores, Geller, concentrations of dissolved metals and sulphate International Mine Water Association W. & Schultze, M. (eds.) Springer, Berlin, that they form crystals of epsomite underwater. (IMWA) Congress. Karlovy Vary, Czech Germany, Following successful microcosm pilot studies Republic. Rapantova, N. & Hrkal, Z. Salmon, S. U.; Oldham, C. & Ivey, G. N. (McCullough et al., 2006; McCullough et (eds.), 591-594pp. (2008). Assessing internal and external con- al., 2008b), the lake was split with an earthen McCullough, C. D. & Lund, M. A. (2006). trols on lake water quality: limitations on barrier and one side was remediated by dosing Opportunities for sustainable mining pit organic carbon-driven alkalinity generation the 70 ML treatment lake section with dried lakes in Australia. Mine Water and the in acidic pit lakes. Water Resources Research sewage sludge (60 t), liquid sewage sludge Environment 25: 220-226. 44: W10414. (3,200 t) and municipal green waste (980 t). McCullough, C. D.; Lund, M. A. & May, J. Water quality was monitored in both pre- and M. (2006). Microcosm testing of municipal Clint McCullough and Mark Lund post-dosing in the treatment section and in sewage and green waste for full-scale remedia- Mine Water and Environment Research Group three control pit lakes over the last few years tion of an acid coal pit lake, in semi-arid Edith Cowan University, (McCullough et al., 2008a). Following organic tropical Australia. Proceedings of the 7th Western Australia 6027 additions, pit lake water chemistry indicated International Conference on Acid Rock Australia large pH increases through internal sulphate Drainage (ICARD). St Louis, Missouri, http://www.ecu.edu.au/chs/cem/CSML-ECU/ reduction processes. Nevertheless, pH declined USA. Barnhisel, R. I. (ed.) American E-mail: [email protected] again after 12 months of increase and subse- Society of Mining and Reclamation quently it recovered and declined again. This (ASMR), 1,177-1,197pp.

SILnews 54: June 2009 9 Re-operation of large dams research teams and engage communities in a environmental water allocations. Studies of the meaningful way. Dam re-operation projects ecological responses to these pulsed flows have to improve the condition of have been undertaken in the USA through the observed changes in water quality, increases regulated rivers: An integrated Sustainable Rivers Project (SRP), a partnership in river productivity on the peak of the flow adaptive management between The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. pulses, and increases in algal and macroin- Army Corps of Engineers. The SRP aims to vertebrate biodiversity that indicate a shift approach (Mitta Mitta River, minimise the environmental and social threats towards conditions observed in less regulated south-eastern Australia) posed by dams and achieve more ecologically rivers (Watts et al. 2005; 2006; 2008). Much sustainable flows, while maintaining or enhanc- of the ecological benefits to regulated reaches Flow regulation and water extraction have ing project benefits (Hickey & Warner 2005). has come about through increased wetting of significantly modified the flow regimes of rivers instream habitat (Figure 1) and scouring of throughout the world and have contributed to Improvements to dam operation have been instream habitat during high volume releases. the decline in the biophysical condition of these tested in the Mitta Mitta River in south-eastern The environmental responses to the pulsed rivers (Ward & Stanford 1995). To ameliorate Australia, a highly regulated tributary of the flows were influenced by antecedent hydrologi- this decline, environmental flows have been iconic Murray River. The Mitta Mitta River cal conditions and many of the responses were implemented, or are being considered for often experiences long periods of constant flow short-lived. implementation in many rivers (Arthington due to the operations of Dartmouth Dam. et al 2006). However, in most regulated rivers Traditionally, operational practice was to delay One of the key elements of this case study is the only a small proportion of water is allocated for water transfers from Dartmouth Reservoir to long-term relationship between water managers, environmental purposes. To achieve a significant Hume Reservoir further downstream for as long research scientists and the community. This improvement in the condition of regulated as possible to minimise the risk of unneces- relationship has enabled adaptive management, rivers it is essential that consumptive water is sarily transferring water. Consequently, when where learning and reflection following each also released from dams in a way that achieves transfers were required, river managers were variable flow trial has been incorporated into environmental benefits at the same time as compelled to manage releases near bank-full subsequent flow management decisions. The meeting supply requirements. The challenge for flows with limited variability, often for extended success of this project (in terms of improving river managers is to alter the operation of dams periods of time. our understanding of the system, informing and weirs to deliver environmental benefits at the operational activities, and informing the wider The Murray-Darling Basin Commission has same time sustain the industries and communities water reform process) results from factors that worked towards increasing the variability that rely on water from these systems. combine to promote a desire to learn, to listen of flows in the Mitta Mitta River through and to change behaviour (Allen et al. 2009). Introducing changes into the operation of dams managed variable releases from Dartmouth This case study demonstrates that environmen- and weirs is not a straightforward process, as the Dam. A series of pulsed releases have been tal benefits can be achieved at the same time as social, economic and environmental impacts attempted four times in the eight year period ensuring the delivery of consumptive water. It of proposed changes need to be considered 2001-2008 with the explicit intention of also highlights the need for agencies to have a (Freeman 2000). Sustainable changes will most providing environmental benefits for the Mitta flexible approach to flow management to enable likely be achieved through an integrated adap- Mitta River and learning by doing (i.e. adaptive them to respond to opportunities to alter dam tive management approach, where organisations management). This is an example of a ‘resource- operations as they arise. responsible for water policy, river operations neutral’ approach where environmental benefits and river health partner with multidisciplinary are achieved without requiring additional

Figure 1. Comparison of a reach of the Mitta Mitta River during a constant low flow period (discharge 870ML/d on 5/11/07) and during the peak of a flow pulse (discharge 5480ML/day on 21/11/07) during a trial variable flow release.

10 SILnews 54: June 2009 References Sarah Commens grated part of the University of Copenhagen. Allan C, Watts R.J., Commens S. & Ryder D.S. Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Canberra, Today, limnological research takes place at (2009) Using adaptive management to meet Australia several Danish universities, and a record of multiple goals for flows along the Mitta Mitta E-mail: [email protected] Danish limnology would not be complete River in south-eastern Australia. In: Adaptive without mentioning the activities at University Environmental Management: A practical guide. Dr. Catherine Allan of Southern Denmark, Aarhus University, and Eds C. Allan and G. Stankey, Springer. Institute for Land, Water & Society, the National Environmental Research Institute Arthington, A.H., Bunn, S.E., Poff, N. & Charles Sturt University, Albury, Australia (now part of Aarhus University), in addition Naiman, R.J. (2006) The challenge of E-mail: [email protected] to the work still carried out at the Freshwater providing environmental flow rules to sustain Biological Laboratory in Hillerød. However, river ecosystems. Ecological Applications: 16: space and time do not permit us to provide a 1311-1318. Danish Limnology today – full record of Danish limnological research here, Freeman, D. M. (2000). Wicked Water Problems: an ecohydrology case study so we will restrict our focus to activities in the Sociology and Local Water Organizations in Ecohydrology Group at our own department, Addressing Water Resources Policy. Journal of The start of Danish limnology can be traced ENSPAC, at Roskilde University. the American Water Resources Association, 36(3), to May 1897, when Carl Wesenberg-Lund Impact from climate change on freshwater 483-491. established his first small field laboratory at resources and ecosystems is an issue of growing Hickey, J. & Warner, A. (2005) River project brings the banks of Lake Fure north of Copenhagen. international concern. In addition to increasing together Corps, The Nature Conservancy.The Later, in 1911, he moved the laboratory to the temperatures, climate change will potentially Corps Environment, 6(2): 10-12. town of Hillerød, and it later became an inte- affect both the amount and the seasonality of Ward, J.V. & Stanford, J.A. (1995) Ecological connectivity in alluvial river ecosystems and its disruption by flow regulation.Regulated Rivers: Research and Management, 11: 105-119. Watts, R. J., Nye, E. R., Thompson, L. A., Ryder, D. S., Burns, A., & Lightfoot, K. (2005). Environmental monitoring of the Mitta Mitta River associated with the major transfer of water resources from Dartmouth Reservoir to Hume Reservoir 2004/2005. Report to the Murray- Darling Basin Commission. Environmental Consultancy report number 97. Wagga Wagga, Australia: Charles Sturt University, Johnstone Centre. Watts, R. J., Ryder, D. S., Burns, A., Wilson, A. L., Nye, E. R., Zander, A. & Dehaan, R.(2006). Responses of biofilms to cyclic releases during a low flow period in the Mitta Mitta River, Victoria, Australia. Report to the Murray Darling Basin Fig. 1: A typical East Danish stream affected by water abstraction. Fig 2: Co-author Martin Olsen in the field. Commission. Wagga Wagga, NSW: Institute for Land Water and Society Charles Sturt University. Watts R.J., Ryder D.S., Burns A., Zander A, Wilson A.L. & Dehaan R. (2008). Monitoring of a pulsed release in the Mitta Mitta River, Victoria, during the bulk water transfer from Dartmouth Dam to Hume Dam 2007- 08. Report to the Murray Darling Basin Commission. Institute for Land Water & Society Report # 45, Charles Sturt University, Thurgoona, NSW.

Prof. Robyn Watts Institute for Land, Water & Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, Australia E-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Darren Ryder Fig. 3: Conceptual framework for the establishment of a habitat model. Physical stream parameters (e.g. water School of Environmental and Rural Science, velocity, depth and substrate type) is measured in the field (a). Brown trout preferences are measured in their University of New England, Armidale, Australia natural habitat and integrated in the model (b). Habitat Weigthed Usable Area (WUA) is then calculated for E-mail: [email protected] each cell in the stream and summed for the entire stream (c).

SILnews 54: June 2009 11 precipitation and evaporation, which in turn flows during summers [Fig. 1]. This situation the bio-indicators (macrophytes, trout) and affect stream discharges as well as the ecological is expected to deteriorate further with climate control-/output-factors from the catchment/ condition of streams. Indeed, climate change change. The very low summer water flow bring in-stream model (e.g. water flow, temperature, projections add complexity to the existing about poor physical conditions for fish and O2, land use, cover) are studied in order to set conflict between water demands to satisfy benthic invertebrates. criteria for these factors to reach good ecological human/industrial needs and to conserve streams status. A retrospective analysis of climate and as biologically diverse and healthy ecosystems. In this project, climate-hydrological modeling management impacts on habitat hydraulic Solutions to this intensifying conflict require of run-off conditions is simulated for selected conditions, water temperature, water quality a holistic approach whereby stream biota is catchments representing different geomor- and ecological conditions for trout in streams is related to their physical environment at the phological river types. The hydrological model performed. It is conducted comparing the eco- watershed scale, as also required by the EU setup uses historical climate and groundwater hydrological model simulations and existing Water Framework Directive (WFD). Water abstraction data and takes advantage of recent long-term ecological monitoring data such as quality criteria for assessment of ecological technological developments in remote sensing brown trout density estimates and the Danish status in freshwater ecosystems have to relate to and information (GIS) technology to represent Stream Fauna Index (DSFI). Furthermore, reference conditions. Therefore, it is particularly spatial catchment control variables. The model simulation of future changes in physical habitat important to understand how climate change is validated using discharge and groundwater conditions is done using climate predictions as affects the environmental conditions in stream level observations. Removing time series of ab- inputs for the combined hydrological-habitat waters and if the stream water quality targets set straction data finally simulates run-off reference model assessment system. in relation to reference conditions are achiev- conditions. Data collection and analysis [Fig. 2] able. To answer this question, it is necessary to are used to build and set up habitat-hydraulic Martin Olsen, John Conallin understand the interactions between climate, and non-linear mixed effect models to simulate and Søren Laurentius Nielsen, hydrological alterations and hydromorphol- physical habitat conditions (habitat suitability ENSPAC, Roskilde University, ogy, and the impacts of hydromorphological indices) [Fig. 3] of brown trout (Salmo trutta) PO Box 260, DK-4000 Roskilde, (habitat) changes on stream biota. In Denmark, based off the different stream types present in Denmark climate change is expected to have a substantial Denmark [Fig. 4]. Brown trout is chosen be- E-mail: [email protected] impact on the hydrological system including cause it is an established fish indicator species in both groundwater and river flows. Stream Denmark. In addition, macrophytes are being discharge levels in Denmark are already strongly studied because of their ecological significance Research at the interface of affected by groundwater abstraction (for drink- and strong relationship with hydromorphology ing water, and for industrial and agricultural and water quality. In particular, the significance limnology and fisheries: Finn- of low-flows, water temperature and O -levels purposes), which results in very low stream 2 ish lakes and Lake Tanganyika on physical habitat quality for both trout and macrophytes is investigated Finland is one of the few European countries and incorporated in the model if with flourishing commercial freshwater fisheries significant. For determining habitat and, as elsewhere in the Nordic countries, requirements and preference condi- recreational fishing is increasing in importance tions for trout, electro-fishing and (Lehtonen et al. 2008). This importance of measurements of stream-profiles, fishing is reflected in the abundance of fish-

depth, velocity, water quality (O2, related limnological research in Finland. The temperature and pH), substrate Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute composition, cover and in-stream is the major governmental research institution density of macrophytes are done producing scientific information required for several times in the year. The type rational management. But the factors affect- of riparian vegetation and degree ing population fluctuations of the major fish of cover and management (e.g. species, food web interactions involving fish, different degrees of cuttings) of the and the role of fish in the eutrophication of stream are registered and combined inland waters, have mainly been studied by the with high-resolution digital air research groups at the universities of Helsinki, photos, satellite images and GIS Joensuu, Jyväskylä and Turku. data of the stream reaches to relate land use and land cover to stream Fish yields from Pyhäjärvi, a large, shallow lake habitat conditions. The hydrological in southwestern Finland (61ºN, 22ºE; 155 2 model is combined with the habitat km , mean depth 5.4 m), have been of particu- model using climate and manage- lar interest, because they are much higher than ment (abstraction) data to simulate expected from published relationships between past and present physical habitat yield and nutrients or primary production in -1 -1 quality. Deviation between simu- lakes (yield 34 kg ha a ; total phosphorus 12- -3 lated reference conditions (exclud- 19 mg m ; phytoplankton primary productiv- -2 -1 ing abstraction) and reality simula- ity 26-56 g C m a ; Sarvala et al. 1998). The tions indicate the physical stream main targets of the fishery are the planktivorous coregonids, vendace and whitefish Coregonus( Fig. 4: Field sites for brown trout habitat studies. condition. Relationships between

