Wetzel’s Limnology: Lake and River Ecosystems, Fourth Edition, presents a fully updated revision of the classic textbook Limnology: Lake and River Ecosystems - last published in 2001. The coverage has been thoroughly updated with recent research and theoretical developments. Each chapter of this edited volume has been written by an expert, or team of experts, providing a comprehensive and global perspective, with the editors working closely with the authors to maintain continuity within and between the chapters. This is not only an essential textbook for undergraduate and graduate students in limnology but also a standard reference book for seasoned limnologists and other scientists.

Chapter 1. Prologue
I. Limnology in the 21st century
II. Robert G. Wetzel (1936–2005)
III. The fourth edition
Chapter 2. The Importance of Inland Waters
I. Our freshwater resources
II. Drivers of global change
III. Human impact on freshwater ecosystems
IV. Ecosystem condition and ecosystem services
V. Summary
Chapter 3. Water as a Substance
I. The characteristics of water
II. Summary
Chapter 4. Rivers and Lakes—Their Distribution, Origins, and Forms
I. Distribution of inland surface waters
II. River and stream characteristics
III. Origin of lakes
IV. Succession of lakes
V. Morphology of lakes
VI. Reservoirs
VII. Climatic and anthropogenic effects
VIII. Summary
Chapter 5. Hydrological Systems
I. The hydrological cycle and relevant processes
II. Catchment structure and runoff generation
III. Water balance in catchments with lakes
IV. Management implications
V. Summary
Chapter 6. Light in Inland Waters
I. Light as an entity
II. At the water surface
III. Light attenuation in the water column
IV. Ecological role of solar radiation
V. Summary
Chapter 7. Fate of Heat
I. Distribution of heat in lakes
II. Stratification
III. Changes in seasonal and annual stratification with climate change
IV. Summary
Chapter 8. Water Movements
I. Hydrodynamics and physical limnology
II. Water movement in rivers and streams
III. Water movement in lakes
IV. Modeling water movements
V. Summary
Chapter 9. Structure and Productivity of Aquatic Ecosystems
I. The ecosystem concept
II. Catchment concept
III. Streams and rivers
IV. Lakes
V. Spatial structure and terminology in lakes and rivers
VI. Subsidies and productivity in lakes and rivers
VII. Evaluation of biomass and production
VIII. Aquatic food webs
IX. Population structure, growth, and regulation
X. Communities
XI. Diversity and diversity metrics
XII. Summary
Chapter 10. Water as a Chemical Environment
I. Water as a solvent
II. Chemical reactions in freshwater
III. Factors regulating concentrations of nongaseous solutes
IV. Factors regulating concentrations of dissolved gases in water
V. Summary
Chapter 11. Oxygen
I. The oxygen content of inland waters
II. Processes determining dissolved oxygen concentration
III. Distribution of dissolved oxygen in running waters
IV. Distribution of dissolved oxygen in lakes
V. Metrics for assessing anoxia and hypoxia in inland waters
VI. Summary
Chapter 12. Salinity and Ionic Composition of Inland Waters
I. Salinities and ionic composition of inland waters
II. Sources of ions
III. Saline lakes
IV. Distribution of major ions in freshwaters
V. Salinity, osmoregulation, and distribution of biota
VI. Summary
Chapter 13. The Inorganic Carbon Complex
I. The occurrence of inorganic carbon in freshwater systems
II. Spatial and temporal distribution of total inorganic carbon and pH in rivers and lakes
III. Hypolimnetic CO2 accumulation in relation to lake metabolism
IV. Utilization of carbon by photoautotrophs and chemolithotrophs
V. Summary
Chapter 14. The Nitrogen Cycle
I. Introduction
II. Nitrogen sources, transformations, and fate in lakes and reservoirs
III. Nitrogen sources, transformations, and fate in streams and rivers
IV. Effect of human activities
V. Summary
Chapter 15. The Phosphorus Cycle
I. Phosphorus in fresh waters
II. The distribution of organic and inorganic phosphorus in lakes and streams
III. Phosphorus cycling in running waters
IV. External natural and anthropogenic sources of phosphorus
V. Phosphorus and the sediments: internal loading
VI. Phosphorus cycling within the epilimnion
VII. Phytoplankton requirements for phosphorus
VIII. Phosphorus and eutrophication
IX. Modeling relationships between nutrient loading and phytoplankton productivity
X. Climate change and the phosphorus cycle
XI. Summary
Chapter 16. Other Important Elements
I. Biogeochemical cycling of micronutrients and minor elements
