Limnology

Limnology

Overview of Inland Aquatic Ecosystems and Their General Characteristics

Published in Sven E. Jørgensen, Jose Galizia Tundisi, Takako Matsumura Tundisi, Handbook of Inland Aquatic Ecosystem Management, 2012

Sven E. Jørgensen, Jose Galizia Tundisi, Takako Matsumura Tundisi

The freshwaters of the continents are a collection of standing (lentic) or flowing waters (lotic) that vary in origin, shape, volume, and areas. Limnology is the science that studies these inland water ecosystems, their characteristics and mechanisms of function, and the interaction between their physical, chemical, and biological components.

A Limnological Yardstick based on phosphorus limitation

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Journal Information

Published in Lake and Reservoir Management, 2022

Mark V. Hoyer, Daniel E. Canfield

Most limnologists consider François-Alphonse Forel (2 February 1841–7 August 1912), a Swiss physician and scientist who pioneered the study of lakes, to be the founder and father of limnology (Edgerton 2014, Warwick and Bertola 2014). Simply stated, limnology is the study of inland freshwaters, derived from the Greek word límnē, meaning “standing water, pool, marshy lake” (Wetzel 2003, Edgerton 2014). Not so simply, limnology in the 21st century incorporates many scientific, sociological, and political disciplines that impact inland waters, including, but not limited to, geology, hydrology, chemistry, biology, physics, human dimensions, and others (Hutchinson 1957, Canfield and Canfield 1994, Korfmacher 2001, Merriman 2017). As technology advances, the disciplines used in limnology continue to expand. For example, geomatic sciences are now used by limnologists incorporating satellite/drone imagery to monitor and understand water clarity and algal blooms in lake systems (Gardner et al. 2020, Topp et al. 2021).

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Overview of Inland Aquatic Ecosystems and Their General Characteristics

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