12 SILnews 54: June 2009 albula and C. lavaretus). The basis for the high tory. As the most specialized zooplankton feeder level, but returned to intermediate values in catches was studied from 1983 in a series of in North European lakes, vendace is a keystone 2005-2006 with decreased fishing efficiency long-term ecosystem and fisheries projects, and species in the pelagic system, and its feeding has after 2004 combined with very strong vendace turned out to be the unusually efficient fishery cascading effects in the food web. On the other year-classes. These changes in the chlorophyll- - all trophic relationships were within the hand, vendace is an effective competitor that phosphorus relationship confirmed that the normal range in lakes, but the annual harvest during periods of strong stock seems to exclude water quality improvements were at least partly approaches the total production of vendace other pelagic fish species from the central open caused by the cascading effects of the intensified (Sarvala et al. 1998). waters of the lake (Sarvala et al. 1998), prevent- fishery although temporarily reduced external ing their deleterious water quality effects. In the loading due to simultaneous drought was With gradual eutrophication of Pyhäjärvi since 1980s, when the fish community in Pyhäjärvi also important (Ventelä et al. 2007). Thus, in the late 1980s, it became clear that the fish was dominated by vendace, the water quality Pyhäjärvi, a sustainable commercial fishery community also affected water quality, with the was still relatively good, and the chlorophyll/ seems to be the key element in maintaining the role of vendace appearing somewhat contradic- phosphorus relationship was practically balance between fish and water quality. In fact, identical to that Pyhäjärvi has for decades been the object of in lakes with low intensive though unintentional biomanipulation abundance of by commercial fishermen (Sarvala et al. 1998). planktivorous fish and high abun- Intentional manipulation of the fish commu- dance of large nity has also been successfully used in the in- cladocerans. In ternationally well-known large-scale restoration project of the Enonselkä basin in Lake Vesijärvi the 1990s, when 2 vendace stock in southern Finland (61ºN, 25º30’E; 26 km , was weak and the mean depth 6 m) (Kairesalo et al. 1999). A fish community combination of a removal fishery targeted on was dominated adult roach (Rutilus rutilus), simultaneous regu- by coarse fish, the lation of the gill-net fishery in favour of big fish, chlorophyll/phos- and supplementary pikeperch stocking seems to phorus relation- have been successful in maintaining a healthy ship still showed balance between the piscivores, planktivores similar slope but and water quality (Ruuhijärvi et al. 2005). Food at a higher level, web interactions were also found important in approaching the the northern Lake Inari where the program of situation in lakes fish stocking, designed to compensate for catch losses caused by water level regulation, had Fig.1.Late autumn tranquility at Pyhäjärvi boat harbour with abundant planktivores and to be amended to take better account of the small cladocerans predator-prey balance (Salonen et al. 2007). (Ventelä et al. Experience gained from Pyhäjärvi studies was 2007). The coarse applied in 1992-2001 in East Africa in the fish harvest has FAO/Finnida Research for the Management been subsidized of the Fisheries on Lake Tanganyika, known since 1995, as the LTR project, and its continuation Lake and more than Tanganyika Fisheries Monitoring Program 1,500,000 kg of (Lindqvist et al. 1999, www.fao.org/fi/ltr). fish (20-50 kg This was the first lake-wide ecosystem study on -1 -1 ha a ) have been Tanganyika, working out the biological basis of removed. The the fishery. Collaboration with local scientists highest catches has continued after the official project period; were in 2002- for example, the trophic relationships in the 2004, resulting in pelagic community were clarified using stable a drastic decline of isotopes (Sarvala et al. 2003 and unpublished). algal biomass, in In 2009 a student and teacher exchange spite of a recover- program targeting the limnology and fisheries ing vendace of Lake Tanganyika is being launched between stock. During three Finnish universities and the Dar es Salaam the intensified and Burundi universities. An overview of the biomanipulation carbon flow in the pelagic ecosystem suggested Fig. 2. Chlorophyll/phosphorus relationship in Pyhäjärvi in 1980-2006. Regressions in 2002-2004, that relative to primary production, the total indicated separately for the periods 1980-1991, 1992-2001, and 2002-2006. The the chlorophyll/ fisheries yield in Lake Tanganyika is within the oblique lines denote average relationships for non-stratified lakes with small Daphnia phosphorus ratio typical range in lakes (Sarvala et al. 1999). and abundant planktivorous fish (upper line) and for lakes with large Daphnia and quickly shifted The present fishery of the planktivorous sparse planktivorous fish (lower line) (from Ventelä et al. 2007). to a clearly lower

SILnews 54: June 2009 13 clupeids seems sustainable, although the yields Salonen, E., Niva, T., Raineva, S., Pukkila, Freshwater ecosystems are approaching the potential set by zooplank- H. & Savikko, A. 2007. Säännöstellyn ton food production. The harvest rates of the Inarijärven ja sen sivuvesistöjen kalataloudel- play an important role in the piscivores, in contrast, are extremely high, with linen velvoitetarkkailu. Toimintakertomus landscape carbon cycling possible overexploitation (Sarvala et al. 2002). 2006. Kala- ja riistaraportteja 417. 33 pp + Recently concerns have arisen that limnologi- appendix. (In Finnish.) Because freshwater ecosystems cover only cal changes caused by climate change could Sarvala, J., Helminen, H. & Auvinen, H. 1998. a small fraction of the Earth’s surface area threaten the fisheries of Tanganyika, but so far Portrait of a flourishing freshwater fishery: (Downing et al. 2006), they have often been the observed variations in catches mainly reflect Pyhäjärvi, a lake in SW-Finland. Boreal Env. neglected as potentially important compo- changes in fishing practices and short-term Res. 3: 329–345. nents in landscape energy or element cycles. environmental fluctuations, not directional Sarvala, J., Badende, S., Chitamwebwa, D., However, recent studies have shown that climate change (Sarvala et al. 2006). Juvonen, P. , Mwape, L., Mölsä, H., lakes and rivers play a significant role in the Mulimbwa, N., Salonen, K., Tarvainen, M. transport, storage, and decay processes of the Although Tanganyika is very different from & Vuorio, K. 2003. Size-fractionated δ15N terrestrially-fixed carbon not only regionally but the rather shallow boreal lakes, the Finnish and δ13C isotope ratios elucidate the role also globally (Cole et al. 2007). Thus, lakes and experience illustrates how sound scientific un- of the microbial food web in the pelagial of rivers as biogeochemically active sites can exert derstanding of basic limnological processes can Lake Tanganyika. Aquatic Ecosystem Health a disproportionately large impact on carbon transcend inter-lake and regional differences. & Management 6: 241–250. mass balances and cycling rates. Knowledge transfer and collaboration for better Sarvala, J., Langenberg, V.T., Salonen, K., There are about 56 000 lakes larger than one lake management truly can operate at the global Chitamwebwa, D., Coulter, G.W., Huttula, scale according to the established aims of SIL. hectare in Finland, covering 10 % of the T., Kanyaru, R., Kotilainen, P., Makasa, L., country’s total area. Consequently, lakes have Mulimbwa, N. & Mölsä, H. 2006. Fish References always played an important role in Finnish catches from Lake Tanganyika mainly reflect landscape. They are also extremely important Kairesalo, T., Laine, S., Luokkanen, E., Malinen, changes in fishery practices, not climate. T. & Keto, J. 1999. Direct and indirect as recreational sites (Figure 2). The cold climate Verh. Int. Ver. Limnol. 29: 1182-1188. and flat topography provide favourable condi- mechanisms behind successful biomanipula- Sarvala, J., Salonen, K., Järvinen, M., Aro, tion. Hydrobiologia 395/396: 99-106. tions for organic matter accumulation. Peatlands E., Huttula, T., Kotilainen, P., Kurki, H., cover about one-third of the land area and lakes Lehtonen, H., Rask, M., Pakkasmaa, S. & Langenberg, V., Mannini, P., Peltonen, A., Hesthagen, T. 2008. Freshwater fishes, their are typically coloured by humic substances. Plisnier, P.-D., Vuorinen, I., Mölsä, H. & Thus, carbon cycling has been a topical issue biodiversity, habitats and fisheries in the Lindqvist, O. V. 1999. Trophic structure of Nordic countries. Aquatic Ecosystem Health in Finnish limnological research for decades. Lake Tanganyika: carbon flows in the pelagic Finnish lakes are predominantly net heterotro- & Management 11: 298-309. food web. Hydrobiologia 407: 155–179. Lindqvist, O.V., Mölsä, H., Salonen, K. & phic, evading carbon gases into the atmosphere Ventelä, A.-M., Tarvainen, M., Helminen, H. & and burying organic carbon in sediments. Sarvala, J. (eds.) 1999. From Limnology Sarvala, J. 2007. Long-term management to Fisheries: Lake Tanganyika and Other Already in early 1980s, a net heterotrophy of of Pyhäjärvi (southwest Finland): eutrophi- some humic lakes was suggested by Salonen et Large Lakes, Developments in Hydrobiology cation, restoration – recovery? Lake and (Hydrobiologia 407), Kluwer. 224 p. al. (1983). Presently, Finnish lakes have been Reservoir Management 23: 428-438. shown to be supersaturated with both CO Ruuhijärvi, J., Malinen, T., Ala-Opas, P. & 2 (carbon dioxide) and CH (methane) through- Tuomaala, A. 2005. Fish stocks of Lake 4 Professor Jouko Sarvala, out the year, releasing carbon gases continually Vesijärvi: from nuisance to flourishing Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, fishery in 15 years. Verh. Internat. Verein. to the atmosphere during the ice-free period and University of Turku, accumulating high amounts of CO and CH Limnol. 29: 384-389. 2 4 FI-20014 Turku, Finland in the water column during the ice cover period E-mail: [email protected] (Kortelainen et al. 2006, Juutinen et al. 2008).

Eutrophic lakes not only fix more CO2 from the atmosphere than oligotrophic lakes, they also process terrestrially-fixed carbon more effectively. Subpopulations of 209 and 122 lakes, located between latitudes 60o and 69o, were randomly selected from the Nordic Lake Survey data base for carbon gas (Kortelainen et al. 2006, Juutinen et al. 2008) and sediment C stock studies (Kortelainen et al. 2004), respectively. Catchment land use represents the typical pattern in the boreal zone: lakes are predominantly surrounded by forests and peatlands with lower proportions of agricultural land. Although most of organic carbon in Finnish lakes as in boreal lakes in general originates from surrounding forests Fig. 3. Purse seiner heading for night fishing on Lake Tanganyika (Mpulungu, Zambia) and peatlands, our results demonstrated that

14 SILnews 54: June 2009 eutrophic lakes, surrounded by agricultural land carbon) concentrations were associated with lower, although areal C stocks in lakes are sig-

are important sources of CO2 (Figure 1) and agricultural land in the catchment, whereas nificantly larger than in forest soils (Kortelainen

CH4 into the atmosphere (Juutinen et al. 2008). elevated TOC (total organic carbon) concentra- et al. 2004).

Two contrasting sources of CO2 in lakes were tions were observed in lakes with high peatland identified on the basis of statistical analysis of proportion in the catchment (Rantakari & Climate change scenarios predict increasing the data; weathering processes in the catch- Kortelainen 2008). precipitation and temperature for Northern ments and decomposition of organic matter. Europe, which can further significantly con- Calcareous catchments release considerable Spatially representative and randomly selected tribute to biogeochemical cycles. For example, amounts of carbon to lakes as bicarbonate and lake data bases demonstrate that Finnish lakes methane emissions from lake littorals have been carbonate. Thus, elevated TIC (total inorganic contribute significantly both to landscape C shown to increase with increasing temperature pools and fluxes (Kankaala & Bergström 2004), which can and consequent- significantly contribute to freshwater methane ly to catchment emissions. Further, the total area of artificial C sequestration lakes is growing, and they are even more effi- in the boreal cient carbon sinks than natural lakes. Downing

zone. Both CO2 et al. (2008) estimated world’s farm ponds

and CH4 alone to bury (annually) more organic carbon evasion into the than the oceans and all manmade impound- atmosphere and ments to bury four times as much carbon as the areal C stock in world’s oceans. the sediment were highest in Modern techniques have been recently applied small, shallow to Finnish limnological research. Stable isotope lakes; small analysis (SIA) has provided comprehensive lakes can thus information for example on the important role be considered of methanotrophic bacteria as a carbon source as biogeo- for zooplankton (Kankaala et al. 2006). Lack of Figure 1. The relationship between the TOC content and pCO2 (partial pressure of the integration between aquatic and terrestrial CO ) in autumn samples in randomly selected Finnish lakes, surrounded by different chemical “hot 2 spots” within ecologists has limited the ability to deal with land use patterns: PEAT (peatland > 35 % and agricultural land < 8 %) and FIELD large topographically heterogenous lanscapes (agricultural land > 10 % and peatland < 12 %) (Rantakari & Kortelainen 2008). the terrestrial landscape. Lakes where C balances are strongly influenced by are important spatial interactions among ecosystems includ- conduits for ing metabolically active interfaces for element transferring cycling. Consequently, the Finnish limnologists terrestrially have been working in close collaboration with fixed C into the forest ecologists and atmospheric physicists and atmosphere. successfully applied the micrometeorological eddy covariance (EC) technique in lacustrine The annual CO2 emission from carbon gas exchange studies (Figure 3). The Finnish lakes continuous measurements with the same technique as used in terrestrial systems not only Figure 2. Lake Vasamonjärvi in Ylikiiminki village (photo: Kalervo Ojutkangas). was estimated as 1.4 Tg C, enable smooth integration over the landscape approximately but also provide detailed information on lake- 20% of the atmospheric dynamics (Vesala et al. 2006). average annual C accumula- References tion in Finnish Cole, J.J., Prairie, Y.T., Caraco, N.F., McDowell, forest soils and W.H., Tranvik, L.J., Striegl, R.G., Duarte, tree biomass C.M., Kortelainen, P.L., Downing, (covering 51% J.A., Middelburg, J. & Melack, J.M. of the total area 2007. Plumbing the global carbon cycle: of Finland) Integrating inland waters into the terrestrial in the 1990s carbon budget. Ecosystems 10: 171-184. (Kortelainen Downing, J.A., Cole, J.J., Middelburg J.J., et al. 2006). Striegl, R.G., Duarte, C.M., Kortelainen, P., Average annual Prairie, Y.T. & Laube, K.A. 2008. Sediment C accumulation organic carbon burial in agriculturally in lake sedi- eutrophic impoundments over the last ments during century. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 22, Figure 3. The eddy covariance technique has been used since 2002 to measure the Holocene GB1018, doi:10.1029/2006GB002854. continuous open water CO exchange (NEE) between Lake Valkea Kotinen (located 2 was significantly close to Lammi Biological station) and the atmosphere (photo: Ilpo Hakala).

