Freshwater Ecology

The course develops a comprehensive and integrated understanding of physical, chemical and biological processes occurring in lakes, streams and wetlands using the scientific method to investigate and contrast basic ecological processes operating in various systems. 

Anouncements:

• Wetland Lab (#3) due date is postponed to 19 November
• Stream Lab (#4) due date is postponed to 5 December

Syllabus

Lectures Outlines:

• Introduction to Freshwater Ecology
• Physical Lake Ecology
• Chemical Lake Ecology
• Biological/Ecological Lake Ecology
• Wetland Ecology 
• Physical and Chemical Stream Ecology
• Biological Stream Ecology
• Applied Freshwater Ecology / Restoration

Readings for Exams:

There is no textbook for this course.  For an overview of terminology and fundamental concepts in lakes read Understanding: Lake Ecology Primer (or download lakeecology.pdf) from Water on the Web.  

• Subject
  Website Readings
  Readings from the
  Scientific Literature
  Activity Assignments
• Introduction to Limnology:
  Lake Types and origins
   
   
• Physical limnology:
  Conductivity
   
  On-line assignment on temperature variation in lakes
•  
  Turbidity
  Cristofor et al.  1994
   
•  
  Waves and Langmuir Circulation
   
   
•  
  Temperature and Thermal Stratification
   
   
• Chemical Limnology:
  Chemistry of Oxygen Solubility Reading
   
   
•  
  pH and  Alkalinity
   
   
•  
  Nutrients
  Schindler 1974
   
• Ecological Relationships:
  Phytoplankton
  Dirnberger 2011
   
•  
  Zooplankton  (photos of rotifers, cladocerans and copepods)
  Brooks and Dodson 1965 Dodson 1990
   
•  
  Trophic Cascade
   

  On-line assignment on trophic casade literature

•  
   
   
   
• Wetlands:
  Wetland Types Wetlands Functions and Values Wetland Regulatory Authority
   
   
•  
   
   
   
• Streams:
  Stream channels Stream corridors Stream hydrology River continuum nutrient spiraling
  Leopold 1966 Sheldon 1968
   
•  
   
   
   
• Applied Limnology:
  Lake Restoration/Management
  Edmondson 1970
   

Study guides for exams:

• Exam #1
• Exam #2
• Exam #3
• Exam #4 (the Final)

Take-home section of the final exam

• Data set and instructions for the take-home section of the final exam

Questions/hypotheses for Lab Reports

• Lab #1
• Lab #2 (Calculations for trophic cascade lab)
• Lab #3
• Lab #4

Current class data sets for the lab reports:

• Class data for Lake Allatoona physical/chemical stratification (Lab #1)
• Class data for lake trophic cascade (Lab #2)
• Class data for wetlands (Lab #3)
• Class data for streams (Lab #4) (invertebrate data and physical data are on separate sheets within this file)
  

Historical data sets:

• Allatoona Historical data: Hydrolab profiles from downlake by dam (1992-96, 1999)
• Water quality data from Allatoona tributaries -1992

Directions to fieldtrip sites: