An accessible introduction to large rivers, including coverage of the geomorphology, hydrology, ecology, and environments of large river systems This indispensible book takes a structured and global approach to the subject of large rivers, covering geomorphology, hydrology, ecology, and anthropogenic environment. It offers a thorough foundation for readers who are new to the field and presents enlightening discussions about issues of management at the worldwide scale. The book also examines possible future adaptations that may come about due to climate change. The book has benefitted from contributions by Professor W.J. Junk on the ecology of floodplains and Professor Olav Slaymaker on the large arctic rivers. Introducing Large Rivers is presented in three parts. Part 1 provides an introduction to the world’s large rivers and their basins. It covers source, transfer, and storage of their water and sediment; Pleistocene inheritance; the ecology of channels and floodplains; deltas; and more. Several large rivers are discussed in the next part. These include the Amazon Mississippi, Nile, Ganga-Brahmaputra System, Mekong, and Yangtze. The last part examines changes in large rivers and our management of river systems. It studies anthropogenic alterations such as land use and deforestation in large river basins; structural control systems like dams and reservoirs on channels; and ecological changes. It finishes with chapters on the management of large rivers, covering both technical and political aspects, and the future of the world’s big river systems. Introducing Large Rivers is ideal as an introductory textbook on large rivers for future earth and environmental scientists and river managers. It will also benefit advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying geography, geology, ecology, and river management.

Central Amazonian floodplain forests are an unique and endangered ecosystem. The forests grow in areas that are annually flooded by large rivers during mean periods of up to 8 months and at depths of up to 10 m. Despite this severe stress, these forests consist of over 1,000 species and are by far the most species-rich floodplain forests worldwide. The trees show a broad range of morphological, anatomical, physiological, and phenological adaptations that enable them not only to survive the adverse environmental conditions, but also to produce large amounts of biomass when the nutrient levels in water and soils are sufficiently high. This is the case in the floodplains of white-water rivers, which are used for fisheries, agriculture, and cattle-ranching but which also have a high potential for the production of timber and non-timber products, when adequately managed. Latest research on ecophysiology gives insight how tree species adapt to the oscillating flood-pulse focusing on their photosynthesis, respiration, sap flow, biochemistry, phenology, wood and leave anatomy, root morphology and functioning, fruit chemistry, seed germination, seedling establishment, nitrogen fixation and genetic variability. Based on tree ages, lifetime growth rates and net primary production, new concepts are developed to improve the sustainability of traditional forest managements in the background of an integrated natural resource management. This is the first integrative book on the functioning and ecologically oriented use of floodplain forests in the tropics and sub-tropics.It provides fundamental knowledge for scientist, students, foresters and other professionals on their distribution, evolution and phytogeography. “This book is an excellent testimony to the interdisciplinary collaboration of a group of very dedicated scientists to unravel the functioning of the Amazonian Floodplain forests. They have brought together a highly valuable contribution on the distribution, ecology, primary production, ecophysiology, typology, biodiversity, and human use of these forests offering recommendations for sustainable management and future projects in science and development of these unique wetland ecosystems. It lays a solid scientific foundation for wetland ecologists, foresters, environmentalists, wetland managers, and all those interested in sustainable management in the tropics and subtropics.” Brij Gopal, Executive Vice President International Society for Limnology (SIL).

Physical component; Geology of the Paraná River valley in the vicinity of Porto Rico; Geomorphology of the Paraná River floodplain in the reach between the Paranapanema and Ivaí Rivers; Characteristics and dynamics of the Paraná River channel bedform: an approach to study the inlfuences of the Porto Primavera Dam, sand mining, and channel construction; Flood extension in the Baia-Curutuba-Ivinheima complex of the Paraná River floodplain; Bank erosion downstream Porto Primavera Dam; Eolian dunes in the Upper Paraná River: evidence of aridity during the holocene; Limnology of the Upper Paraná floodplain habitats: patterns of spatio-temporal variations and influence of the water levels; Biotic component; Structure of communities of periphytic algae in the upper Paraná River floodplain; Composition and abundance of the periphytic meiofauna in lentic systems of the Upper Paraná River floodplain; Periphytic biomass in floodplain rivers of Brazil: Pantanal and Upper Paraná River; Phytoplankton composition and biomass in environments of the upper Paraná River floodplain; Zooplankton in the Upper Paraná River floodplain: composition, richness, abundance and relationships with the hydrological level and the connectivity; Spatial and temporal fluctuation of zooplankton body size is isolated lagoons of the upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil; Influence of the environmental heterogeneity and water level on distribution of zoobenthos in the upper Paraná River floodplain (Baia and Paraná Rivers); Perspectives on exotic bivalves proliferation in the upper Paraná River floodplain; Influence of the decrease of water level on the chironomidae community of the upper Paraná River alluvial plain; Fish assemblages in the upper Paraná River floodplain; Structure of the fish assemblage in biotopes and subsystems of the upper Paraná River floodplain; Reproductive strategies of the fish community of the upper Paraná River floodplain; Fish assemblages of the seasonally isolated lagoons of the upper Paraná River floodplain; Trophic structure of the fish fauna; Estimation of the energy of producers and consumers in the upper Paraná River floodplain; Trophic structure of the fish assemblage in the floodplain of the Upper Paraná River: stable isotopes; Eggs and larvae of fishes in the upper Paraná River floodplain; Estimation of the genetic variability of fishes of the Upper Paraná River floodplain based on enzyme markers; Molecular markers and genetic variability of Hoplias aff. malabaricus populations from the upper Paraná River floodplain; Genetic distances among populations of Leporinus elongatus (Characiformes) and Hemisorubim platyrhynchos (Siluriformes) orginally isolated by the Sete Quedas falls; Cytogenetics as a tool for ecological studies; Parasite fauna of fishes from the upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil; Survey of the digenean cercarial fauna in the upper Paraná River floodplain: identification of snails as potential intermediated hosts; Bird richness on the islands of the upper Paraná River, Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul Border, Brazil; Richness and distribution of falconiformes in the Upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil; Interactions between birds and other organisms in the upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil; Aquatic macrophytes from the upper Paraná River floodplain: species list and patterns of diversity in large scale; The role of connectivity in structuring aquatic macrophyte assemblages; Riparian vegetation of the upper Paraná River floodplain, Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul States, Brazil; Molecular polymorphism in populations of Inga spp. (Mimosaceae), Eugenia spp. (Myrtaceae), and Lonchocarpus cultratus (Fabaceae) in Riparian forest of the Upper Paraná River; Human dimension; Known environment: a study of social representation on nature by teenagers from Porto Rico, Paraná State; Demographic studies in the upper Paraná River floodplain; Historical reconstructions of the (Re) occupation of the northwestern Paraná: official versions and experienced situations; Health, environment and social representations in the populations of Porto Rico, Paraná State; Illegible floodplain: environmental education and citizenship.