SILnews 54: June 2009 15 Downing, J.A., Prairie, Y.T., Cole, J.J., Groundwater ecosystem porous aquifers harbour a steady number of Duarte, C.M., Tranvik, L.J., Striegl, R.G., microorganisms; mainly bacteria. Gravel and McDowell, W.H., Kortelainen, P., Caraco, functioning and assessment sandy sediments contain 106 to 108 cells g-1 N.F., Melack, J.M. & Middelburg J. of the ecological status sediment Assuming an even distribution of 2006. The global abundance and distribu- cells, < 1 % of the particle surfaces is colonized. tion of lakes, ponds, and impoundments. Groundwater systems are - from a volume Thus, attached bacteria are mainly organised as Limnology and Oceanography 51 (5) perspective - by far the most important microcolonies, not multilayered biofilms. How 2388-2397. limnic ecosystems. They carry the world’s can these be a valuable food source for ground- Juutinen, S., Rantakari, M., Kortelainen, most significant amount of freshwater avail- water invertebrates – even if the latter are the P., Huttunen, J.T., Larmola, T., Alm, able to human purposes. Healthy aquifers world champions in starving? J., Silvola, J. & Martikainen, P.J. 2009. deliver essential ecosystem services, i.e. the Methane dynamics in different boreal lake purification of recharge water and the storage And how do groundwater microbial communi- types. Biogeosciences 6: 209-223. of high quality water over decades in significant ties manage to sustain the same abundances quantities. In the European Union, almost 70% with depth, although infiltrating organic carbon Kankaala P. & Bergström I. 2004. Emission -1 and oxidation of methane in Equisetum of drinking water derives from groundwater. rapidly decreases to low levels (< 1 mg L ) fluviatile stands growing on organic sedi- In addition, numerous ecosystems, e.g. streams without further changing with depth, obviously ment and sand bottoms. Biogeochemistry and wetlands, directly depend on groundwater insufficient to sustain the present microbial 67: 21–37. quantity and quality. biomass? Indeed, there are alternative carbon Kankaala, P., Taipale, S., Grey, J., Sonninen, sources, namely deep oil reserves and coal Aquifers are ecosystems that are complex in deposits and the almost infinite amount of E., Arvola, L. & Jones, R. I. 2006, structure, dimension, and connectivity. They Experimental delta C-13 evidence inorganic carbon, which (theoretically) can be harbour a vast and almost unrecognized diver- transferred into biomass via chemolithoautotro- for a contribution of methane to pe- sity of microorganisms and fauna (Danielopol lagic food webs in lakes. Limnology and phic primary production. However, except for and Pospisil 2000, Griebler and Lueders 2008). some evidence we completely lack numbers. Oceanography 51(6): 2821-2827. It is believed that groundwater ecosystems al- Kortelainen, P., Pajunen, H., Rantakari, M. & most exclusively rely on organic carbon coming One reason for the stable bacterial biomass Saarnisto, M. 2004. A large carbon pool from the surface. Thus, it is not surprising that along with depletion of organic carbon might and small sink in boreal Holocene lake the numbers of invertebrates found drastically be a parallel decrease in ecosystem complexity sediments. Global Change Biology 10: decrease with depth so that at 100 m below and thus reduced grazing and preying pressure 1648-1653. ground, 10,000 L of pumped groundwater by fauna and microeukaryotes. So far, we lack Kortelainen, P., Rantakari, M., Huttunen, might contain just one specimen. In contrast, information on maintenance energy needed J.T., Mattsson, T., Alm, J., Juutinen, S., Larmola, T., Silvola, J. & Martikainen, P.J. 2006. Sediment respiration and lake trophic state are important predictors of 1 large CO2 evasion from small boreal lakes. Global Change Biology 12: 1554-1567. Rantakari, M. & Kortelainen, P. 2008. Controls of organic and inorganic carbon in randomly selected Boreal lakes in varied catchments Biogeochemistry 91:151-162. Salonen, K., Kononen K. & Arvola L. 1983. 3 Respiration of plankton in two small polyhumic lakes. Hydrobiologia, 101: 65–70. Vesala, T., Huotari, J., Rannik, U., Suni, T., 2 Smolander, S., Sogachev, A., Launiainen, S. & Ojala, A. 2006. Eddy covariance measurements of carbon exchange and latent and sensible heat fluxes over a boreal lake for a full open-water period. Journal of Geophysical Research vol. 111, D11101, doi: 10.1029/2005JD006365, 5 2006.

Pirkko Kortelainen, Finnish Environment Institute, 4 P.O. Box 140, FI-00251 Helsinki, Finland E-mail: [email protected] Fig. 1: An ecologist’s view of life in the porous aquifer (picture produced by P. Pospisil; (1) Isopod, (2) Copepods, (3) Amphipod, (4) Gastropod, and (5) Ostracod.

16 SILnews 54: June 2009 by organisms during starvation and are unable mental proteomics, and (v) stable isotopes as Regional Limnology Spain yet to estimate the relation between food web tracers in chemical reactions. A postdoctoral Snapshots on recent advances in Microbial structure and carbon sources, all the more since fellow will combine the concepts and results Diversity and Ecology in Iberian Freshwater there has been virtually no study so far which and develop a reactive transport model. In Ecosystems, Spain. accounts for biogeochemical features, microbial the EU IEF project WATERBUGMODEL, and metazoan diversity and abundances at biological data derived from this project, among Plant-Microbe Interactions and the same time and place. In conclusion, we others, will be used to parameterize functional Nitrogen Cycle in Wetlands lack adequate data sets for experimenting with biofilm models. Together these efforts will en- carbon budget models. able us to estimate natural resistance, resilience The nitrogen cycle and the implication of and recovery potential with respect to human microorganisms governing it in natural environ- No microbial taxon endemic to aquifers has impacts. ments are of critical importance in many ways. been found so far (Griebler & Lueders 2009), Microbial transformations of nitrogen may whereas in groundwater fauna, endemicity References: be a desired activity (i.e. nitrogen removal is huge (Sket 1999). This has implications from wastewater or the increase of available Danielopol, D.L. and Pospisil, P. 2000. for developing assessment systems. And time nitrogen in crop soils) and the reason for many Biodiversity in groundwater: a large scale is putting us under pressure here, because complaints in relation to global warming (i.e. view. Trends Ecol. Evol. 15: 223-224. legislation begins to ask for appropriate criteria production of greenhouse effect gases). The Griebler, C. and Lueders, T. 2009. to assess the ecological status of groundwater understanding of how bacteria transform Microbial biodiversity in ground- systems. Isn’t it bizarre that without having a nitrogen is essential in wetlands, mainly water ecosystems. Freshw. Biol. detailed functional ecosystem understanding, through nitrifications and denitrification, but DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2427.2008.02013.x. we try to distil indicator species which provide also through DNRA and ANAMMOX. These Sket, B. 1999. The nature of biodiversity in information on ecosystem health (Steube et al. processes are being described in Natural and hypogean waters and how it is endan- 2009; project funded by the German Federal Constructed Wetlands of the Spanish coast gered. Biodiversity and Conservation 8: Environment Agency UBA)? (Marismas de Doñana and Aiguamolls de 1319-1338. l’Empordà), in particular how macrophytes Our colleagues at the Institute of Groundwater Steube, C., Richter, S. and Griebler, C. 2009. affect the diversity and activity of nitrifying and Ecology at the Helmholtz Center in Munich, First attempts towards an integrative denitrifying microorganisms (Ruiz-Rueda et Germany, developed a common vision to concept for the ecological assessment of al. 2009). The stimulation of bacterial nitrogen address these challenges. Hydrologists, geo- groundwater ecosystems. Hydrogeol. J. 17: removal by plants is rather complex in “natural” chemists and biologists have contributed to the 23-35. systems, and defining appropriate vectors for development of a conceptual and mathematical these relationships is not an easy task. Plant- groundwater ecosystem model. To fill some of Christian Griebler and Susanne I. Schmidt, microbe interactions are being tested as new the “empty boxes’’ in the ecosystem model, an Groundwater ecologists tools to promote microbial isolation. experiment in a large indoor flow-through sedi- Helmholtz Center Munich Institute of Groundwater Ecology ment system is being performed in the frame- Lluís Bañeras, work of the EU ITN project GOODWATER. Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1 Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Several Ph.D. students collaborate on (i) D-85764 Neuherberg University of Girona organic contaminant transport and biodegrada- Germany E-mail: [email protected] tion, (ii) identification of microbial key players, E-mail: [email protected] http://www.udg.edu (iii) the iron and sulphur cycle, (iv) environ- Ecology and Biology of Novel Freshwater Archaea The study of freshwater planktonic archaea is Water flow & transport a fast growing and promising area of research matrix (Casamayor and Borrego 2009). Archaea represent a considerable fraction of the pico- Grazing protozoan plankton (between 1 and 37%) in freshwaters. pore Cell type 1 From their ubiquity and abundance it can be envisaged that these microorganisms might space Cell 2 have a large impact on biogeochemical cycles and global energy fluxes. However, the lack of biological EPS pure cultures has strongly limited progress to growth understand their physiology and functional role within the ecosystem. We are currently studying the biology and ecological roles of several about biological processes Reactive transport models; matrix lineages of lacustrine archaea in both freshwater making averaging assumptions stratified lakes (Banyoles Karstic System, the (behavioural ) basis of individual cells Microbes and fauna modelled on Girona, Spain) (Figure 1) and oligotrophic high mountain lakes (Limnological Observatory of Fig 2. Conceptual overview of the coupling of the bioreactive transport models and the functional biofilm the Pyrenees, LOOP]) (Fig. 2). In mesotrophic model of the microbial and faunal community, taking into account the interplay between different taxa. stratified lakes, anoxic water layers harbor a

SILnews 54: June 2009 17 very rich archaeoplankton community, which “hotspot” for uncultured crenarchaeota (Auguet Carles Borrego, will undoubtedly resolve in a larger metabolic and Casamayor 2008). Using lakes as model Institute of Aquatic Ecology, UdG diversity than previously assumed (Llirós et ecosystems we pursue to identify distribution E-mail: [email protected] al., 2008). The archaeal lineages that prevail patterns, environmental drivers and ecological http://www.udg.edu in these habitats (MCG Crenarchaeota) are thresholds for freshwater Archaea, and establish distantly related to those prevailing in high the links between archaeal community compo- Emilio O. Casamayor mountain lakes or in the open ocean where sition and biogeochemical cycling. Last but not Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes Marine Crenarchaeota Group I dominates. least, we are combining advanced biochemical (CEAB-CSIC) In surface waters of Spanish Pyrenean lakes in and analytical techniques with innovative E-mail: [email protected] particular, archaea reached >30% of total cells cultivation systems to enrich and further isolate http://nodens.ceab.csic.es/ecogenomics and the hydrophobic surface film at the air/ members of the main archaeal lineages that water interphase (neuston, Fig. 2) appeared as a predominate in freshwater environments. Functional Studies in Stratified Lakes Nutrient limitation in upper layers during stratification occurs in both oligotrophic and mesotrophic lakes. This limits phytoplankton growth and allows penetration of selective light wavelengths to the metalimnion. There, dense populations of light-adapted phototrophic microorganisms take advantage of nutrient availability (Miracle et al., 1992). These commonly are cyanobacteria and cryptophytes, chryso- phytes or sulphur phototrophic bacteria, or both (Camacho, 2009), depending on the type of lake. Several groups of researchers are now trying to determine the role of these populations on nutrient cycles, as well as their contribution to lake overall primary production, their mechanisms for nutrient acquisition and buoyancy regulation, and the microbial interactions among different lake layers. Nutrient transport to upper layers mediated by zooplankton migration is a mechanism of high relevance for the trophic functioning of oligotrophic lakes. Figure 1. Sunset at Lake Banyoles, the main waterbody of the Banyoles Karstic System (Girona, Spain). Picture In particular, deep planktonic populations in by C. Borrego. the maritime Antarctica shift their prevalence to benthic primary producers, and create “life oa- ses” close to the bottom of the lakes. Nutrients are later transported to upper layers by means of metazooplankton migration. Current research in these Antarctic lakes is related to catchment- scale processes that influence lake functioning, as well as the interactions between the different components of the microbial food webs of these lakes (Camacho, 2006) and the effects of climate change on the functioning of these ecosystems.

Antonio Camacho, Institut Cavanilles, University of Valencia E-mail: [email protected] http://www.uv.es/~biodiver/e/index.htm

Saharan Dust Storms: Lake Fertilization and Microbial Dispersal Vector Massive airborne plumes of Saharan dust are regularly exported to the Mediterranean region (Fig. 4). These dust inputs are a significant Figure 2. Left: Panoramic view of the lake Vidal d’Amunt (2684 m.a.s.l.) in the Limnological Observatory source of mineral nutrients (Morales-Baquero of the Pyrenees (LOOP). Right: Members of the CEAB-CSIC team collecting samples from the hydrophobic et al. 2006) and organic nutrients (Mladenov et surface film at the air/water interphase (neuston) in a Pyrenean lake in the Aiguestortes National Park. al. 2008) to inland waters, stimulating directly Pictures by E.O. Casamayor.

18 SILnews 54: June 2009 bacterial growth particularly in phosphorus- Llirós M, EO Casamayor and C Borrego (2008) Morales-Baquero R, E Pulido-Villena and limited ecosystems (Reche et al. 2009). In High archaeal richness in the water column I Reche (2006) Atmospheric inputs of addition to nutrient inputs, viable bacteria can of a freshwater sulphurous karstic lake along phosphorus and nitrogen to the southwest be transported long-distances and be inocu- an inter-annual study. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. Mediterranean region: Biogeochemical lated into these pristine waters (Hervàs and 66: 331–342. responses of high mountain lakes. Limnol. Casamayor 2009). Current research is based on Miracle MR, E Vicente and C Pedrós-Alió Oceanogr. 51: 830–837. loading (frequency and intensity) of airborne (1992) Biological studies of Spanish Reche I, E Ortega-Retuerta, O Romera, E bacteria, and their viability and colonization meromictic and stratified lakes.Limnetica 8: Pulido-Villena, R Morales-Baquero and EO success (i.e. competitive ability against indig- 59–77. Casamayor (2009) Effects of Saharan dust enous bacteria) in waters of high mountain Mladenov N, E Pulido-Villena, R Morales- inputs on bacterial activity and composition lakes from Sierra Nevada, Pyrenees and Alps Baquero, E Ortega-Retuerta, R Sommaruga in Mediterranean lakes and reservoirs. that represent a gradual influence of Saharan and I Reche (2008). Spatiotemporal Limnol. Oceanogr. 54(3): 869–879. dust inputs. Very closely related Acinetobacter drivers of dissolved organic matter in Ruiz-Rueda O, S Hallin and L Bañeras (2009) spp. were found in Mauritanian sandy soils and high alpine lakes: the role of Saharan Structure and function of denitrifying and dust collected over Sierra Nevada and Pyrenees, dust inputs and bacterial activity. J. nitrifying bacterial communities in relation indicating these species are a frequent and Geophys. Res. Biogeosciences 113, G00D01, to plant species in a constructed wetland. viable airborne bacteria with potentiality to doi:10.1029/2008JG000699. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 67: 308–319. develop in alpine lakes (Hervás et al. 2009). This research reports processes associated with global change, as desertification and land use change, are promoting a net increase in dust content in the atmosphere with potential effects on bacterial worldwide dispersion.

Isabel Reche, Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-mail: [email protected] http://www.ugr.es/~ireche http://www.ecosensor.org

References Auguet JC, EO Casamayor (2008) A hotspot for cold Crenarchaeota in the neuston of high mountain lakes. Environmental Microbiology 10: 1080-1086 Camacho A (2006) Planktonic microbial assemblages and the potential effects of Figure 3. Setting up the in situ incubation system for dark carbon fixation experiments in Lagunillo del metazooplankton predation on the food Tejo, a stratified karstic lake in Cañada del Hoyo (Cuenca, Spain). Picture courtesy of Marc Llirós. web of lakes of the maritime Antarctica and Subantarctic Islands. Rev. Environ. Sci. Biotechnol. 5: 167–185. Camacho A. (2009) Sulfur Bacteria. In: Gene E. Likens, (Editor) Encyclopedia of Inland Waters. Volume 3, pp. 261–278 Oxford: Elsevier. Casamayor EO, CM Borrego (2009) Archaea. In “Encyclopedia of Inland Waters”, G. Likens (ed.), Academic Press, Elsevier Oxford, UK, vol. 3 pp: 167-181 Hervàs A and EO Casamayor (2009) High simi- larity between bacterioneuston and airborne bacterial community compositions in a high mountain lake area. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 67: 219–228. Hervàs A, L Camarero, I Reche and Casamayor EO (2009) Viability and potential for immigration of airborne bacteria from Africa that reach high mountain lakes in Europe. Environmental Microbiology 11: 1612-1623 Figure 4. Satellite image of an African dust storm reaching Southern Spain where Sierra Nevada is located. Credit Provided by the SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE.

