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.

The papers appearing in this volume reflect the current attention in sediment/water science to five main topics of investigation: Sediment dynamics in estuaries, coastal waters, lakes, reservoirs and rivers; Sediment-associated biological processes; Contaminant accumulation, distribution and geochemistry; Fluxes from sediments; and Element cycling. Contributors address sediment/water interactions related to both fresh and salt water conditions.

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.

This 1993 book documents the importance of trophic cascades in aquatic ecology.

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.

Continuing concern about water supply and quality, ecosystem sustainability and restoration demands that the modern approach to the management of lakes and reservoirs should be based on a sound understanding of the application of the scientific and ecological principles that underlie freshwater processes. The Lakes Handbook provides an up-to-date overview of the application of ecologically sound approaches, methods and tools using experience gained around the world for an understanding of lakes and their management. Volume one of the Handbook addresses the physical and biological aspects of lakes pertinent to lake management, emphasising those aspects particularly relevant to large, still bodies of water. Volume two then considers lake management, with particular emphasis on sustainability, restoration and rehabilitation. This handbook will be invaluable to ecologists, environmental scientists, physical geographers and hydrologists involved in limnological research, as well as advanced undergraduate and graduate students looking for authoritative reviews of the key areas of limnological study. Brings together basic science and management issues. International coverage and international authors. Reviews management issues at a level suitable for the non-expert.

The scientific community has voiced two general concerns about the future of the earth. Firstly, climatologists and oceanographers have focused on the changes in our physical environment, ie climate, oceans, and air. And secondly, environmental biologists have addressed issues of conservation and the extinction of species. There is increasing evidence that these two broad concerns are intertwined and mutually dependent. Past changes in biodiversity have both responded to and caused changes in the earths environment. In its discussions of ten key terrestrial biomes and freshwater ecosystems, this volume uses our broad understanding of global environmental change to present the first comprehensive scenarios of biodiversity for the twenty-first century. Combining physical earth science with conservation biology, the book provides a starting-point for regional assessments on all scales. The book will be of interest to those concerned with guiding research on the changing environment of the earth and with planning future policy, especially in accordance with the Global Biodiversity Convention.

Aldo Leopold, father of the "land ethic," once said, "The time has come for science to busy itself with the earth itself. The first step is to reconstruct a sample of what we had to begin with." The concept he expressedâ€"restorationâ€"is defined in this comprehensive new volume that examines the prospects for repairing the damage society has done to the nation's aquatic resources: lakes, rivers and streams, and wetlands. Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems outlines a national strategy for aquatic restoration, with practical recommendations, and features case studies of aquatic restoration activities around the country. The committee examines: Key concepts and techniques used in restoration. Common factors in successful restoration efforts. Threats to the health of the nation's aquatic ecosystems. Approaches to evaluation before, during, and after a restoration project. The emerging specialties of restoration and landscape ecology.

Continuous cultures, i.e. chemostats with an continuous dilution rate, are model ecosystems for the study of general regulation principles in plankton communities. Further to an introduction, general continuous culture methods and especially the characteristics of rotifer continuousculture systems are presented. Sections on metabolism and energetics in chemostats, growth models, competition and predator-prey interactions, as well as the application of rotifer continuous cultures to ecotoxicology and their use in aquaculture are included.

Proceedings of the Second International Congress of Limnology and Oceanography held in Evian, May 25--28, 1993