In its statutory authority (National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended), the NSF is directed to both initiate and support basic scientific research. In its Ecology Program, one mode of initiating research is to en courage the development of new ideas through advisory workshops. The NSF is specifically directed to strengthen our nation's research potential. In addition, stimulating new approaches to research will continue to be prominent in the coming years as federal attention is given to increasing the innovativeness and competitiveness of the U. S. in science and engineering. A decision to initiate a workshop does not arise de novo in the Ecology Program. Rather, it emerges from panel discussions, conversations with in vestigators at meetings or on the phone, and from discussions between pro gram officers in the Division of Biotic Systems and Resources. This workshop was developed to provide advice to the NSF and the lim nological community. Some NSF perceptions on future funding for ecolog ical research on lake communities are presented here. Researchers often mentioned a paucity of innovative lake ecology at the community level. This perception was accompanied by a certain frustration since lakes probably have the best empirical data base of any natural environment and should continue to lead in the development of ecological concepts. Members of NSF advisory panels sometimes expressed similar concerns during consid eration of proposals for lake research.

Arising from the third Cary Conference held in 1989, Comparative Analyses of Ecosystems investigates the utility and limitations of cross-system comparisons in ecology. The contributors, all well-known in their field, support their conclusions on the use and meaning of such comparisons by presenting novel analyses of data utilizing a variety of cross-system approaches in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial systems.

Provides an extensive overview of all the most important aspects of lake monitoring studies describing methods of water sampling, analytical determination and data interpretation. Now that all EC countries must receive the EC Directive on Water Quality, there is a greater need to improve the quality of measurements, both in chemical and biological fields and this book describes the best practices in measuring water, quality, standard procedures and quality assurance in relation to current legislation and guidelines. The book provides coverage of: ? Abiotic processes and harmful substances in lakes ? Biocoenosis in evaluating the ecological status of lakes ? New lake monitoring techniques ? Quality assessment ? Managing of results The book also addresses the most important problems currently impacting lake resources: ? Eutrophication ? Water acidification and its impact on biodiversity ? The presence of endocrine disrupters ? The bioaccumulation of mercury in the food chain This is an essential guide to the subject for postgraduate students in environmental science and analytical chemistry, laboratories involved in water analysis, industrial companies producing effluent and regional environmental agencies. 'Hydrological and Limnological Aspects of Lake Monitoring' is the first book in the Water Quality Measurement Series, which provides a comprehensive coverage of the analytical techniques used for the measurement of substances in water, from sampling through to laboratory analysis. The series aims to offer practical answers to specific issues related to measurements of the water cycle quality, using a scientifically sound approach.

Evolutionary ecology includes aspects of community structure, trophic interactions, life-history tactics, and reproductive modes, analyzed from an evolutionary perspective. Freshwater environments often impose spatial structure on populations, e.g. within large lakes or among habitat patches, facilitating genetic and phenotypic divergence. Traditionally, freshwater systems have featured prominently in ecological research and population biology. This book brings together information on diverse freshwater taxa, with a mix of critical review, synthesis, and case studies. Using examples from bryozoans, rotifers, cladocerans, molluscs, teleosts and others, the authors cover current conceptual issues of evolutionary ecology in considerable depth. The book can serve as a source of critically evaluated ideas, detailed case studies, and open problems in the field of evolutionary ecology. It is recommended for students and researchers in ecology, limnology, population biology, and evolutionary biology.

As part of the Environmental and Ecological Modeling Handbooks series, the Handbook of Ecosystem Theories and Management provides a comprehensive overview of ecosystem theory and the tools - ecological engineering, ecological modeling, ecotoxicology and ecological economics -to manage these systems. The book is laid out to provide a summary or survey of each topic, using many tables and figures. Concepts, definitions, important findings, basic hypotheses, important correlations between theories and observation with illustrative graphs are included. The comprehensive treatment of ecosystem theory and application of theoretical tools, and the integration of classical theory and real world examples, sets this book apart. It covers newly emerging topical areas as well as nontraditional topical areas (i.e. chaos) that will interest professionals trained in previous decades and enlighten those now entering into formal training. The general approach taken by the authors makes this an essential reference and handbook for professionals and students.

This series is dedicated to serving the growing community of scholars and practitioners concerned with the principles and applications of environ mental management. Each volume is a thorough treatment of a specific topic of importance for proper management practices. A fundamental objective of these books is to help the reader discern and implement man's stewardship of our environment and the world's renewable re sources. For we must strive to understand the relationship between man and nature, act to bring harmony to it, and nurture an environment that is both stable and productive. These objectives have often eluded us because the pursuit of other individual and societal goals has diverted us from a course of living in balance with the environment. At times, therefore, the environmental manager may have to exert restrictive control, which is usually best applied to man, not nature. Attempts to alter or harness nature have often failed or backfired, as exemplified by the results of imprudent use of herbicides, fertilizers, water, and other agents. Each book in this series will shed light on the fundamental and applied aspects of environmental management. It is hoped that each will help solve a practical and serious environmental problem.

This book tells a story of a large lake affected by agricultural and urban activities that have led to severe eutrophication problems with nuisance blue-green algal blooms. Although it is a case study of Lake Ringsjön (southern Sweden), the background, problems and measures are applicable to many lakes throughout the world. From a limnological point of view, the Lake Ringsjön story began more than 100 years ago, and during the last 20 years the sampling program has been intense, providing a unique data set on how a lake responds to human activities. However, the Lake Ringsjön story is not only a case study, but also a historical record of the development of ecological theory and its application. Hence, the lake has been subject both to an extensive nutrient reduction programme and a biomanipulation by means of fish reduction. Here we aim at combining the unique limnological data set with the eutrophication process, the nutrient reduction programme and the biomanipulation in order to apply our empirical knowledge to future lake management measures.