SILnews 54: June 2009 19 Ten years of research in the The phreatic dynamics and its relationship ics, stoichiometry, trophic relationships, stable to the riparian vegetation were among the isotopes signatures, etc have been investigated in Fuirosos: the ecology of a first issues studied in the Fuirosos, as part detail (e.g. Acuña et al. 2005; Artigas et al. 2009). forested Mediterranean stream of the European project Nitrogen Control Several in situ experiments have been carried out (near Barcelona, Spain) by Landscape Structures (NICOLAS), in the in the Fuirosos to test for the relevance of one of late 90s (Butturini et al. 2002, Sabater et al. several of these factors. Amongst these, nutrient The research in the Fuirosos is a joint effort 2003). The relevant role of vegetation on the additions (Romaní et al. 2004), sand and leaf lit- of several research groups from the University nitrate depletion through the phreatic, the low ter colonization (Gaudes et al. 2009) and stream of Barcelona (UB), the University of Girona denitrification occurring in the dry topsoil, warming (in progress) have shed light on the (UdG) and the CEAB-CSIC at Blanes. Several and the intrusion of the stream water to the functioning of these systems. These experiments researchers of the different groups were riparian compartment during the recovery of have shown the extremely relevant role of hydrol- inspired by the genius of Ramon Margalef the summer drought, were the most relevant ogy, but also the existence of pulses of light and and had their formation period at the Ecology findings during that project. Later, the links nutrients that make the system to shift temporally Department of the University of Barcelona. between hydrology and biogeochemistry were from heterotrophy to autotrophy and back. Collaboration and interaction have been largely explored. The calibration of the INCA The results obtained during the 10 years of constant between them through all of these (Integrated Nitrogen in CAtchments) model collaborative effort can fit together to provide years. This has been translated in a continued in Mediterranean systems produced a huge a whole-ecosystem point of view. The study research in the Fuirosos stream, the findings data set (Bernal et al., 2004). Recently, efforts has also been productive in terms of Master can illustrate the behaviour of an undisturbed have focused in studying the effect of seasonal and Ph.D. theses that it has generated, e.g. Mediterranean-like systems in the world. and interannual variability on the Dissolved Organic Carbon and Nitrogen (DOC and those of Susana Bernal, Vicenç Acuña, Daniel The Fuirosos is a typical Mediterranean stream DON) and on the nutrient uptake (Vázquez et von Schiller, Joan Artigas, Elisabet Tornés, whose catchment lies in the middle of the al. 2007; von Schiller et al. 2008). Eusebi Vázquez, Marta Álvarez, Irene Ylla, Isis Montnegre-Corredor Natural Park, nearby Sampera, Esther Mas and Ainhoa Gaudes. Barcelona (NE Spain). The hydrological regime The functional ecology of communities has been of Mediterranean streams is result of warm, explored from many different perspectives. The References dry summers, mild winters and rainfall events role of biofilm and its interaction with the faunal Acuña V., I. Muñoz, A. Giorgi, M. Omella, F. mostly in spring and autumn. The stream flow compartment, including protozoans, meiofauna Sabater, and S. Sabaterl. 2005. Drought and may highly vary along the hydrological year and macroinvertebrates, have been explored postdrought recovery cycles in an intermittent -- from flood periods to complete drought. The through descriptive and manipulative approaches. Mediterranean stream: structural and func- intensity and frequency of floods and droughts The links between the environmental variations tional aspects Journal of the North American in the Fuirosos exhibit a remarkable inter- and stream metabolism, organic matter dynamics, Benthological Society, 24: 919-933. annual variability. algal, meiofaunal and macroinvertebrate dynam- Artigas J., A. M. Romaní, A. Gaudes, I. Muñoz, and S. Sabater. 2009. Organic matter availability structures microbial biomass and activity in a Mediterranean stream. Freshwater Biology, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.2008.02140.x. Bernal S., A. Butturini, J.L. Riera, E. Vázquez, and F. Sabater. 2004. Calibration of the INCA model in a Mediterranean forested catchment: the effect of hydrological interannual variability in an intermittent stream. Hydrology Earth System Sciences, 8: 729-741. Butturini A., S. Bernal, S. Sabater, and F. Sabater. 2002. The influence of riparian hyporheic groundwater on the hydrological responses in a intermittent stream. Hydrology Earth System Sciences, 6: 515-525. Gaudes A., J. Artigas, A.M. Romaní, S.Sabater, and I. Muñoz. 2009. Contribution of microbial and invertebrate communities to leaf litter colonization in a Mediterranean stream. Journal of the North American Benthological Society, 28: 34-43. Romani A.M., A. Giorgi, V. Acuña, and S. Sabater. 2004. The influence of substratum type and nutrient supply on biofilm organic matter utilization in streams. Limnology and Oceanography, 49 (5): 1713-1721. Fig.1. Working at the Fuirosos during fall 2006

20 SILnews 54: June 2009 Sabater, S., A. Butturini, J.C. Clement, T. ogy, to the point that the 4th SIL Congress was The present: a critical situation. Burt, D. Dowrick, M. Hefting, V. Maître, held in Italy in 1927 and celebrated with the Altogether, there are about 80 limnologists in G. Pinay, C. Postolache, M. Rzepecki, F. mintage of the medal shown in the figure. The Italy and only 10% of them are below 40 years Sabater. 2003. Nitrogen removal by riparian golden age of Italian limnology began in 1938, old due to discouraging policies for research buffers under various N loads along a when the Istituto Italiano di Idrobiologia (now of the recent Italian governments. Most of European climatic gradient: patterns and part of the Institute of Ecosystem Study - CNR) the Italian limnologists are SIL, AIOL (Italian factors of variation. Ecosystems 6:20-30 was founded in Pallanza. In this institute, Association for Oceanography and Limnology), Vázquez E., A.M. Romani, F. Sabater, and A. directed successively by Edgardo Baldi, Vittorio and SItE (Italian Society for Ecology) members, Butturini. 2007. Effects of the Dry–Wet and Livia Tonolli, Italian limnology developed publishing in 2007-2008 about 158 papers Hydrological Shift on Dissolved Organic from the prevailing taxonomy oriented studies in ISI journals. In Italy less than 0.02% of Carbon Dynamics and Fate Across Stream– for fish production, to a truly ecological ap- the GDP is allocated for ecological research Riparian Interface in a Mediterranean proach, addressing ecosystem conservation and and there are no research funding agencies to Catchment. Ecosystems, 10: 239-251. management. The interdisciplinary approach which one can submit basic research projects. Von Schiller D., E. Martí, J.L. Riera, M. Ribot, and the international contacts were strongly Therefore, money for limnology must be sought A. Argerich, P. Fonollà, and F. Sabater. 2008. encouraged. A lot of research was done on from institutions (local administrations and EU Interannual, Annual, and Seasonal Variation alpine and subalpine lakes as well as on lakes projects) that are mainly monitoring oriented . of P and N Retention in a Perennial and an all around the country. These studies provided The Ministry of Education and Research gives Intermittent Stream. Ecosystems, 11: 670-687. the theoretical background, which subsequently funds for small projects for basic research, but proved its practical importance. One example in 2008 none involving limnology was funded. See the complete list of references on Fuirosos is the liming of Lago d’Orta that allowed to in: http://fuirosos.blogspot.com/ completely recover this environment in the In conclusion, Italian limnology seems to 1990s, after it had been polluted for about 30 be carried out by middle-aged scientists and Ainhoa Gaudes, years. In 1968 the Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque supported by very limited funds. On the other Ecology Department, - CNR started, and addressed studies on waste hand, these people appear active, as highlighted University of Barcelona water treatment techniques and protection and by the presence of five LTER sites devoted to E-mail : [email protected] management of water resources. Other pivotal lakes and inland waters in the Italian LTER places of limnological research were established network. The success of the publishing activ- in the past century. One is the Museo Tridentino ity of the “Journal of Limnology” (IF 2.375 Limnology in Italy: What Future? di Scienze Naturali, working on alpine lakes, in 2007) indicates the continuing healthy rivers and springs of the south-eastern Alps. tradition of the past “Memorie dell’Istituto The kick-off of limnology in Italy took place Among the Environmental Science Department Italiano di Idrobiologia” (first issue dating back only six years after the founding of the discipline active in limnological research the one belonging to 1942). These are good perspectives for the rd by Forel in 1901, with the publication in to Parma University is to be mentioned for its colleagues attending the 33 SIL Congress in 1907 of the first limnology textbook in Italian. works on mountain lakes in Apennines, on the Turin in 2016. Despite this, the study of inland waters in Italy Po river and on transition environments of its continued to be driven mostly by practical delta. Roma University conducted many studies Web References issues, such as fishery and fish farming. In 1921 on temporary water bodies and on volcanic Istituto Italiano di Idrobiologia: www.iii. the Central Laboratory of Hydrobiology was lakes in central Italy. In Palermo and Sassari to.cnr.it. An ebook of historical images is founded in Rome to promote fish production universities, in regions at high risk of desertifica- downloadable from: www.ise.cnr.it/ebooks/ but with an eye for inland waters quality assess- tion, a lot of effort is being made to study the istituto-idrobiologia-storia.pdf (7MB) ment. The interest in limnology grew thanks to limnology of Mediterranean and man-made Institute for Ecosystem Study (CNR ISE): Rina Monti’s research on comparative limnol- water bodies. www.ise.cnr.it Water Research Institute (CNR IRSA): www. irsa.cnr.it Trentino Nature & Science Museum: www. mtsn.tn.it Department of Environmental Science, Parma University: www.dsa.unipr.it/ AIOL (Italian Association for Oceanography and Limnology): www.aiol.info SitE (Italian Society for Ecology): www.dsa. unipr.it/SITE/ LTER Italia: www.lteritalia.it Journal of Limnology: www.jlimnol.it 33rd SIL Congress in Turin. www.silitaly.it/ candidatura/candidaturaweb.htm

Roberto Bertoni, [email protected] Bronze medal coined for the 4th SIL Congress (Rome 1927) and offered to participants. The motto “bene urbis auspicetur flumen” expresses the wish that “the God River [Tiber] promotes the good of the city [Rome]”

SILnews 54: June 2009 21 Aquatic plants as indicators of Laboratory of the Institute of Biophysics at in terms of biomass in the river stretch between Krasnoyarsk (Siberian Branch of the Russian the MCC and the Angara River mouth. Other radioactive contamination of the Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk) has been characteristic plants in this part of the river are Yenisei River (Siberia), Russia performing radioecological studies at the Yenisei Elodea canadensis Mich., Batrachium kauffmanii River in cooperation with a number of Russian (Clerc) V. Krecz., Myriophyllim spicatum The Yenisei is one of the largest rivers on this and foreign laboratories. The studies comprise L., Potamogeton pectinatus L. and Fontinalis planet. It crosses Eurasia in the geographic both monitoring and laboratory experiments antipyretica, etc. (Zotina, 2008). center of Russia. The Yenisei flows into the with aquatic organisms and show that the river Kara Sea, and annually discharges about 625 floodplain and sediments are contaminated by Owing to the ability of submerged macrophytes 3 km of water. The Yenisei has the second largest artificial radionuclides, including transuranium to accumulate radionuclides in their biomass, 2 catchment basin (2580 thousand km ) among elements (isotopes of plutonium, americium, they are universally used as bioindicators in Russian rivers and it is the third longest river neptunium, and curium) over a stretch of 2000 monitoring of radioactive contamination. (4 000 km) in Russia. km downstream of the MCC (Bolsunovsky & Researchers of the Radioecology Laboratory every year record a wide range of artificial In 1958, a nuclear facility for production of Bondareva, 2003, 2007; Bolsunovsky et al., 2007). The Yenisei floodplain soils and sedi- radionuclides (up to 30) in the biomass of weapons-grade plutonium – the Mining-and- Yenisei macrophytes. These include several Chemical Combine (MCC) – was constructed ments have been found to contain high-activity (“hot”) particles of reactor origin (Bolsunovsky relatively short-lived activation radionuclides 80 km downstream of the city of Krasnoyarsk 24 32 46 51 54 58,60 59 65 & Tcherkezian, 2001). ( Na, P, Sc, Cr, Mn, Co, Fe, Zn, (56° 0’N, 92° 47’E), on the right bank of the 152,154,155Eu, 239Np, etc.) and long-lived fission Yenisei. The MCC included a reactor plant and a The radioactively contaminated Yenisei radionuclides (90Sr, 134,137Cs, 238,239,240Pu, 241Am, radiochemical one. Two of the three reactors have parts abound in aquatic vegetation, mostly etc.). The highest activity concentrations of been shut down but one is still operating. The represented by submerged macrophytes. The most of these radionuclides were registered MCC has been a source of radioactive contami- greatest species diversity is observed among in the biomass of the water moss Fontinalis nation of the Yenisei River for many years. potamogetons: Potamogeton lucens L. dominates antipyretica (Bolsunovsky, 2004). For the last 20 years, the Radioecology

Fig. 1. Sampling trip at the Yenisei River: researchers of the Radioecology Laboratory of the IBP SB RAS and the boat crew.

Fig. 2. Potamogeton lucens L. the most abundant macrophytes in the radioactively Fig. 3. Potamogeton lucens – the dominant macrophyte species in the Yenisei River contaminated part of the Yenisei River. in the radioactively contaminated part of the Yenisei

