Ecology of Shallow Lakes by Marten Scheffer

I have followed a co1201656-Murse “Ecology: Classic and trends’ and one of supplement/resource is a book entitled: Ecology of shallow lakes by Marten Scheffer. The price was about 45 euro (new) and around 10-15 euro (secondhand). It was interesting to study about lakes due to my background much more about fisheries and marine. I found myself, enjoyed to study about aquatic ecology and freshwater ecology in general as well.

The content of the books: the story about shallow lakes, the abiotic environment, phytoplankton, trophic cascades, vegetation, managing the ecosystem and the limit of knowledge. Following some notes from this book (my point of view)

  1. Ecology, in general about studies how biotic and biotic, abiotic and abiotic, and biotic and abiotic interact one to another. Scheffer was really dazzling to put in the content about the ecology of shallow lakes, it was written in well-structure and easy to follow. However, at some point, we have to practice the program or some calculation to ensure understanding and to have an insight what really matters with shallow lakes. Due to one of “lakes properties” is really fragile and cannot compensate well with highly human intervention.
  2. This book was reprinted in 2004 (correction) and the first edition in 1998, 2001. This mean that the book, is quite old (now 2016). All the materials inside should be compared with another literature (recent article/books) to have last updated.
  3. I really enjoyed to read this book, due to in the each of chapter is supported with several questions (only for the student who followed ecology: classics and trends). I pointed out that the method to put some questions for each chapter was brilliant. It was helping pupils to understand and really get into the topic.

 

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