Textbook of Limnology:  by Gerald A. Cole, Paul E. Weihe
440 pages, $87.95 list
1-4786-2307-1
978-1-4786-2307-6
eBook availability
Textbook of Limnology
Fifth Edition
The interdisciplinary nature of limnology requires lucid and well-integrated coverage of biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and resource management. Paul Weihe skillfully accomplishes this objective in his revision of Gerald Cole’s classic limnology text. This long-awaited revision introduces concepts in straightforward terms, replete with detailed examples, elegant illustrations, and up-to-date, well-researched documentation.

Outstanding features of the fifth edition include:

• A global outlook with examples from every continent
• Discussions of the impact of environmental challenges (e.g., climate change, eutrophication, river regulation) with case studies of real-world examples
• A chapter devoted to wetlands
• A thorough examination of biogeochemistry, including recent anthropogenic alteration and a reconsidered understanding of stoichiometric relationships
• Expanded treatment of hydrology, utilizing empirical approaches to discharge determination and effects of land-use changes
• A reorganized presentation of biodiversity, explicitly correlating profiles of biota with community ecology and ecosystem function
• Updated taxonomy with a description of the new metagenomic approach, nomenclature strictly adhering to the intergovernmental Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Reactions
“Excellent treatment of the subject. Well organized and outlined to support a course in limnology. It will serve as a valuable reference volume to the professional who concentrates his/her career in aquatic research or resource management.” — Sam Damico, Northwestern State University
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
Limnology Defined / Limnology: An Interdisciplinary Science / Geology / Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science / Chemistry / Biology / An Overview of Aquatic Ecosystems / Lake Regions / Productivity / Limnology and Society

2. Survey of Limnological Biodiversity
Physical Factors / Chemical Factors / Adaptations to Fresh Water / The Prokaryotes / The Eukaryotes

3. The Limnetic Communities
Community Ecology in Limnology / The Plankton Community / The Nekton Community / The Neuston / The Benthic and Littoral Communities / The Periphyton (Aufwuchs) and Biofilms / Groundwater (Interstitial) Communities / The Detritus Community / Glacial Relicts / Impermanent Habitats

4. Ecosystems, Energy, and Production
The Community Concept and Ecosystems / Trophic-Dynamic Ecology / Primary Production / Organotrophy / Secondary Production / Trophic Cascades

5. Lake Origins and Evolution
Glacial Lakes / Tectonic Lakes / Landslide Lakes / Lakes Formed by Volcanic Phenomena / Solution Lakes / Piping: False Karst Lakes / Lakes of Aeolian Origin / Shoreline Lakes / Lake Basins Impounded or Excavated by Organisms / Lakes Formed by Extraterrestrial Objects and Those of Puzzling Origin

6. Shapes and Sizes of Lakes
Lake Morphometry in the Digital Age / The Bathymetric Map and Its Data / Uses of Morphometric Data / The Morphoedaphic Index (MEI) / The Shape of Lakes at z0 / Lake "Size"

7. Wetlands
Wetlands Are Difficult to Define / Hydrology / Wetland Organisms / Biogeochemistry / Wetland Classification and Diversity / Gleasonian (Cyclical) Succession / Wetlands and Human Society

8. Streams: The Lotic Ecosystem
Types of Flow / The River Continuum / The Flood Pulse and Lateral Aquatic Habitats / Adaptations to the Lotic Environment / Organic Drift / Functional Classification of Lotic Animals (Trophic Roles) / Processing of Detritus / Human Impacts / Stream Assessment Methods

9. Light and the Aquatic Ecosystem
Solar Constant and Nature of Light / Energy in Light / Light at the Earth's Surface / Light at the Lake Surface / Light below the Water Surface / Vertical Visibility, the Secchi Disk, and the Euphotic Zone / Opaque Layers and the Horizontal Transmission of Light / Color / Absorption of Light by Plant and Bacterial Pigments / Light Penetration and Aquatic Plant Zonation / Light and Aquatic Animals

10. Density, Layering, and Lake Mixing
Temperature Stratification, Lake Regions, and Water Density / Factors Modifying Density of Water and Temperature Gradients / Stability of Stratification / Classification of Annual Circulation Patterns in Lakes / Unusual Temperature Profiles

11. Heat Energy and Water Movements
Heat versus Temperature / Mean Temperature and Heat Content / Heat Distribution: Work of the Wind / Heat Budgets / Langmuir Circulation / Austausch Coefficients / Currents during Stagnation

12. Oxygen and Other Dissolved Gases
Introduction to Chemical Limnology / Atmospheric Source of Gases / Henry's Law and Gas Solubility / Other Sources of Gas / Oxygen: Introduction and Methodology / Sources of Oxygen / Loss of Oxygen / Vertical Distribution of Oxygen in Lakes / Measurement of Community Metabolism / An Index of Productivity / The Isotopes of Oxygen

13. Carbon Dioxide, Alkalinity, and pH: The CO2 System
Carbon Biogeochemistry: Atmosphere and Water / Inputs of Dissolved CO2 / Isotopes of Carbon Found in CO2 / pH and the Hydrogen Ion / The Fate of CO2 in Water / The Forms of CO2 in Water / The Forms of CO2 in Water and Total CO2 / pH and Photosynthesis / Buffer Systems / Alkalinity / Methods of Analyzing for Free CO2 / CO2, pH, and Primary Production / Hypolimnetic CO2 Increase as an Index of Productivity / Carbon as a Factor Limiting Primary Productivity

14. The Major Ions in Inland Waters
Sources of Ions / Total Dissolved Solids and Specific Conductance / Expression of Chemical Results / Salinity versus Chlorinity / Carbonate / Sulfate / Chloride / Calcium / Mangesium / Sodium / Potassium / Water Chemistry and Desert Limnology

15. Redox, Metals, Nutrients, and Organic Substances
Oxidation and Reduction: Redox Potential / Iron / Manganese / Phosphorus / Nitrogen / Silica / Inorganic Micronutrients / Dissolved Organic Substances / Nutrient Stoichiometry

Glossary