Limnology 15 credits
About the course
Overall, this course addresses the fundamental physical, chemical, and ecological attributes of freshwater systems, including rivers and lakes. Laboratory work will introduce students to aquatic biota that are common to northern aquatic ecosystems, with an emphasis on how different organismal groups can be used to understand and monitor the ecological health and chemical status of rivers and lakes. In this context, students will conduct small group projects that explore how the diversity and composition of stream benthic communities can be used to assess environmental changes on land. Additional course lectures and discussions will then focus on a broader set of foundational limnological themes. These include how we understand the hydrological and thermal properties of lakes and rivers, how geomorphological processes (e.g., sediment transport) act to mediate the aquatic habitat template, how physical processes (e.g., lake circulation) drive the dynamics of key nutrients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus), and finally how aquatic ecosystem processes (e.g., photosynthesis and respiration) can mediate elemental cycles and water quality. These themes will emphasis basic concepts and processes, but where relevant will also place these in the context of relevant environmental changes (e.g., climate change and nutrient pollution).
The course is divided into the following (two) modules:
Module 1. Freshwater organisms and biodiversity, 5 credits
The module provides an overview of aquatic fauna in northern rivers and lakes, illustrating how different groups can provide insight into water quality and ecosystem health. This section emphasizes practical laboratory work focused on benthic macroinvertebrate taxonomy, life history, and ecology, including how these organisms are used in biomonitoring.
Module 2. Physical, chemical, and ecosystem attributes of freshwater ecosystems, 10 credits
This module introduces students to a broader set of topics in limnology, including an introduction to hydrology, sediment transport, and nutrient dynamics. Students will also learn how key ecosystem processes in freshwaters are regulated by the physical and chemical environment, and how these, in turn, shape the cycling and fate of carbon and nutrients.