Lakes: A Very Short Introduction

Abstract

<p class="first" id="d3459423e33">From the mysterious depths of Lake Vostok, Antarctica, to tropical floodplain lakes, inland seas, hydro-reservoirs, and numerous waterbodies in our local environment, lakes encompass a huge diversity of shapes, sizes, depths, colours, and even salinities. Lakes are important, unique ecosystems, providing us with drinking water and food. Lakes: A Very Short Introduction introduces lake science (‘limnology’), discussing the importance of sustaining these complex ecosystems; and the impact on lake biodiversity of features such as climate, seasons, salinity, and sedimentation. It traces the origins of lake science from François Forel’s seminal work on Lake Geneva to modern approaches, such as environmental sensors, satellite observations, stable isotope analysis, and DNA-based technologies. </p>