22 SILnews 54: June 2009 Calculation of the exposure dose to aquatic The last reactor is to be shut down within the Zotina, T. & A. Bolsunovsky, 2007. Role of plants due to biomass-bound radionuclides next few years, and, hence, short-lived activa- aquatic plants in migration of artificial (internal), and due to the nuclides in the river tion radionuclides will not be released into radionuclides in the Yenisei River. In: water and sediment (external), showed that at the river any more. Nevertheless, deposits of Y.Zhu et al. (Eds.) Biogeochemistry of 50 km downstream of the MCC the internal long-lived artificial radionuclides will continue trace elements: environmental protection, dose rate was an order of magnitude higher than to persist in the river sediments and floodplain remediation and human health. Tsinghua the external dose rate (Bolsunovsky et al., 2005 soils. Thus, the primary challenge will be to Univ. Press, Beijing. P.457-458. a). In the vicinity of the MCC discharge site, study mobility of radionuclides deposited in the Zotina, T.A., Kalacheva, G.S. & A.Ya. artificial radionuclides contribute mainly to the river ecosystem. Assessing the consequences of Bolsunovsky, 2009. Accumulation and internal dose rate, which is an order of magni- radioactive contamination for submerged plants distribution of 241Am in the biomass tude higher than the dose rate due to natural ra- and other aquatic organisms will continue to be of freshwater plant Elodea canadensis. diation. Both farther downstream and upstream a topical issue. Radioprotection. (In press) of the MCC, the main contributor to the dose Zotina, T.A., Kalacheva, G.S., Bolsunovsky rate is 40K – a natural radionuclide. The impact References A.Ya. & A.G. Degermendzhy, 2008. 241Am of radiation on aquatic plants is observed at also Bolsunovsky, A.Ya., 2004. Artificial radionu- distribution in the biomass of freshwater at the cellular level. A cytogenetic examination clides in aquatic plants of the Yenisei River macrophytes. Doklady Biological Sciences, of aquatic plants of the Yenisei River shows that in the area affected by effluents of a Russian 421: 254-256. chromosomal aberrations in the cells of the roots plutonium complex. Aquat. Ecol. 38: 57-62. of Elodea, growing in the radioactively contami- Bolsunovsky, A.Ya. & L.G. Bondareva, 2003. Alexander Bolsunovsky, D. Sc., nated part of the Yenisei, occur 3-5 times more Tritium in surface waters of the Yenisei Head of the Radioecology Laboratory, frequently than in the control plants upstream River basin. J. Environ. Radioactiv. 66 (3): Institute of Biophysics SB RAS of the MCC discharge site (Bolsunovsky et al., 285-294. 2009). Cytogenetic studies on other macrophyte Bolsunovsky, A. & L. Bondareva, 2007. Tatiana Zotina, Ph. D., species are also in progress. Actinides and other radionuclides in sedi- Research Scientist, ments and submerged plants of the Yenisei Institute of Biophysics SB RAS Researchers of the Laboratory use sequential River. J. Alloy. Compd. 444-445: 495-499. chemical extraction techniques to study if ra- Bolsunovsky, A. & L. Bondareva, 2008. dionuclides bound to biomass of plants growing Accumulation and release of Tc-99 by a in the radioactively contaminated part of the Ping River of North Thailand: macrophytes of the Yenisei River (Elodea Yenisei are in exchangeable or non-exchangeable canadensis) in laboratory experiment. J Diversity of Benthic Diatoms forms (Bolsunovsky & Bondareva, 2007; Radioanal. Nucl. Ch. 277 (3): 631-636. and their Use for Biomonitor- Zotina & Bolsunovsky, 2007). Bolsunovsky, A., Ermakov, A. & A. Sobolev, ing of Water Quality Mechanisms of accumulation and distribution of 2007. New data on transuranium elements transuranium radionuclides in plant biomass are in the ecosystem of the Yenisei river flood- Thailand is located in South-East Asia at being studied in laboratory, i.e. to determine the plain. Radiochim. Acta 95 (9): 547-552. latitude between 5o 27’ and 21o 27’ N and rates of accumulation and release of 241Am and Bolsunovsky, A., Muratova, E., Sukovaty, A. & longitude 97 o 21’ and 105 o 37’ E. Ping River 99Tc by E.canadensis shoots (Bolsunovsky et al., M. Kornilova, 2009. The effect of radionu- is the major river in Northern Thailand, 2005 b; Bolsunovsky & Bondareva, 2008). Other clide and heavy metal contamination of the which runs through 5 provinces: Chiang Mai, recent studies have addressed the distribution Yenisei River on cytogenetics of aquatic plant Lamphun, Tak, Kamphaeng Phet and Nakorn of 241Am in cell compartments and biochemical Elodea canadensis. Radioprotection. (In press) Sawan. It is about 750 km long with catch- components of the biomass of F.antipyretica Bolsunovsky, A.Ya. & V.O. Tcherkezian, ment area around 34,885 km2 and it flows (Zotina et al., 2008) and E.canadensis (Zotina et 2001. Hot particles of the Yenisei River into the Chao Phraya River, the biggest river al., 2009). They confirmed that241 Am taken up Floodplain, Russia. J. Environ. Radioactiv. of Thailand (Figure 1). The activities of people by macrophytes from the water is mainly found 57: 167-174. who live along the river not only affect physical in cell wall polysaccharides. Bolsunovsky, A., Sukovaty, A. & E. Pankov, and chemical properties of the water but also 2005 a. Radioactive contamination and aquatic organisms inhabiting the river. The largest sink for long-lived artificial radionu- exposure dose rates of aquatic organisms Benthic diatoms are useful in the biodiversity clides in an aquatic ecosystem is the Yensei River of the Yenisei River. Proceedings of the 6th studies because they are found in many sediment, which has been found to contain International Conference on radioactivity in substrates in the water, being tolerant to 60 90 137 Co, Sr, Cs, Eu isotopes, and transuranium the Arctic and Antarctic. 2-6 October, 2005 different environments. However, the studies 239 238,239,240 241 243,244 elements Np, Pu, Am, Cm a. Nice, France. NAPR, Osteras, Norway. P. on diatom flora in South-East Asia are not well- (Bolsunovsky et al., 2007; Bolsunovsky & 138-141. documented in terms of diversity, distribution Bondareva, 2007). Plants can take up radionu- Bolsunovsky, A., Zotina, T. & L. Bondareva, patterns and ecology. clides not only from the water but also from the 2005 b. Accumulation and release of Am- 60 137 Applied Algal Research Laboratory (AARL) sediments. Artificial radionuclides ( Co, Cs 241 by a macrophyte of the Yenisei river 152 has been studying freshwater benthic diatoms and Eu) were recorded in submerged macro- (Elodea canadensis). J. Environ. Radioactiv. for more than 10 years in both lentic and lotic phytes rooted in the sediment. Mobility of artifi- 81: 33-46. ecosystems, in particular biodiversity of diatoms cial radionuclides located in the sediments of the Zotina, T.A., 2008. The biomass of macro- and their bioindicator value. Our previous stud- Yenisei River was determined using sequential, phytes at several sites of the upper reaches of ies on benthic diatoms not only provided new chemical extraction techniques (Bolsunovsky & the Yenisei River. Journal of Siberian Federal knowledge of aquatic benthos in a Thailand Bondareva, 2007). University. Biology. 1 (1): 102-108.

SILnews 54: June 2009 23 river but also the potential for using benthic References Lorraine L.J. & Vollenweider R.A. (1981). diatoms to monitor water quality. In this Greenberg A.E., Clesceri L.S. & Eaton Summary report, the OECD cooperative communication, we discuss the water quality A.D. (2005). Standard Methods for the programme on eutrophication, National and indicator species of benthic diatoms in Examination of Water and Wastewater, 20th Water Research Institute, Burlington, 381 pp. Ping River during December 2004 to edition, American Public Health Association Peerapornpisal Y., Chaiubol C., Pekkoh J., December 2005. (APHA), Washington DC, 1325 pp. Kraibut H., Chorum M., Wannathong P., Krammer K. & Lange-Bertalot H. (1986). Ngernpat N., Jusakul K., Thammathiwat A., Physical and chemical conditions of Ping River Bacillariophyceae: Teil 1. Naviculaceae. Chuananta J. & Inthasotti T. (2004). The such as water temperature, conductivity, pH, dis- Sübwassweflora von Mitteleuropa, Bd. 2, monitoring of water quality in Ang Kaew solved oxygen (DO), BOD , alkalinity, ammoni- 5 berg. Von A. Pascher. Gustav Fisher Verlag, Reservior of Chaing Mai University by um nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen and soluble reactive Stuttgart, 876 pp. using phytoplankton as bioindicator from phosphorus (SRP) were measured (Greenberg et Krammer K. & Lange-Bertalot H. (1988). 1995-2002. Chiang Mai Journal of Science. al. 2005). The trophic status of water was evalu- Bacillariophyceae: Teil 2. Epithemiaceae, 31(1):85-94. ated from several parameters (conductivity, DO, Surirellaceae. Sübwassweflora von Renberg I. (1990). A procedure for preparing BOD , alkalinity, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate 5 Mitteleuropa, Bd. 2, berg. Von A. Pascher. large sets of diatom slides from sediment cores. nitrogen and soluble reactive phosphorus) accord- Gustav Fisher Verlag, Stuttgart, 596 pp. Journal of Paleolimnology. 4: 87–90. ing to Lorraine & Vollenweider (1981), Wetzel Krammer K. & Lange-Bertalot H. (1991a). Wetzel R.G. (2001). Limnology: Lake and River (2001) and Peerapornpisal et al. (2004). The Bacillariophyceae: Teil 3. Centrales, Ecosystems, Academic Press, New York, 1006 pp. benthic diatom samples were collected follow- Fragilariaceae, Eunotiaceae. Sübwassweflora ing Renberg (1990) and species were identified von Mitteleuropa, Bd. 2, berg. Von A. Pascher. Yuwadee Peerapornpisal* and according to Krammer & Lange-Bertalot (1986, Gustav Fisher Verlag, Stuttgart, 576 pp. Pongpan Leelahakriengkrai 1988, 1991a, 1991b). Krammer K. & Lange-Bertalot H. (1991b). Environmental Science section, The Ping River was moderately clean and oligo- Bacillariophyceae: Teil 4. Achnanthaceae. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, mesotrophic. In the upstream area, the water Kritische Ergünzungen zu Navicula. ChiangMai University, quality was good to moderately good with oligo- Sübwassweflora von Mitteleuropa, Bd. 2, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand berg. Von A. Pascher. Gustav Fisher Verlag, mesotrophic status whilst in downstream region *Author for correspondence, e-mail: Stuttgart, 437 pp. the water quality was moderate; the water was [email protected] mesotrophic depending on the environmental status around the sampling sites. Benthic diatom diversity seems be rather rich, with 159 species of benthic diatoms recorded. The majority of benthic diatoms were pennate diatoms (97%) and the remaining 3% were centric diatoms. The dominant species of benthic diatoms in Ping River were Gomphonema parvulum (Kützing) Grunow, Achnanthidium minutissimum (Kützing) Czarnecki and Nitzschia palea (Kützing) W. Smith. Six indicator species were found for example Cymbella turgidula Grunow, Gomphonema lagenula Kützing and Navicula symmetrica Patrick for oligo-mesotrophic status and Nitzschia palea, Nitzschia sp., Synedra ulna var. aequalis (Kützing) Hustedt for mesotrophic status (Figure 2). Since Ping River is essential for people Fig. 2. Benthic diatoms as indicator living along its course, the species in the Ping River from December water quality should be 2004-December 2005. (Scale bar = 10 mm) monitored continuously. (A) Synedra ulna var. aequalis, (B) Nitzschia Fig. 1 . Map of Thailand and Ping River watershed (A) and 1-15 sampling sites palea, (C) Cymbella turgidula, (D) Navicula along the Ping River (B). symmetrica, (E) Gomphonema lagenula, (F) Nitzschia sp.

24 SILnews 54: June 2009 The Legacy of James G. Needham A Century of Limnology at By exploring Needham’s archived letters, papers study, Needham spent a month visiting Charles and photographs in the Rare and Manuscript Hart at the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural Cornell University : The legacy Collection of the Cornell University Library, History (later the Illinois Natural History of James G. Needham and the we have reconstructed the details of his arrival Survey). The “Survey” was directed at that time at Cornell, and the early days of the limnology by its founder Stephen A. Forbes, who a decade first course on limnology in program. In the process, we became reason- earlier had written his seminal paper “The Lake the U.S. ably certain that his course was also the first as a Microcosm1,” and it may have been during in limnology taught in the United States and this brief visit that Needham first got a taste *This article is published simultaneously in the indeed in the Western Hemisphere. It is pos- of a broader perspective on freshwater science. Bulletin of the American Society of Limnology sible that it was also the first formal limnology Limnology was a young but growing field at the and Oceanography and the News Letter of the course taught anywhere in the world, but we turn of the last century with A.-F. Forel in the Societas Internationalis Limnologae will return to that thought later. process of publishing his three-volume mono- graphic work on Lake Geneva (1892 - 1904)2, James G. Needham taught the first limnology James Needham obtained his PhD degree work- and E. A. Birge at the University of Wisconsin, course at Cornell University during spring ing with the entomologist, John H. Comstock, Madison, engaged in his early and fundamental semester 1908. On April 18, 2009, Cornell at Cornell University in 1898. He arrived from studies of the Cladocera3 and after 1905 his limnologists celebrated this event with a day- Knox College, Illinois, where as an undergradu- influential research on the physical and chemi- long symposium of talks and posters presented ate student he was already fascinated by aquatic cal properties of lakes with Chauncy Juday4. It by former faculty, and former undergraduate insects, holding extended correspondence was in this climate that Needham obtained his students, graduate students and postdocs who about odonates with some of the best known degree and took his first faculty position at Lake have gone on to successful careers of their own academics, nationwide, in this field. The Forest College, Illinois. in limnology. summer before arriving at Cornell for graduate Needham stayed at Lake Forest College for eight years teaching primarily introductory biology, but he clearly chafed at this work and on the back of a letter that Comstock had sent to him in 1905, he penciled a note to himself: “Discuss my getting ready for something new in limnology.” In the winter of 1906, he acted and wrote to Comstock: “Is it not time that Cornell University had a professorship in limnology, or freshwater biology? I am suffering for a chance to undertake university work of that sort.” He went on to say: “There can be no doubt that limnology is a proper subject for university instruction. A general course would have culture value equal to any other general science course. What wonderful beauty and interest its material offers! Ecology is at its best pedagogically in this subject.” Comstock replied to Needham that spring saying that his “limnology proposition was extremely well received” by the Cornell administration and by summer Needham was hired. He began as an Assistant Professor at Cornell in the spring term of 1907, when based on some accounts he may have first taught limnology. More certain is the fact that “Course 19. General Limnology… Assistant Professor Needham” was first listed in the Cornell University course catalog for second term 1907-1908. Needham brought enormous energy to his position, establishing the “first permanent limnological station for research and investigation”5 on the shores of Cayuga Lake. In 1916, James G. Needham with limnology students ca. 1925. The student diversity, both gender and ethic, in the he and his assistant, J. T. Lloyd published the group is striking. At least eleven women obtained advanced degrees (four MS and seven PhD) working with first English language limnology text The“ Needham. Photo from the Rare and Manuscript Collection, Cornell University Library. Life of Inland Waters”6 with a subhead of “An

