Biological Indicators Of Aquatic Ecosystem Stress

"The main purpose of this book is to provide a comprehensive reference and guide relative to the various biological endpoints that can be measured and used to assess the effects of environmental stressors on aquatic organisms, populations, and communities" -- p.3.

The preface of a book often provides a convenient place in which the author can tender his apologies for any inadequacies and affords him the facility to excuse himself by reminding the reader that his art is long but life, or at least the portion of it in which he has the opportunity for writing books, is short. I, too, am deeply conscious that I have undertaken a task which I could not hope to complete to my own satisfaction but I offer, in self defence, the observation that, inadequate though it is, there is no other book extant, so far as I am aware, which provides the information contained herein within the covers of a single volume. Often during the last decade, in discharging my responsibilities for the environmental aspects of the water authority's operations and works, I should have been deeply grateful to have had access to a compendium such as this. The lack of a convenient source of data made me aware of the need which I have attempted to fill and in doing so I have drawn on my experiences of the kinds of problem which are presented to biologists in the water industry. The maxim 'half a loaf is better than none' seems particularly apt in this context.

Table of contents

Biology of Stress in Fish: Fish Physiology provides a general understanding on the topic of stress biology, including most of the recent advances in the field. The book starts with a general discussion of stress, providing answers to issues such as its definition, the nature of the physiological stress response, and the factors that affect the stress response. It also considers the biotic and abiotic factors that cause variation in the stress response, how the stress response is generated and controlled, its effect on physiological and organismic function and performance, and applied assessment of stress, animal welfare, and stress as related to model species. Provides the definitive reference on stress in fish as written by world-renowned experts in the field Includes the most recent advances and up-to-date thinking about the causes of stress in fish, their implications, and how to minimize the negative effects Considers the biotic and abiotic factors that cause variation in the stress response

This open access book surveys the frontier of scientific river research and provides examples to guide management towards a sustainable future of riverine ecosystems. Principal structures and functions of the biogeosphere of rivers are explained; key threats are identified, and effective solutions for restoration and mitigation are provided. Rivers are among the most threatened ecosystems of the world. They increasingly suffer from pollution, water abstraction, river channelisation and damming. Fundamental knowledge of ecosystem structure and function is necessary to understand how human acitivities interfere with natural processes and which interventions are feasible to rectify this. Modern water legislation strives for sustainable water resource management and protection of important habitats and species. However, decision makers would benefit from more profound understanding of ecosystem degradation processes and of innovative methodologies and tools for efficient mitigation and restoration. The book provides best-practice examples of sustainable river management from on-site studies, European-wide analyses and case studies from other parts of the world. This book will be of interest to researchers in the field of aquatic ecology, river system functioning, conservation and restoration, to postgraduate students, to institutions involved in water management, and to water related industries.