Læringsmål

The course is devoted to the major questions, approaches, applications and tools of modern freshwater ecology. The students will be able to understand how freshwater ecosystems function including the physical, chemical, and biological components of lentic and lotic systems. The various threats facing the quality of freshwater bodies will be considered and the students will be able to utilise this knowledge in water quality assessment, water quality management and wetland management related to European and National directives.

Students will acquire the necessary knowledge and tools to assess the quality and ecological status of freshwater bodies and select specific management options.

The students will be able to:

- classify inland waters

- identify main structural components, both abiotic and biotic

- understand the functioning of aquatic ecosystems

- understand the mechanisms of stress and disturbance and the response given by aquatic ecosystems

- engage in discussions of proposals for monitoring programmes in aquatic ecosystems

Innhold

Properties of water.
Hydrological cycle.
Drainage area.
Major types of aquatic systems and description of their key features.

Lakes:

· distribution, genesis, typology and morphology

· physico-chemical characteristics

· associations of living organisms

· community, structure, interactions and seasonal dynamics

· trophic relationships, food web structure, trophic cascade

· biomanipulation, bottom-up and top-down processes

Streams and rivers:

· Stream Hydrology

· Stream geomorphology and channel formation

· Stream classification

· Stream Continuum Concept & nutrient dynamic

· Instream Habitats

· aquatic macrophytes, periphyton, benthos and fish

· surface-groundwater interactions

Applied issues

· Invertebrates as indicators of pollution

· Instream flow and fish habitat manipulation

· Watershed management and land use

· Management of coastal areas

Human Impacts

· flow-regulated rivers

· eutrophication

· acidification

· heavy metals and organic pollution

· effects of fisheries and aquaculture

Links:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/water/water-framework/index_en.html
EU WFD:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/water/index.html
Lake and river ecosystems:

http://waterontheweb.org/index.html

http://www.unesco.org/water/
United Nations Water Portal

http://www.unep.org/vitalwater/
UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme)

Organisering

Lectures.

Seminars in conjunction with oral presentation of a written essay.

Field coursework, sampling methods and physical, chemical and biological analyses.

Identification of different typologies of freshwater ecosystems.

Vurderingsformer

Written examination with oral feedback (60%).
Written essay with oral presentation (40%)

Det tas forbehold om mindre justeringer i planen.