SILnews 54: June 2009 25 elementary text book of fresh-water biology for it is often training in restraint that is most course was taught by Charles A.S. Hall while American students”, described by E. A. Birge needed.” He went on to point out that for Likens was leave in 1975 and by David Strayer in a review in Science7 as “… a very good and writing up research he “set but three require- (PhD with Likens) and Paul Murtaugh in the very useful book … well planned, well executed ments before students in [his] own laboratory: two years immediately following Likens’ depar- and well illustrated” though “the emphasis on (1) clear analysis of the subject matter, (2) ture. Nelson Hairston, Jr. joined the faculty of insects will seem somewhat disproportionately simple drawings, (3) good English – and not Ecology and Systematics in 1985 and contin- large to students of other groups.” The latter is too much of it.”13 ued the ecosystem perspective of the limnology perhaps not surprising given Needham’s passion course, but also brought his organismal and for insects and the fact that his course was of- Until he retired in 1935, Needham taught evolutionary interests to its instruction. fered through the Department of Entomology General Limnology with the catalog descrip- and Limnology. Nevertheless, the book was tion: “An introduction to the study of the life The number of faculty members at Cornell broader and contained major chapters on “The of inland waters. Aquatic organisms in their whose research interests were directly focused Nature of Aquatic Environments,” “Types of qualitative, quantitative, seasonal and ecological on limnology greatly increased from a single Aquatic Environment” and “Inland Water relations.” Following Needham’s retirement, faculty member from Needham’s time though Culture.” It is unfortunately ingrained in the course was taught by at least four differ- the early 1960s to nine tenure-track faculty numerous sources that Paul Welch’s 1935 text ent people between 1935 and 1948. David by 2005. A large number of other faculty on “Limnology”8 was the first American limnology Chandler was hired to teach it in 1949, and campus have had research interests in limnology text. For example, McIntosh9 in his history of when he left for the University of Michigan in or related to limnology (broadly defined), and ecology gave Welch this credit despite the fact 1953, Clifford Berg replaced him. In 1965, additions to this faculty group came through that he cited the Needham and Lloyd (1916) the administrative structure of biology was hires not only in the Section of Ecology and book in another context. McIntosh seems reorganized at Cornell and Jack Vallentyne, Systematics (now Department of Ecology and not to have understood that he was holding who had been teaching Evolutionary Biology in Evolutionary Biology) and Entomology, but in a limnology text in all but title: complete, in the old Zoology Department, took over teach- other departments including, Agronomy (now addition to its emphasis on the adaptations ing “Limnology” with a new faculty member, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences), Civil and of organisms to their aquatic habitat, with Donald Hall, as a part of the newly formed Environmental Engineering, Biological and extended discussion of such limnological phe- Section of Ecology and Systematics within the Environmental Engineering, and especially in nomena as light penetration, thermal structure Division of Biological Sciences. It was during Natural Resources. The Cornell Biological Field and mixing, dissolved gasses, the reactions of this period that Hall with colleagues William Station on Oneida Lake grew from its establish- inorganic carbon. Cooper and Earl Werner carried out their ment in 1955 to the present into a significant remarkable experimental ecosystem study using site of limnological research and instruction for Both during his 26-year career at Cornell Cornell’s replicate ponds. Vallentyne and Hall, faculty, graduate students and undergraduate and after his retirement in 1935, Needham and then Hall by himself, gave the limnology interns through the efforts of a succession of contributed thoughtful commentary, often in course a more distinctly ecosystem perspective, visionary directors from J. Forney to E. Mills the journal Science, on the state of limnology, while Berg continued to teach a more organis- and now L. Rudstam. biology and the scientific endeavor nation- mally orientated course with the title “Aquatic ally. In a 1930 review of the teaching of Entomology and Limnology.” The First Limnology Course? hydrobiology for the U.S. National Research Was Needham’s limnology course the first in Gene Likens moved to Cornell in 1969 after Council, he pointed out that although there the world? There would seem to be only three both Vallentyne and Hall left for positions were courses at 16 universities in the U.S. and other serious candidates in the United States at other institutions. Likens strengthened Canada the situation was far from perfect since and the Americas more broadly. The course the ecosystem, physical and biogeochemical in nearly every case the courses were taught by at the University of Wisconsin was first taught perspective of the limnology position and he individuals “voluntarily in addition to other in 1909 by Chauncey Juday14. EA Birge was and his students carried out many of the well- teaching or administrative work that is required heavily involved in administration as Dean 10 known whole-ecosystem studies at the Hubbard of them” . On biological nomenclature, he and University President. Stephen Forbes as Brook Experimental Forest and Mirror Lake wrote objecting to the practice of creating new Director of a state laboratory apparently did not in the White Mountains of New Hampshire genera, subfamily and family names apparently teach any formal course, including limnology. while he was on the faculty at Cornell. At the for the primary purpose of having the author’s Paul Welch, author of the text “Limnology” in same time, Likens grew the limnology course own name enshrined for the future: “A name 1935 did not begin teaching limnology at the 11 to its largest enrollment of over a hundred and is a name and not a memorial inscription” . University of Michigan Biological Station until twenty-five students during the 1970s. It was He had a healthy skepticism about the value of 192215. report writing, noting that Comstock, as chair during this period that Berg retired and was of the Department of Entomology at Cornell, replaced by Barbara Peckarsky, whose research In Europe, F.-A. Forel taught medicine at “… didn’t ask for reports at stated intervals; he focus on stream insect ecology redirected Berg’s the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, asked only for reasonable accomplishment.”12 former course offering to “Stream Ecology” and there is no record of his having taught a and elsewhere he commented that the value and “Freshwater Invertebrates” within the formal course in limnology. Einar Naumann of reporting depends upon the reason for the Department of Entomology (Limnology having in Sweden was only 17 years old when report: “There are reports and reports. For the been dropped from the department’s name Needham first taught limnology. In Germany, making out of reports merely to comply with in the 1970s). In 1983 Likens left Cornell Otto Zacharias began “Ferienkurse” (vaca- governmental red-tape, I do not care to train to found the Institute of Ecosystem Studies tion courses) on “life in fresh waters” at the [students]… And as to the training needed for in Millbrook, New York, becoming the first Biological Station at Plön in 1899, but this was 16 making reports of the results of investigation, Director and President. Cornell’s limnology continuing education for high school teachers ,

26 SILnews 54: June 2009 not college students. August Thienemann ob- 3Birge, E.A. 1898. Plankton studies of Lake 13Howard, L.O, and J. G. Needham. 1919. tained his PhD degree in 1905, and was put in Mendota. II. The Crustacea of the plank- Methods of securing better cooperation charge of a hydrobiological station in Munster ton from July 1894, to December 1896. between government and laboratory zoolo- in 1907 before becoming Director of the hydro- Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of gists in the solution of problems of general or biological station in Plön in 191717. It seems Sciences, Arts and Letters 11:274-451. national importance. Science 49:454-458. unlikely that he taught a limnology course as 4Birge, E.A. and C. Juday. 1914. A limnologi- 14Beckel, A.L. 1987. Breaking new waters: A early at 1908, but this remains uncertain at cal study of the Finger Lakes of New York. century of limnology at the University of present. The Freshwater Biological Association Bulletin of the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. Wisconsin. laboratory in the English Lake District was 32:523-609. Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, not established until 1929. Are there other 5Cornell Alumni News 13 Nov. 1907 Arts and Letters, Special Issue, 122 pp. candidates? The authors would welcome any 6Needham, J.G. and J.T. Lloyd. 1916. The life 15Eggleton, F.E. 1961. Paul Smith Welch 1882- additions to, or corrections of, the information of inland waters: An elementary text book of 1959. Hydrobiologia 17:259-261. they have accumulated. For now, however, we fresh-water biology for American students. 16Lampert, W. personal communication, and claim precedence for James Needham and his Comstock Pub. Co. 438 pp. archival document. prescient insistence that Cornell University hire 7Birge, E.A. 1916. Review of “Life of Inland 17van Oye, P. 1958. Prof. Dr. August Thienamann a limnologist. Waters.” Science 44:683-684. 75 Years. Hydrobiologia 11: 182-183. 8Welch, P.S. 1935, Limnology. McGraw Hill. 538 pp. Literature Cited: 9MCintosh, R.P. 1985. The background of ecol- Nelson G. Hairston, Jr., 1Forbes, S.A. 1887. The lake as a microcosm. ogy: Concept and theory. Cambridge Univ. Department of Ecology Bulletin Science Association of Peoria, Illinois, Press. 383 pp. and Evolutionary Biology, 1887, 77-87. 10Needham, J.G. 1930. The teaching of hydrobi- Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; 2Forel, A.-F. 1892, 1895, 1904. Lac Léman: ology and agriculture in American universities. E-mail: [email protected] monographie limnologique. Vol.1-3. Science 71:265-266. Lausanne, Rouge 11Needham, J.G. 1930. Scientific names.Science Gene E. Likens, 71:26-28. Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, 12Needham, J.G. 1946. The lengthening shadow Millbrook, NY 12545, of a man and his wife – I. The Scientific E-mail: [email protected] Monthly 62:140-150.

News: Book Reviews/Journals

Encyclopedia of Inland Waters to summa- Gene Likens, rize current Editor-in-Chief , Encyclopedia of Inland Waters, Three knowledge Encyclopedia of Inland Waters Volume Set. Editor-in-chief Gene Likens. and to PS: Hardbound, 6492 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0-12- capture the Prof. Gene Likens kindly agreed to my 088462-9 ISBN-10: 0-12-088462-3; Elsevier excitement request to personally announce the publication & Science Direct. about inland of this Encyclopedia for the SILnews readers. waters …” (Ramesh D. Gulati, SILnews Editor) Dedicated to Prof. Robert G. Wetzel, hopefully this massive reference will be an inspiration and Talented a resource for all those working on and inter- and New Books Received: ested in the inland waters of the world. dedicated Section Brief Reviews Limnology began as a formal discipline in Editors Polunin, Nicholas V.C. (Ed.). Aquatic Europe in the late 1800s and in the United assisted me ecosystems: trends and global prospects. States in the early 1900s. This month (March in bring- 2008. ISBN: 978-0-521-83327-1 Cambridge 2009) a major reference work for limnol- ing this project to fruition. Section Editors University Press: Cambridge. 482 p. ogy, the Encyclopedia of Inland Waters was included: Mark Benbow, Thomas M. Burton, published. This 3-volume encyclopedia contains John A. Downing, Ramesh Gulati, Dag Hessen, I scanned through different chapters of my 264 chapters and is available both in hard copy George M. Hornberger, Robert Howarth, Jack copy of this new book very recently, and got the and electronically from Elsevier. Quoting Jones, Tim Kratz, Winfried Lampert, William impression that both the book Editor Professor from the marketing material that I wrote,“The Lewis Jr., Gene E. Likens, Andreas Lorke, Polunin, a leading marine environmental Encyclopedia of Inland Waters provides a com- Sally MacIntyre, Richard Merritt, Michel scientist at Newcastle University, and the prehensive resource on the essence, complexity, Meybeck, Michael Pace, Judit Padisák, Morten chapter authors have critically examined how diversity and importance of the inland waters Søndergaard, Kenton Stewart, Frieda Taub, the increase in human populations, urbanization (lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and wetlands) of Ellen Van Donk, Ian J. Winfield and Thomas and industrial development are going to further the Earth. This major reference work attempts C. Winter. affect the aquatic ecosystems during the next 15

SILnews 54: June 2009 27 years or so. The take-home message of the book narrows down to the main topic after describ- development policy recommendations for is gloomy but probably quite realistic because ing big issues, including how it highlights gaps tropical water bodies. Research was carried out many of the ecosystems have already been and states hypotheses to be tested and what during 19982002 in five water bodies (four seriously damaged, and there is a sharp increase the study aims are. It proceeds with all neces- reservoirs and one lake) and their catchment ar- in the rate at which our aquatic ecosystems are sary sections from Methods to Results and eas in Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Philippines. being destroyed further. Drawing on the exper- Discussion and Conclusions, and based on the This system-oriented approach integrated, tise of more than hundred eminent ecologists, findings how to revert to and prepare Abstract, limnology, fish ecology, fisheries, aquaculture and some new works, Professor Polunin has Key-words. and socio-economics conditions of the riparian succeeded to examine the trends and perspec- fishing communities. To facilitate comparisons, tives of our aquatic ecosystems. The conclusions In short the book is a welcome addition to the the same methods, tools, gear and research based on 21 different ecosystems, including scanty information that exists for successful strategy were used for all water bodies. This lakes, rivers, tropical seas and Arctic waters, scientific writing (such a book should help the north south partnership involved researchers are rather bleak. We are warned by the world’s SIL ‘mentors’ to help their younger colleagues, from five European and three Asian countries. leading marine and freshwater scientists of the who are relatively inexperienced in the art of In total, 33 authors from 16 institutions were consequences of direct human impacts: these writing scientific papers). involved in writing the 23 book chapters. are devastating lakes, rivers and coastal seas, i.e. Ramesh D. Gulati, already before climate change takes full effect. Limnology, including fish ecology, dominates Dr Polunin says (I quote an excerpt ‘…the Editor, Silnews 14 chapters, whereas fisheries and socio-eco- demise of fish stocks through fishing and decline nomics are each represented by three chapters. of rivers through excessive off-take are just two Aquaculture with one chapter is clearly under dramatic examples of how people are directly Book Review represented. The whole effort is remarkable, changing aquatic ecosystems and threatening the taking into account the huge difficulties of Schiemer F., Simon D., Amarasinghe natural services that they deliver.’ coordinating the large number of people with U.S., Moreau J. (eds.). Aquatic ecosystems different cultures and perceptions. Ramesh D. Gulati. and development: comparative Asian perspectives. Biology of inland waters series, This 23-chapter book has six sections. The first Editor, SILnews Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, The Netherlands/ Margraf section (chapters 24) provides a general description of physical, hydrological and catchment Cargill, M., O’Connor, P. (Eds.). Publishers, Weikersheim, Germany, 2008, 508 pp, 181.90 EURO (incl. VAT) characteristics of the water bodies. The second Writing ScientificR esearch Articles: section (chapters 59) compares different aspects Strategy and Steps. 2009. Hardcover. ISBN- This article is published with open access at of the ecosystems. It focuses on phytoplankton 10: 1-4051-9335-2; ISBN-13: 978-1-4051- Springerlink.com. Published online 28 January 2009. community structure and factors governing 9335-1. Wiley-Blackwell, Sussex, UK. 173 p. phytoplankton primary production. Role of This publication is the result of fruitful bacterial activity in the detrital food chain, The new book is a guide for authors to write collaborative project FISHSTRAT funded by scientific articles such that their chances increase seasonality, biomass and production of zoo- the EUs INCO-DC programme. This project plankton populations are also discussed. The to have the articles published in international, may be regarded as the continuation of an peer reviewed journals. The book is intended third section (chapters 1014) focuses on fish earlier tropical limnology project, the famous ecology, use of hydro-acoustics for assessing for scientists both who use English as a first Parakrama Samudra reservoir project (Schiemer language and as an additional language. These fish stocks, feeding ecology of fish assemblages, 1983), which studied this beautiful, ancient diet predictions on basis of ecomorphology include both research students and those who reservoir in the north-east of Sri Lanka more train them to improve their writing skills. It is and selective feeding of small zooplanktivorous than 25 years ago. The results of this study and fish; modelling approaches are used to assess organized into 5 Sections and 19 chapters in all. hypotheses emerging from these, inspired a The approach in this book, as the editors them- daily feeding patterns and food consumption. whole generation of tropical limnologists. As The fourth section (chapters 1517) addresses selves say, is practical in order to help developing for the Parakrama Samudra project, the idea for scientists ‘‘writing skills’’ with three criteria: fisheries and aquaculture, analysing capture FISHTRAT project came from three promi- fisheries, population dynamics of non-exploited first, to develop a strategy of understanding nent members of the earlier Pakrama Samudra what editors and reviewers want to publish and and underexploited fish species, population team: Nan Duncan (Holloway College, UK), dynamics of commercially important species. why; second point is to develop a story, i.e. an Fritz Schiemer (University of Vienna, Austria) understanding of what makes a compelling The fifth section (chapters 1820) examines the and Upali Amarasinghe (Kellaniya University, socio-economic aspects of aquaculture, fisheries article in a certain discipline; the third criterion Sri Lanka). They originally wanted to limit the is ‘language’, i.e. to developing writing tech- and fish trading. Chapters 2123 form the last project to Sri Lanka, but because the EU rules section where the principal findings and conclu- niques in order to communicate effectively with stipulated three countries in the same region, who read the article. sions from each disciplinary area are collated for they included Thailand and Philippines as well. a holistic analysis. Chapter 15 essentially summarizes some of The book is dedicated to late Annie (Nan) aspects described in the preceding chapters, i.e. Limnology that is regarded as the scientific Duncan, who coordinated the FISHSTRAT basis for aquatic resource management receives how to proceed with preparing a manuscript. It project until she became ill. This ambitious presents a set of steps from data collection, to a great attention. Rightly, the ecosystem- project had the aim to gain via multi-disci- oriented limnological approach employed here preparation of a draft paper, etc. The checklist plinary and system-oriented research a better for such a draft starts with how the Title reflects greatly helps to understand aspects such as the insight into the complex interrelationships in habitat conditions for the fish assemblages, the the paper contents, and how Introduction freshwater systems for formulating sustainable

