The Biology of Lakes and Ponds. 3rd rev. ed. 2017. (Biology and Habitats Series). illus. XIV, 338 p. gr8vo. Paper bd.

This new edition includes sections on different aspects of the abiotic frame, including lake morphology, lake formation processes, the role of humic substances, redox potential ecological stoichiometry, as well as general nutrient cycles. With respect to biological processes, new sections on mixotrophy, bioturbation, multiple predator effects and alternative stable states have been added. Major additions have been made to the chapter on environmental issues in lakes and ponds, for example the effects of environmental disturbances on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In addition, we have upgraded references throughout.

The new material has been added to mirror the recent developments in the field, and also in response to comments from teachers using the first version in limnology and aquatic ecology classes. This concise yet comprehensive introduction to the biology of standing waters (lakes and ponds) combines traditional limnology with current ecological and evolutionary theory. It integrates the effects of abiotic constraints and biotic interactions at both the population and community level, allowing the reader to understand how the distribution and success of different organisms in this freshwater habitat can be explained and predicted.

The book is focused on temperate lakes and ponds, drawing on examples from polar and tropical systems to provide a broader context. The Biology of Lakes and Ponds, now in its second edition, will be a valuable text for university tuition. However, its lucid explanations and descriptions of adaptation, dominance, dispersal, and succession of organisms, as well as the effects of abiotic factors, predation, and competition, ensure its relevance and use to a broad audience of biologists and naturalists with an interest in freshwater ecology.