II. Oxidation–reduction potentials in freshwater systems
III. The iron and manganese cycle
IV. The sulfur cycle
V. Minor elements
VI. The silica cycle
VII. Summary
Chapter 17. Algae and Cyanobacteria Communities
I. Diversity and composition of algae in inland waters
II. Major groups of algae
III. Algal habitats in inland waters
IV. Types of algal associations in inland waters
V. Summary
Chapter 18. Ecology of Algae and Cyanobacteria (Phytoplankton)
I. Introduction
II. Phytoplankton growth: resources and environmental factors
III. Phytoplankton in food webs
IV. Temporal variation in phytoplankton communities
V. Spatial heterogeneity in phytoplankton
VI. Phytoplankton and global environmental change
VII. Summary
Chapter 19. Zooplankton Communities: Diversity in Time and Space
I. Introducing the zooplankton
II. The microzooplankton
III. Rotifers, Cladocera, and copepods
IV. Food, feeding, and food selectivity
V. Reproduction and life histories
VI. Trait-based approaches to zooplankton communities
VII. Seasonal change and succession in zooplankton communities
VIII. Within water body heterogeneity in zooplankton communities
IX. Among water body heterogeneity in zooplankton communities
X. Zooplankton communities and environmental change
XI. Summary
Chapter 20. Ecology and Functioning of Zooplankton Communities
I. Zooplankton community interactions
II. Zooplankton food web functioning
III. Zooplankton productivity
IV. Zooplankton metacommunity ecology
V. Global changes and zooplankton community functioning
VI. Summary
Chapter 21. Benthic Animals
I. Benthic animal groups
II. Hexapoda
III. Benthic communities in lakes, wetlands, and ponds
IV. Benthic communities of rivers and streams
V. Metacommunities of benthic animals
VI. Benthic animals and global change
VII. Summary
Chapter 22. Fish
I. Introduction
II. Fish communities in natural lakes and streams
III. Size-selective and size-efficiency hypotheses
IV. Importance of visibility in predation
V. Trophic cascades (pelagic and benthic food webs)
VI. Specific roles of fish in food webs
VII. Fish production and harvesting
VIII. Effects of physical modification
IX. Invasive species and ecosystem consequences
X. Restoring lakes by biomanipulation
XI. Climate change impact
XII. Summary
Chapter 23. Pelagic Bacteria, Archaea, and Viruses
I. Overview
II. Basic ecology
III. Microbes and the carbon cycle
IV. Drivers of biogeochemistry
V. Predators and viruses
VI. New discoveries from the era of DNA sequencing
VII. Summary
Chapter 24. Freshwater Plants
I. Characteristics of freshwater plants
II. Resource acquisition and physiological responses to environmental conditions
III. Growth and distribution
IV. Consequences of environmental change
V. Management
VI. Summary
Acknowledgments
Chapter 25. Benthic Algae and Cyanobacteria of the Littoral Zone
I. Littoral benthic algae and Cyanobacteria
II. Metabolic interactions in littoral communities
III. Functional roles of periphyton in lakes
IV. Littoral benthic algae in a changing world
V. Summary
Chapter 26. Shallow Lakes and Ponds
I. Origins and distribution
II. Characteristics
III. Alternative states theory revisited
IV. Biodiversity
V. Variations in the theme: temporary and urban ponds
VI. Restoration
VII. Climate change, land-use change, and the biodiversity crisis
VIII. Summary
Chapter 27. Sediments and Microbiomes
I. Sediment characterization
II. Resuspension and redeposition of sediments
III. Benthic boundary layer
IV. Sediment microbiomes
V. Microbiome processes
VI. Implications of environmental change
VII. Summary
Chapter 28. Organic Carbon Cycling and Ecosystem Metabolism
I. Overview
II. Organic matter composition
III. Organic matter (OM) sources
IV. Organic matter (OM) cycling
V. Anthropogenic changes to organic matter (OM) dynamics
VI. Summary
Chapter 29. Wetlands
I. Wetlands and their global distribution
II. Wetland functions
III. Wetland destruction
IV. Climate change
V. Protection and restoration
VI. Examples of restoration and protection projects
VII. Summary
Chapter 30. Paleolimnology: Approaches and Applications
I. Stratigraphy and geochemistry
II. Biological indicators
III. Case studies
IV. Summary
Chapter 31. Inland Waters: The Future of Limnology is Interdisciplinary, Collaborative, Inclusive, and Global
I. Access to clean freshwater is a human right
II. Integrated approaches to water quality management and science
III. Restoration of aquatic ecosystems
IV. Broadening our global perspectives and voices
V. Summary
Index