Freshwater ecosystems : revitalizing educational programs in limnology / Committee on Inland Aquatic Ecosystems, Water Science and Technology Board, Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Inland Aquatic Ecosystems.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Limnology--Study and teaching (Higher)--United States.

Limnology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (380 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, 1996.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

To fulfill its commitment to clean water, the United States depends on limnology, a multidisciplinary science that seeks to understand the behavior of freshwater bodies by integrating aspects of all basic sciences--from chemistry and fluid mechanics to botany, ichthyology, and microbiology. Now, prominent limnologists are concerned about this important field, citing the lack of adequate educational programs and other issues. Freshwater Ecosystems responds with recommendations for strengthening the field and ensuring the readiness of the next generation of practitioners. Highlighted with case studies, this book explores limnology's place in the university structure and the need for curriculum reform, with concrete suggestions for curricula and field research at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels. The volume examines the wide-ranging career opportunities for limnologists and recommends strategies for integrating limnology more fully into water resource decision management. Freshwater Ecosystems tells the story of limnology and its most prominent practitioners and examines the current strengths and weaknesses of the field. The committee discusses how limnology can contribute to appropriate policies for industrial waste, wetlands destruction, the release of greenhouse gases, extensive damming of rivers, the zebra mussel and other "invasions" of species-- the broad spectrum of problems that threaten the nation's freshwater supply. Freshwater Ecosystems provides the foundation for improving a field whose importance will continue to increase as human populations grow and place even greater demands on freshwater resources. This volume will be of value to administrators of university and government science programs, faculty and students in aquatic science, aquatic resource managers, and clean-water advocates--and it is readily accessible to the concerned individual.

Contents:

Freshwater Ecosystems

Copyright

Preface

Contents

Executive Summary

CONTEMPORARY WATER MANAGEMENT: ROLE OF LIMNOLOGY

STATUS OF LIMNOLOGY IN THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

EDUCATION IN LIMNOLOGY: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE

LINKING WATER MANAGEMENT, RESEARCH, AND EDUCATION IN LIMNOLOGY

1 Overview: Status of Inland Waters

FRESH WATERS AT RISK

SOURCES OF STRESS ON INLAND WATERS

RESTORING INLAND WATERS: THE ROLE OF LIMNOLOGY

REFERENCES

2 Limnology, the Science of Inland Waters: Evolution and Current Status

EARLY HISTORY

REGIONAL AND DESCRIPTIVE ERA

MIDCENTURY EXPANSION

Experimental Limnology

Paleolimnology

RECENT HISTORY

Research Driven by Pollution Concerns

Diversification of Disciplines Participating in Limnological Research

Limnology Beyond Small Temperate Lakes

Stream Limnology

Wetland Ecology

CURRENT STATUS

3 Contemporary Water Management: Role of Limnology

PHYSICAL CHANGES IN WATERSHEDS AND WATER BODIES

Dam and Impoundment Building

Wetlands Destruction

Other Modifications to Watersheds

Global Warming

CHEMICAL CHANGES IN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Municipal, Industrial, and Agricultural Waste Discharges

Loss of Dissolved Oxygen

Cultural Eutrophication

Accumulation of Toxic Pollutants

Acid Rain and Toxic Air Pollutants

BIOLOGICAL CHANGES IN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Exotic Species Introduction

Species Extinction

ENHANCING THE ROLE OF LIMNOLOGY IN FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT

4 Education in Limnology: Current Status and Recommendations for Improvement

LIMNOLOGY UNDER THE CURRENT EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Undergraduate Education in Limnology Under the Current System

Graduate Education in Limnology Under the Current System

Improving Education in Limnology: The Basis for Reform.

STRENGTHENING LIMNOLOGY THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS

Departments of Aquatic Science

Interdisciplinary Programs in Aquatic Science

DESIGNING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN LIMNOLOGY: CURRICULAR ISSUES

Curricula for Undergraduate Students

Introductory Course in Limnology

Undergraduate Curriculum in Limnology

Synthesis Course in Limnology

Laboratory and Field Experience for Undergraduates

Programs for the Master of Science Degree

Programs for the Ph.D. Degree

Postdoctoral Programs

ROLE OF FIELD RESEARCH SITES IN AQUATIC SCIENCE EDUCATION

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RESTRUCTURING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN LIMNOLOGY

Strengthening Limnology Within the University System

Educating Responsible Citizens

Educating Future Water Managers

Educating Future Limnologists

5 Future of Limnology: Linking Education and Water Resource Management

CAREERS IN LIMNOLOGY

Private-Sector Employment Opportunities

Public-Sector Employment Opportunities

Career Opportunities at Research Centers

Career Opportunities in Academia

COLLABORATION AMONG UNIVERSITIES, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR

Collaborative Teaching and Research

Student Internships

Intergovernmental Personnel Agreements Between Agencies and Universities

Professional and Continuing Education

ENHANCING THE INVOLVEMENT OF LIMNOLOGISTS IN WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Certification of Professional Limnologists

Federal Job Classification for Limnologists

Coordination Among Professional Societies

Public Education

SUMMARY: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING LINKS BETWEEN LIMNOLOGY AND WATER MANAGEMENT

Organizing Paradigms for the Study of Inland Aquatic Ecosystems

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

LAKES

Lakes as Microcosms or Integrated Ecosystems

Lakes as Experimental Systems.

