Limnology

Abstract Limnology is the study of inland waters as ecosystems. Hydrological, physical, and chemical factors are integral parts of limnological research. The major part of traditional research and practice was the limnology of lakes. Later, concepts for the limnology of rivers were developed, and they were extended to research and management of catchment areas, including rivers and lakes. Applied research was directed on the impacts of waste water to rivers (saprobization) and to lakes (eutrophication). A major problem in industrial countries was the acidification of surface waters by acid rain. Actual subjects of limnological investigations are the effects of climatic change on hydrological systems, rivers and lakes, and their impacts on the ecosystems.