Ecosystems under environmental stress

Timetable

Module aim (aims)

The course introduces different types of environmental stress in the water ecosystems (e.g. increase of temperature, salinity, oxygen deficit, inflow of sewage) and characterizes their biocenotic transformation related to toxic pollution, eutrophisation, excessive tourism, unsustainable fishery, poaching and hydrotechnical intervention. Moreover, gives the students a tool for dealing with problems of threats to freshwaters resulting from water pollution and human economic activity including of the regional problems.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

General knowledge in hydrobiology and ecologyGraduate students (B.A.)

Syllabus

Syllabus: Duration of Lectures: 2h; Classes: 2hWeek 1 L: An introduction to the concept of environmental stress Cl: Hydrological stress – organisms adaptations to life in astatic water bodies (periodically drying)Week 2 L: Characteristics of physical factors being able to cause stress in the aquatic ecosystems (the influence on organisms and their mode of defence)Cl: Hydrological stress – tychoplankton communities in astatic water bodies; phytoplankton in constant and variable water flow Week 3 L: Hydro-chemical stress in aquatic environmentsCl: Hydrological stress - reaction of Protozoa to hydrology disturbances and changes in the trophic levelWeek 4 L: Functioning of ecosystems under the influence of the anthropogenic eutrophicationCl: Light stress – Competition of algae under various light conditions (part 1)Week 5 L: Invasive speciesCl: Light stress - Competition of algae under various light conditions (part 2)Week 6 L: Biological interactions in transformed aquatic ecosystemsCl: Nutrient stress: Algae in limiting and saturating N and P dosesWeek 7 L: Characteristics of ecological factors in an estuariumCl: Multifactorial stress: Lake Lekneńskie as an example of strong agriculture influenceWeek 8 L: Directions of biocenotic transformations: a summaryCl: Ecosystem under the influence of high salinityWeek 9 Cl: Characteristics of phytoplankton communities of fresh and salt waters on the example of Bay Gdańska Week 10 Cl: Influence of reduced salinity on the Baltic Sea faunaWeek 11 Cl: Cladophora in aquatic ecosystems enriched in nutrientsWeek 12 Cl: Invasive species on the level of micro-organismsWeek 13 Cl: Weedy/invasive hydromacrophyte speciesWeek 14 Cl: Algae in model, strongly transformed ecosystems; spatial and vertical variation Week 15 Cl: Test and student’s presentations

Reading list

Wetzel R. G. 2001. Limnology, Lake and River Ecosystems, 3rd edition. Academic Press, San Diego, 1006 pp.Wetzel R. G., Likens G. E., 2001. Limnological Analyses, Third edition, New York, Springer-Verlag, pp. 429 Reynolds C.S. R. Ecology of Phytoplankton. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 870