Lakes as Chronicles of Natural History and Evolving Ecosystems

Lakes as Chemical Reactors

Lakes as Components of Integrated Watersheds

Other Organizing Paradigms for Lake Studies

RIVERS AND STREAMS

Paradigms of Subdisciplines Within Stream Limnology

The River Continuum Paradigm

WETLANDS

Linkages Among Diverse Aquatic Ecosystems: A Neglected Field of Study

DIFFICULTIES IN THE PURSUIT OF INTERECOSYSTEM STUDIES

EXAMPLES OF INTERDISCIPLINARY AND INTERECOSYSTEM STUDIES

Linkages Among Major Fields of Research

Linkages Among Different Types of Aquatic Ecosystem

DRAWBACKS TO FRAGMENTATION BY ECOSYSTEM

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ON THE LINKAGES AMONG AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

MECHANISMS FOR FOSTERING CLOSER TIES AMONG STUDENTS OF DIFFERENT AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Research

Teaching

CONCLUSION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Training of Aquatic Ecosystem Scientists

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ECOSYSTEM PERSPECTIVE

UNDERPINNINGS OF THE ECOSYSTEM PERSPECTIVE IN EDUCATION

FRAGMENTATION OF DISCIPLINES

RESEARCH SYNERGISM WITH EDUCATION

OPTIMAL CRITERIA FOR LIMNOLOGICAL EDUCATION

A National Initiative: General Education

A National Initiative: Coordinated Schools of Limnology

Graduate Programs

Coordination

Recruiting and Placement Programs

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Wetlands: An Essential Component of Curricula in Limnology

DESCRIPTION OF WETLANDS

PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT

ECOLOGICAL AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL FUNCTIONS

HUMAN VALUES

DEGRADATION AND DESTRUCTION OF WETLANDS

WETLAND RESTORATION

WETLAND CREATION

WETLAND MANAGEMENT

MAJOR QUESTIONS CONCERNING WETLANDS

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Applied Aquatic Ecosystem Science

INTRODUCTION.

HUMAN IMPACTS ON AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Rivers

Lakes

Wetlands

TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH NEEDS

SCIENTIFIC INFRASTRUCTURE

MONITORING MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Fundamental Research Questions in Inland Aquatic Ecosystem Science

INLAND AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS

Understanding Time and Space

Importance of Winter

Morning, Noon, and Night

Living at the Interface

Regional Scales, Spatial Heterogeneity and Ecosystem Linkages

Ecological Significance of the Species

Species, Niches and Ecosystem Function

Intraspecies Genetic Variation

Natural Water-A Chemical World

Major Cations, Anions, and Alkalinity

Effects of Many Different Constituents

Detrital Organic Material

Importance of Long-Range Transport of Constituents

A Changing Climate

Humans: A Keystone Species

Fundamental Associations Between Humans and Aquatic Systems

Defining the Roles Humans Play as the Keystone Species

SIGNIFICANCE OF BASIC RESEARCH

The Role of Major Research Centers in the Study of Inland Aquatic Ecosystems

EXAMPLES OF CONTRIBUTIONS FROM RESEARCH CENTERS

Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study

Experimental Lakes Area

Wisconsin

Ecosystem Center at Woods Hole

Lake Washington

Coweeta Experimental Forest

H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest

CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE POSSIBILITIES FOR RESEARCH CENTERS

Bringing Biology Back into Water Quality Assessments

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Federal Legislative Initiatives

Federal Monitoring and Assessment

Need for Cooperation Among Federal Agencies

STRESSES ON BIOLOGICAL HEALTH OF INLAND WATERS

Challenges of Assessing Biological Integrity

Importance of Scale (Space and Time).

Importance of Seasonal Variations in Time

Nonequilibrium Nature of Aquatic Systems and the Role of Disturbance

Tools for Measuring Biological Integrity

Structural Attributes

Functional Attributes

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

APPENDIXES

A Limnology Programs in U.S. Institutes of Higher Education: A Survey

B Where Are the Limnologists? Surveys of Professional Societies and Journals

C Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Staff

Project Staff

D Other Contributors to This Report

Index.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786610192328

9780309175746

0309175747

9781280192326

1280192321

9780309588997

0309588995

9780585021041

058502104X

OCLC:

70772052