28 SILnews 54: June 2009 carrying capacity of the resource base, food web has developed mainly due to the migration of be the only rational solution, since an optimal structure and the efficiency of its utilization by coastal marine fisher families to the reservoirs resource use includes ecological, environmental, the fish, and unfilled niches versus untapped after tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) was economical as well as social sustainability. resources. The ecosystems of the three countries introduced in the early 1950s. The tilapia show both differences and similarities. As species, which form the main fishery in Sri The book is carefully edited and generally reads expected, the large and deep (max. depth 198 Lanka, feed on lower trophic levels so that quite well. The diverse contributions are well m) crater lake, L. Taal (Philippines), differs their annual yield is relatively high, much integrated as the book chapters are very well from the Sri Lankan and Thai reservoirs in higher than the yield in Ubolratna, where the crossreferred to one and other, and the last many respects. Areal zooplankton production in exploited fish populations feed higher in the section (chapters 21, 22, 23) integrates the Lake Taal is very high relative to the chlorophyll food web. The fishery in Ubolratana and Lake most important information. The book presents concentration per unit volume. This is because Taal is very diverse probably because of the a large collection of interesting information and the mixing depth of the lake is ca. 100 m, large size of the water bodies and greater fish richly contributes to present knowledge and with zooplankton inhabiting the upper 80-m diversity. Whereas in Ubolratana the yield is understanding of system dynamics in tropical layers. In the shallower Sri Lankan reservoirs dominated by benthivorous fish species in Lake lakes and reservoirs. The bottom-line: it is a Minneriya and Udawalawe in Sri Lanka and in Taal, the pelagic zooplanktivores dominate the good value for money for the fundamental Ubolratana reservoir in Thailand, nutrient and fish yield. Total fish yields are the highest in the limnologists/aquatic ecologists and the inland chlorophyll concentrations are high at the end Philippines and the lowest in Thai reservoirs. fisheries biologists. However, considering the of the dry season when water level is low, which The income of fishermen varies markedly, central question addressed in this book, i.e. demonstrates the importance of internal nutri- being the highest in Sri Lanka where it is also formulating appropriate sustainable develop- ent loading. In the Sri Lankan reservoirs, but well above the average poverty line and the ment policy, for improving management and not in Lake Taal in the Philippines, high flush- lowest at Ubolratana in Thailand. to increase the fish yields and the income of the ing rates at the start of the dry season reduce fishermen, the whole FISHSTRAT project is chlorophyll levels and primary production. Aquaculture was only important in Lake obviously a bit biased. Somewhat exaggerated Taal with some 10,000 cages (chapter 18). It emphasis in the book is laid on limnology and Fish studies were based on both traditional increased production of total lacustrine fish fish ecology, and consequently this has taken its gill netting, beach seining and use of acoustics substantially and offered a good income to the toll on the more essential issues as aquaculture (Simrad EY 500 split beam echo sounder, investors. However, the dense aggregations of and socialeconomical aspects of this study. Chapter 10). This last technique offers several cages in certain areas of the lake led to dete- advantages over the other techniques. The rioration of water quality (anoxic conditions), I would recommend this book to graduate acoustics enable to search a large volume of causing fish kills in the both lake and cages. students and researchers alike in tropics in the water in a relatively short time and give a better fields of limnology, fish community ecology insight into the spatial distribution of the Surprisingly, the FISHSTRAT researchers did and inland fisheries and to researchers engaged fish and allows accurate estimates of their size not find a correlation between the resource in multi-disciplinary and system-oriented distribution and biomass. A major drawback, potential and its utilization by the fishermen. In studies for understanding the complex inter- however, is that it is not easy to identify all other words, the limnological conditions could relationships in freshwater systems, especially fish species so that the acoustics had to be not explain the differences in fish yields among if the study aims are to improve resource supplemented by experimental fishing. The the studied water bodies. Most likely, the choice management. of which species to target is predominantly in- overall size distribution of the fish communities I am highly grateful to my colleague Koos was similar in all the waters studied. Small-sized fluenced by social and economical factors. This is because the operation of capture fisheries in Vijverberg for his constructive criticism of an fish comprised both the highest numbers and earlier version of this review. biomass, because of this and their high P/B ra- these water bodies mainly depends on tradition and the availability of gear rather than insight tios (chapter 21), small fish play a pronounced Open Access role in the food web. The fish communities in into the fish stocks. As a result, fisheries in all studied water bodies are restricted to a relatively This article is distributed under the terms the three countries also differ: Thailand with 75 of the Creative Commons Attribution fish species had the highest biodiversity and Sri small number of fish species, and only a small part of the available fish production is actually Noncommercial License which permits any Lankan reservoirs with 31 species the lowest. noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduc- The trophic structure of the fish communities harvested. Thus, there are untapped resources that are not utilized by the fishery. This is an tion in any medium, provided the original differed markedly: whereas herbivores (tilapia, author(s) and source are credited. small carps) dominated in all Sri Lankan reser- important revelation, especially for Sri Lanka where minor carps dominate the fish produc- voirs, zooplanktivorous clupeids dominated in Reference Lake Taal (Sardinella tawilis) and Ubolratana tion but the fishery is concentrated on two Schiemer F (ed) (1983) Limnology of reservoir (Clupeichthys aesarnensis). Except for tilapia species only. It is even clearer in Thailand Parakrama Samudra Sri Lanka. A case study Lake Taal, zooplanktivorous fish in Sri Lanka where only a small number of the 75 species of an ancient man-made lake in the tropics. and Thailand mainly feed on adult chironomid is harvested. The editors conclude that the Dr. W. Junk Publishers, The Hague, p 236 midges rather than on zooplankton. interactions among managers, stakeholders and researchers need to be improved to optimise The fisheries studies revealed several surprises. utilization of the resources; they recommend Ramesh D. Gulati, Despite the ancient tradition (ca. 2,000 years) (chapter 23) establishing a co-management Editor, Silnews of reservoir construction in Sri Lanka, inland forum for all exploited water bodies in the fishery is a recent practice in this country. It three Asian countries. This, indeed, seems to

SILnews 54: June 2009 29 Book Review Zooplankton atlas of the open Baltic Sea was To my opinion, this atlas is a good example of published by a well known German research a new generation of hand-books, which enable Telesh, I., Postel, L., Heerkloss, institution, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea self-training. In Russia, such type of literature R., Mironova, E. and Skarlato, S. Research in Warnemünde (IOW). This volume has not been published for ca. 30 years ago. “Zooplankton of the Open Baltic Sea: Atlas” is also a BMB Publication No. 20, by which the Thus, there is an urgent need of such an Atlas by BMB Publication No. 20 – Marine Science members of the BMB WG “Zooplankton diver- Series for the university departments of general Reports 73. Warnemünde: IOW, 2008. 251 sity” (convener – Dr. Irena Telesh) celebrated hydrobiology, regional ecology and applied pp., with 290 color photographs and 33 line the 40-ieth anniversary of BMB. Currently, the ecology in all countries around the Baltic Sea. drawings (http://www.io-warnemuende.de/ full-text PDF-file of the atlas is available at the Therefore, I eagerly look forward to the publi- documents/mebe73_2008-telesh-lpostel.pdf). IOW web portal (http://www.io-warnemuende. cation of the second (improved and extended) de/research/mebe.html). edition of the zooplankton atlas of the open A renaissance of the Baltic Sea, which is currently in preparation and research on diversity This new book deals with all zooplankton is scheduled for publication by the same team of living organisms groups that inhabit the open Baltic Sea. In fact, of authors in mid-year 2009. can be observed this atlas is the first complete annotated and today, after a long exhaustively illustrated zooplankton inventory References period when this of the central basin of the Baltic Sea. Following Telesh I.V., Heerkloss R., 2002. Atlas of Estuarine scientific realm had the general structure of the series, the atlas Zooplankton of the Southern and Eastern been nearly con- also contains an introductory part where the Baltic Sea, Part I: Rotifera. Hamburg: Verlag signed to oblivion authors briefly describe the zooplankton Dr. Kovač. 90 pp. (with CD). and the both communities of the open Baltic Sea, methodol- Telesh I.V., Heerkloss R., 2004. Atlas of Estuarine public awareness and ogy of sampling and analyze the zooplankton Zooplankton of the Southern and Eastern finances were re-directed from the basic floristic collections, and make a rather unconventional Baltic Sea, Part II: Crustacea. Hamburg: and faunistic research to applied ecology. This subdivision of the sea area, which is always Verlag Dr. Kovač. 118 pp. (with CD). is because, firstly, molecular geneticists studying a challenging task in large water bodies with Telesh I.V., Postel L., Heerkloss R., Mironova phylogenetic relations and animal evolution be- complicated geomorphology and hydrology. E.I., Skarlato S.O., 2008. Zooplankton came interested in species identifications made The original, easy-to-use photo-key of major of the Open Baltic Sea: Atlas. BMB by taxonomists. The scantiness and uncertainty high zooplankton taxa is one of the special Publication No. 20 – Marine Science of results of many molecular-genetic analyses to features of this atlas. Reports 73. Warnemünde: IOW. 251 pp. solve all species identification problems by the (http://www.io-warnemuende.de/docu- DNA nucleotide sequencing only led to a revival A special chapter on planktonic ciliates of the ments/mebe73_2008-telesh-lpostel.pdf). of interest in classical methods in systematics, Baltic Sea is another exclusive part of the book. based on morphological characteristics. In This section contains a detailed description of Victor R. Alekseev, addition, the ecologists today understand that the Baltic ciliate assemblages and an impressive Zoological Institute, the ecosystem resilience to the external regular annotated checklist of 786 valid Latin names Russian Academy of Sciences, and catastrophic impacts depends on species of ciliates with synonymous names, which is a Universitetskaya Emb. 1, diversity and polymorphism of organisms in complete summary of the Baltic ciliate diversity 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia, populations and aquatic communities. Thus, to-date. The illustrative part of this chapter, E-mail: [email protected] biodiversity alterations are to be monitored per- however, is rather short and covers only ca. 5% manently, which is impossible without assessing of the total ciliate diversity in the sea. the species composition routinely. Finally, the The chapter on mesozooplankton and mac- invasive species have recently become an inter- rozooplankton of the open Baltic Sea briefly Book Announcement national issue of importance, requiring special- describes and provides information on general Pillot, M., Henk, K.M. Chironomidae ists with professional knowledge of taxonomy, morphology of larger planktonic invertebrates: Larvae II - Biology and Ecology of the regional biodiversity and general ecology. Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Turbellaria, Rotifera, Chironomini, Comprehensive guide to non-bit- In August 2008, a new book in the series of Phyllopoda, Copepoda, Chaetognatha and ing midges. The Netherlands : KNNV Publishing zooplankton atlases of the semi-closed, brack- Copelata, as well as meroplanktonic larvae in cooperation with STOWA, 2009. 270 p., ish-water Baltic Sea was published by Dr. Irena of Polychaeta, Mollusca, Cirripedia, Bryozoa 16,5 x 24 cm, hardback, illustrated with b/w line Telesh and co-workers, members of the Baltic and Echinodermata. This section of the atlas is drawings. ISBN: 978 90 5011 303 8. 69,50 Marine Biologists (BMB) Working Group very extensively illustrated by ca. 300 original Chironomid larvae No. 29 “Zooplankton Diversity” (Telesh et al., photographs of zooplankters. play an important role 2008). Similarly to the first two books in this The book provides a detailed illustrated survey in aquatic ecosystems series that describe the Baltic estuarine Rotifera, of both, marine, brackish and freshwater (eury- and are used in the Cladocera and Copepoda (Telesh, Heerkloss, haline) planktonic fauna that inhabit the open assessment of water 2002, 2004), the “Zooplankton of the Open Baltic Sea. Because the book is freely accessible quality. However, the Baltic Sea: Atlas” is an illustrated guide which in the Internet it will be in great demand by species are difficult to can serve as a valuable addition to textbooks students and researchers on biodiversity and identify and there is and classical identification keys to regional aquatic ecosystems alterations in the Baltic Sea. a lack of information planktonic fauna of NW Europe. about their biology.

30 SILnews 54: June 2009 This 2nd part of a series on Chironomidae larvae How to order? Volume 1, Issue 1 Contents covers the most important tribes Chironomini Please contact KNNV Publishing, PO Box Callieri, C. (2007) Picophytoplankton in and Pseudochironomini and presents a wealth 310, NL 3700 AH Zeist, The Netherlands, freshwater ecosystems: the importance of of information for professionals and students for phone + 31 (0) 30 233 35 44, fax + 31 (0) 30 small-sized phototrophs pp. 1-28 scientific and practical purpose. 236 89 07, e-mail [email protected] or Moss, B. (2008) The kingdom of the shore: www.knnvpublishing.nl achievement of good ecological potential in Because the European Water Framework reservoirs pp. 29-42 Directive requires from the authorities to ascer- Hessen, D. (2008) Efficiency, energy and stoichi- tain the presence status of macro-invertebrates ometry in pelagic food webs; reciprocal roles in surface waters, the work on Chironomids is Freshwater Reviews Update of food quality and food quantity. pp. 43-57 gaining more attention. In 2008, the Descy, J-P. & Sarmento, H. (2008) The Chironomini larvae are the well-known Freshwater Biological Microorganisms of the East African Great red bloodworms. Almost all species in this Association (FBA) Lakes and their response to environmental group are coloured red by the presence of launched its new changes. pp. 59-73 haemoglobin. They are the most important journal Freshwater Sabater, S. (2008) Alterations of the global wa- group of the Chironomidae family in stagnant Reviews (announced ter cycle and their effects on river structure, water and can be very numerous, especially also in SILnews52, function and services pp. 75-88 in polluted water. Many species are detritus page 18). The new Mainstone, C.P. (2008) The role of specially feeders and play a part in the decomposition of journal, edited by designated wildlife sites in freshwater con- organic material. Most species live in a tube of Professor Colin S. servation – an English perspective pp. 89-98 small particles, attached to the substrate. Reynolds, aims to Logue, J.B. & Lindström, E. (2008) provide authoritative and timely reviews on a Biogeography of bacterioplankton in inland The author has brought together a wealth of wide range of topics in the freshwater sciences to waters pp. 99-114 information on the biology and ecology of this a broad audience including academics, students, group geared especially to water quality assess- practitioners and teachers. Volume 1, Issue 2 Contents ment. This collected knowledge is required Talling, J.F. (2008) The developmental history The first full volume ofFreshwater Reviews was in the interpretation of macro-invertebrate of inland-water science pp. 119-141 completed in December 2008 with articles samples. An introduction gives background Istvánovics, V. (2008) The role of biota in shaping published online first, and then two print information on the influence of environmental the phosphorus cycle in lakes pp. 143-174 issues compiled in March and December 2008. factors on chironomid larvae. Mainstone, C.P. & Clarke, S.J. (2008) Managing In total, 12 articles and three book reviews multiple stressors on sites with special protec- This book takes a special place in the collection contributed to the first volume with authors tion for freshwater wildlife - the concept of of KNNV Publishing because of its unique and hailing from Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Limits of Liability pp. 175-187 helpful focus on this ecologically important Spain, Sweden and the UK. The full table of Elliott, J.M. (2008) The ecology of riffle beetles group, useful for professionals or otherwise contents can be found below. and especially important for its potential use in (Coleoptera: Elmidae) pp. 189-203 water quality management. Contributed reviews are invited and may cover Goulder, R. (2008) Checklists and their im- any topic within freshwater sciences and their portance for recording freshwater vascular Previous in this series: Chironomidae Larvae I application. Submissions should be made via plants: the British experience pp. 205-225 General ecology and Tanypodinae ISBN 978 the website. If you wish to discuss a submission 90 5011 259 8. please contact the Editor, Professor Colin S. Book Reviews Reynolds at [email protected]. Elliott, J.M. Biology and Management of More about the contents Coregonid Fishes – 2005. Eds. Jankun et al. Please contact Henk K.M. Moller Pillot, phone Subscription rates remain very competitive and Pentecost, A. Protistology. Third revised edition. +31 (0)13-5425688, e-mail: henkmollerpil- can be found on the website www.fba.org.uk/ Hausmann, K. et al. [email protected] journals. Freshwater Reviews can also be ordered Haworth, E.Y. Desmids of the Lowlands: via your agent. Individual SIL members qualify Mesotaeniaceae and Desmidiaceae of the Review copies for a 10% discount on online subscriptions when European Lowlands. Peter F.M. Coesel and Please contact KNNV Publishing, Kathrin they quote the promotional code ‘FR0609SIL’. Koos (J.) Meesters Ohrmann, PO Box 310, 3700 AH Zeist, Nether- lands. Phone +31 (0) 30-69 29 024 (direct) or +31 (0) 30-233 35 44, E [email protected]