Our understanding of the ecology of running waters has come a long way during the past few years. From being a largely descriptive subject, with a few under tones concerned with such things as fisheries, pollution or control of blackflies, it has evolved into a discipline with hypotheses, such as the River Continuum Concept (Vannote et a/. 1980), and even a book suggesting that it offers opportunity for the testing of ecological theory (Barnes & Minshall 1983). However, perusal of the literature reveals that, although some of the very early studies were concerned with large rivers (references in Hynes 1970), the great mass of the work that has been done on running water has been on streams and small rivers, and information on larger rivers is either on such limited topics as fisheries or plankton, scattered among the journals, or not available to the general limnologist. The only exceptions are a few books in this series of publications, such as those on the Nile (Rz6ska 1976), the Volga (Morduckai Boltovskoi 1979) and the Amazon {Sioli 1984), and the recent compendium by Whitton (1984) on European rivers, among which there are a few that rate as large.

Combining background knowledge and practical tools, Handbook of Inland Aquatic Ecosystem Management gives you an overview of how to manage inland waters in a holistic manner. It examines the problems that threaten aquatic inland water ecosystems and presents a set of toolboxes for solving them. The book focuses on lakes, reservoirs, ponds, rivers, wetlands, lagoons, and estuaries, including the predominant freshwater ecosystems as well as saline and brackish ecosystems. Understand Ecosystem Properties and Ecological Processes The book consists of two parts. The first part reviews the basic scientific knowledge needed in the environmental and ecological management of aquatic ecosystems, from limnology and ecology of inland water ecosystems to environmental physics and chemistry. It emphasizes the interacting processes that characterize all inland aquatic ecosystems and explains the scientific considerations behind the conservation principles and their applications. Define the Problems and Quantify Their Sources The second part of the book presents toolboxes that you can apply to achieve more holistic environmental and ecological management. After an overview of the environmental problems of inland aquatic ecosystems and their sources, the book examines toolboxes to help you identify the problem, namely mass balances, ecological indicators, and ecological models. It also discusses toolboxes that can be used to find an environmental management solution to the problem: environmental technology, cleaner technology, and ecotechnology. Integrate Science and Practical Toolboxes to Manage Inland Waters More Effectively This book shows you how to integrate biology, ecology, limnology, and chemistry with the toolboxes in an up-to-date, multidisciplinary approach to environmental management. It provides a powerful framework for identifying ecological mechanisms that interact with global environmental problems threatening inland aquatic ecosystems.

Limnology provides an in-depth and current overview of the field of limnology. The result of a major tour de force by two renowned and experienced experts, this unique and richly illustrated reference presents a wealth of data on limnology history, water as a substrate, lakes' origins and aquatic biota. Besides a general part, it gives special focu

In this edited work, international experts in fisheries management and ecology review and appraise the status of river fisheries, assessment methodology, constraints on development, issues and options regarding management and associated problems in both temperate and tropical countries. Recommendations are made to improve management and an attempt is made to provide guidelines for formulating policy, for planning methodology and for evaluating future activities. Assessment of fish community structure and dynamics. Factors constraining stock recruitment. Fish habitat requirements. Instream flow needs. Impact of water resource schemes. Rehabilitation of river fisheries. Enhancement of fish stocks. Exploitation of stocks. Management of migratory fish stocks. Conservation of endangered species. Integrated river management. Bioeconomic issues. Legislation. Multinational management of rivers. Case studies.