SILnews 54: June 2009 31 Upcoming Meetings, Conferences and Reports International School congress is “Water in a dry land: sustaining arid We also invite nominations for ecologists to zone rivers and wetlands.” receive the honorary titles of Aquatic Ecologist of on “Alpine Ecology the Year and for Ecologist of the Year, with your and Global Change” For Congress information, a preliminary rationale for your nomination. The process of program and abstract submission please see the 4-8 October 2009 nomination and selection of the finalists will be ASL web site (www.asl.org.au). University Center Obergurgl (1,930 m a.s.l.), completed at the conference. Tyrol, Austria Simon Monk For more info please contact S.Ostroumov: Organizers: Drs. R. Sommaruga and . U. Tappeiner Executive Director, [email protected], saostro[at]online.ru, http:// ASN Events P/L sites.google.com/site/ostroumovsergei/ Background and objective: Alpine ecosystems are PO Box 200, Balnarring Vic conference-poster-session-2009 or http://www. important on a global basis and are particularly Australia 3926 limnology.org/links.shtml#meetings susceptible to the effects of global change. At present, there is compelling evidence that different global changes (climate, land use change, biological 11th International Poster Wetlands in a Flood Pulsing invasions) are strongly affecting alpine ecosystems. Session Conference on Environment: Effects on Particularly, changes in climate, including the frequency of extreme events, will alter a wide Ecosystems, Organisms, Biodiversity, Ecosystem range of characteristics of mountain ecosystems Innovations Function and Human Society and mountain economies. The objective of this Including Distant Participation 1-5 February 2010, Maun, Botswana International School is to provide Ph.D. students June 24, 2009 and young postdocs with a state-of-the-art over- Moscow State University, Moscow HOORC will host the international sympo- view on the ongoing research on alpine ecosystems sium, Wetlands in a Flood Pulsing Environment: (both aquatic and terrestrial) and global change. This is a series of International Poster Session Effects on Biodiversity, Ecosystem Function Conferences started in 1999. Abstracts of the and Human Society in Maun, Botswana, 1-5 Program: Twenty one lectures (50 min each) conferences are published where?. February 2010 with international participation will be given in English by members of the of the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park, Alpine Ecology Research Focus from the Deadline: June 17, 2009. For submission by email Ohio State University, the Howard T. Odum University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck (Austria) of abstracts , posters (by mail) and for registration Centre for Wetlands at the University of Florida, and by guest scientists from Canada, Spain, fees (please see details below). Please inform early if the Institute for Land, Water and Society UK, France and Switzerland. Some of the you intend to submit an abstract and/or a poster. (ILWS), Charles Sturt University, Australia, and lectures will also include excursions and demon- Details: Participants are not required to attend the Global Wetlands Consortium. strations on-site. Please see website for details. the conference in person (the posters sent by The symposium will aim to provide an exchange Fee: Before 1st September 300 €, after this mail will be displayed/exhibited by organizers of international scholars on the importance and date 450 €. The fee includes accommodation, on behalf of the authors). Non-attendees can effects of pulsing hydrologic cycles (floods, seasonal full-board, and course materials. receive some feedback from other participants rainfall and stream-flow, for example) on the func- by email. The author of the best student poster Application: http://c719-71-22.uibk.ac.at/ecoschool/ tioning of wetlands. Emphasis will be on inland (including those sent by mail) will receive an wetlands with focus on the importance of pulsing Contact: [email protected] honorary diploma. in carbon and nutrient cycling, biological productivity, biodiversity and human livelihood, history Web: http://www.uibk.ac.at/obergurgl/index.html.en Contact: Abstracts submission: by email in .rtf or .txt format. Please send abstracts to the and culture. Pre and post conference field trips to the nearby Okavango Delta will be arranged. Deadlines: address: ar55[at]yandex.ru; saostro[at]online. Submission of applications...... 1 July 2009 ru. Posters: please send posters by conventional For submission of proposals for special sessions, mail to: Dr. S.Ostroumov, Faculty of Biology, Notification of acceptance papers and abstracts please see Conference Web M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University, to applicants...... 10 August 2009 site http://www.orc.ub.bw/floodpulse/index.html. Moscow 119991, Russia. Confirmation by participant Contact persons: the undersigned, or the and payment...... 1 September 2009 Fees in U.S. dollars: $50 for non-attendees and Conference Secretary, Lore Mosimi, Tel. $30 for non-attendees students; please add a sur- +267 6817200, Fax. +267 6861835, e-mail. charge of $15 to fees received later than June 17, [email protected] Australian Society for 2009. The fee those who attend the Conference Limnology (ASL) Congress 2009 is $400 ($200 for students). Please send an Lars Ramberg, 28th September to 2nd October2009 email prior to sending your fee to: Dr. D. S. Professor Alice Springs Convention Centre, Page, Professor, Bowdoin College Chemistry Tel: +267-6817230, Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Department, 6600 College Station, Brunswick, Fax: +267-6861835 ME 04011-8466 USA; Tel 207 725 3602; Fax The call for papers and registration for the 2009 207 725 3017; [email protected], http:// ASL Congress is now open. The theme of the academic.bowdoin.edu/faculty/D/dpage/

32 SILnews 54: June 2009 The VIII International Meeting Except for Prof. S. Fraga, the other invited speakers visited our research laboratory and Call for Proposals to of the Mexican Society of showed great interest in demonstrations on Planktonology: A Report live cultures of species of rotifers, cladocerans The Edward B. and Phyllis 21-24 April, 2009 and copepods, all of which are routinely and E. Reed Endowment Mexico City, Mexico meticulously maintained by Prof. S. Nandini. In addition, there was also an exchange of The Department of Invertebrate Zoology at the National Museum of Natural History The 8th International Meeting of the Mexican electronic reprints between our laboratory and is pleased to request proposals for grants Society of Planktonology (SOMPAC) was held the invited guests. during 21-24 April, 2009 in the North Mexico to pursue research on freshwater copepods City at the National Autonomous University of In order to encourage student participation, of North America. Funding for the grants Mexico, Campus Iztacala, Tlalnepantla (State special prizes were awarded for the best is made available from The Edward B. of Mexico, Mexico). About 150 participants presentations. On the last day of the meeting, and Phyllis E. Reed Endowment at the attended the meeting, mostly from Mexico but we had the bad news of H1N1 virus outbreak Smithsonian Institution. there were also some international participants. in Mexico and by the order of the Federal Grants are for one year duration and are There were about 140 presentations, including Health Ministry, our university was closed im- limited to no more than $6,000. U.S. both oral lectures and posters; in addition, there mediately. Consequently, the technical sessions citizens and foreign nationals are eli- were 4 invited, plenary lectures. A series of programmed for the last day were condensed gible. Funds are disbursed in US dollars. pre-conference workshops on various themes of and organized in a meeting hall in a hotel. Proposals should include: (1) a statement plankton research were also conducted. of proposed research of no more than 3 As during the previous meetings of SOMPAC, double-spaced pages; (2) a budget page; (3) Despite the large number of participants and the proceedings of the present symposium will CV’s of all participants. Proposals from un- diverse themes on plankton, there were no be considered for publication in international dergraduate and graduate students also must parallel sessions, and the oral presentations were journals—Journal of Plankton Research and include a letter of support from the primary organized in a spacious cultural hall of the uni- Journal of Environmental Biology—both of faculty advisor explaining the student’s versity campus. This provided the possibility of which are the standard and indexed journals; funding needs and describing the student’s a good interaction among the planktonologists the choice between these two journals was academic and research accomplishments. with diverse specializations. Although all the left to the authors because of large number of oral presentations except the 3 of the 4 invited manuscripts are expected to be submitted. Proposals may address any aspect of the biology of freshwater copepods of North talks were conducted in Spanish, the speakers Unfortunately, at the present meeting there America, although specimen-based research answered in English for the questions raised by was inadequate emphasis on applied aspects on taxonomy, poorly surveyed habitats, the non-Spanish speaking participants. in planktonology, e.g. including ecotoxicol- zoogeography, invasive species, or phylogeny There were in total 10 oral sessions and 3 poster ogy, lake biomanipulation and aquaculture. is of particular interest. Funds cannot be sessions. The presentation themes ranged from Despite the growing importance of both used to attend meetings. Awards for work microbiology, toxicology, plankton cultures, phytoplankton and zooplankton for use as diet at the Smithsonian Institution will be made evolutionary ecology and trophic interactions, in aquaculture globally, there were only a few as travel plus stipend; awards for all other phytoplankton, zooplankton and ichthyoplank- works that considered these aspects. The use of research will be made as a reimbursable contract. In either case, grantee will deliver ton to alternative tools for the identification of rotifer Brachionus for mariculture by Rimber a final report on the results of the research planktonic organisms. and co-workers and the use of parthenogenetic harpacticoid copepod Elaphoidella grandidieri within six months after the completion date. We also ask that reprints (paper or The plenary lectures, that had a duration of one by Nandini & Sarma as live feed in freshwater electronic) of publications resulting from hour each, were thought-provoking and were aquaculture are among the few works that the research should be made available to the open even to non- registered participants. The considered aquaculture aspects of zooplankton. first such talk “The symbioses and organelle Charles Branch Wilson Copepod Library, We hope that our next planktonology meet- Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology [MRC – 534], retention in marine planktonic protists” was ing (programmed for 2011 in La Paz City, given by Prof. Diane K. Stoecker (University Smithsonian Institution, 4210 Silver Hill Baja California Sur, Mexico) will attract more Rd., Suitland, MD, 20746, USA, and to of Maryland, USA), the second was by Prof. diverse planktonologists. the Monoculus Library, Deutsches Zentrum Santiago Fraga (Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, fuer Marine Biodiversitaetsforschung, Spain) on “Toxic microalgae as an engine in basic S.S.S. Sarma, Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Suedstrand science”. The third talk “A birdwatchers approach Member, Organizing Committee & Guest 44, D-26382 Wilhelmshaven, Germany to plankton ecology” was given by Prof. Thomas Editor of the Proceedings Kiørboe (Technical University of Denmark, National Autonomous University of Mexico Proposals are due by June 1, 2009. Send Denmark). The fourth and last invited lecture Campus Iztacala electronic proposals to [email protected] (MS was delivered by Prof. Nelson G. Hairston, Tlalnepantla, Mexico. Word, WordPerfect, or PDF) or paper proposals to Dr. Frank D. Ferrari, Dept. Jr. (Cornell University, USA) on “How rapid con- E-mail: [email protected] temporary evolution affects plankton dynamics”. of Invertebrate Zoology [MRC – 534], There was a general discussion after each talk, and Smithsonian Institution, 4210 Silver Hill the speakers also interacted with the participants Rd., Suitland, MD, 20746, USA. Proposals during the coffee breaks. will be evaluated by a standing committee, Ferrari chairman. All applicants will be notified by the end of August, 2009.

SILnews 54: June 2009 33 Attention: Manufacturers of Limnological SIL Officers Equipment and Publishers President Prof. Dr. Brian Moss SILnews accepts advertisements for equipment and publications that will be of interest to School of Biological Sciences SIL members. Biosciences Building SILnews is distributed twice a year to more than 3,000 SIL members and libraries world-wide. The University of Liverpool If your company is interested in acquiring advertising space in SILnews, please contact Ramesh D. P.O. Box 147 Gulati ([email protected]) or Ms. Denise Johnson ([email protected]) the Editorial Office for rates, Liverpool L69 3BX or use the mailing address indicated on the front page. Great Britain E-mail: [email protected] A complimentary copy of SILnews, in which your advertisement appears, will be sent to you once it has been published. SILnews is posted on the SIL web site at http://www.limnology.org after it has General been published . Secretary-Treasurer Prof. Dr. Morten Søndergaard Freshwater Biological Laboratory Limnology Jobs and Studentship Notices University of Copenhagen Notices on the availability of limnologically-oriented jobs and graduate student opportunities 51 Helsingørsgade DK 3400 Hillerød are now accepted for publication in the SILnews and displayed on the SIL web site at E-mail: [email protected] http://www.limnology.org. There is no charge for the service at this time, which is available to both SIL members and non-members. Executive Persons submitting notices should note the four month lead-time for the print edition of SILnews; Vice-Presidents those advertisements with short deadlines should be directed to the web site only. Prof. Dr. Judit Padisák Submissions should include: Veszprém University Limnological Research Group • a short title describing the position (job or studentship); P.O.B. 158, H-8200 Veszprém • location and duration of the position; Hungary • closing date for applications; E-mail: [email protected] • a short paragraph describing the position, including any citizenship, educational or employment Prof. Dr. Ellen Van Donk prerequisites; and, NIOO/Centre for Limnology • information on where potential applicants may obtain further information, including names P.O. Box 1299 3600 BG Maarssen of contact persons, telephone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail addresses, and web site addresses, Netherlands E-mail: [email protected] where appropriate. Prof. Dr. Brij Gopal Submissions may be edited for length and clarity. Those deemed inappropriate to the SIL mandate School of Environmental Sciences will be rejected at the discretion of the SILnews Editor or the Webmaster. Submissions for the print Jawaharlal Nehru University edition of SILnews should be sent to the editor at the address on the cover of this issue. New Delhi 110067 Submissions for the SIL web site should be sent by e-mail to [email protected] or by fax to India the attention of Gordon Goldsborough at: +1 (204) 474-7618. E-mail: [email protected]

Editor, SIL NEWS Ramesh D. Gulati Are you moving? NIOO/Centre for Limnology Post Box 1299 Please send your change of address to: 3600 BG Maarssen Dr. Morten Søndergaard The Netherlands c/o Ms. Denise Johnson Fax: +31.294.232224 SIL Business Services Coordinator E-mail: [email protected] University of NC at Chapel Hill, CB 7431 GSGPH, 135 Dauer Dr., ESE, 148 Rosenau Hall Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431 USA U.S.A. Work: 336-376-9362; Fax 336-376-8825 E-mail: [email protected] For Your Information is now on the SIL web site The International Society of Limnology (formerly International Association of Theoretical SILnews in PDF format. The newsletter is created and Applied Limnology; Societas Internationalis Limnologiae, SIL) works worldwide in Adobe Acrobat, Version 5. To open, to understand lakes, rivers, and wetlands and to use knowledge gained from research use Adobe Acrobat Reader. to manage and protect these diverse, inland aquatic ecosystems.

34 SILnews 54: June 2009