Limnology refers to the study of inland waters such as lakes, rivers, ponds, and others. Limnology is the study of inland waters - lakes (both freshwater and saline), reservoirs, rivers, streams, wetlands, and groundwater - as ecological systems interacting with their drainage basins and the atmosphere.
Let’s learn about the definition,
scope, and history of limnology, and explore the disciplines and uses of
limnology.
Definition
Our inland waters are vital and
important resources. They provide us with drinking water, recreation, bird and
wildlife viewing, fishing, land protection, and so much more. Limnology is
the study of inland waters and their many different aspects. The word comes
from the Greek limne, which means marsh or pond. But limnology is so much
more than that. Limnology covers all inland waters, which may be lakes, rivers,
and streams, but also reservoirs, groundwater, and wetlands. These are often
freshwater systems, but limnology also includes inland salt and brackish,
or slightly salty, waters.
Scope
Inland waters are diverse and
fascinating places. Limnologists, or those who study limnology, need to be
familiar with many different aspects of inland waters and their relationships
with other water systems, including our atmosphere. For example, limnologists
may study:
· Water flow
· Oxygen in the water
· Food web dynamics
· Animal movement patterns
· Minerals and other water chemicals
· Pollution
· Ecosystem structure
· The economics of water
· Light influences
· Nutrient cycles
· Plants that live on, in, or near inland waters
· Sediments
· Bacteria
· Human influences
· Ecosystems
· Animal communities
· And so much more
Disciplines and Uses
Limnology incorporates many
scientific disciplines into one, including physics, chemistry, and biology.
While the main thread of limnology is water, these water systems are
interconnected, host plant and animal life, and both influence and interact
with weather patterns.
Limnologists often create models to help predict how certain water systems will
function under given conditions. They may also interact with politicians to
help guide policy, and they may be utilized during times of crisis, such as
after a pollution event or catastrophic storm. We interact with inland waters
on a daily basis through our drinking water, weather, and other means, so
despite the oceans making up a whopping 96.5% of the water on Earth, clearly,
inland waters hold significant importance to our lives!
Because limnology covers so many different disciplines, it may be helpful to
think of it as an umbrella. It is broad and far-reaching, encompassing
underneath it many different aspects of other sciences and studies. One major
branch of limnology is freshwater ecology. This section specifically studies
ecological systems and processes in freshwater environments, so any waters that
are less than 3 ppm (parts per million). Limnologists in this branch study
things such as nutrient cycling, structure of the ecosystem, the physical and
chemical properties of the system, and other biotic and abiotic influences.
Another large branch of limnology is freshwater biology. Limnologists in this
branch study the organisms in freshwater environments, specifically their
interactions and characteristics. This is different from freshwater ecology
because freshwater biology focuses on the organisms themselves, not their
entire environment.
History
The study of inland waters dates back to the late 1800s, and credit for its
foundation is awarded to two men: François-Alphonse Forel and Stephen Alfred
Forbes. In 1936, the Limnological Society of America (LSA), was established.
This group had members of both freshwater and marine disciplines, and in 1948,
the Oceanographic Society of the Pacific and the LSA merged into the American
Society of Limnology and Oceanography. Today this group is known as the
Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, a name that better
reflects the different systems its members study. Currently, the society has
over 4,300 members from 58 countries.
Forbes and Forel did some groundbreaking work for the field, but today
limnologists have far more tools and machines than those two ever could have
dreamed of! Things like flow meters, conductivity meters (for measuring
salinity), turbidity meters (for measuring the clarity of the water), pH
meters, handheld GPS units, sediment core samplers, and other cool toys like
this allow limnologists to do their work more efficiently and effectively.
Lesson Summary
Our inland waters are valuable
resources that need to be studied and understood. The field of study that deals
with inland waters is called limnology. It encompasses both fresh and saline
inland waters, which include rivers, lakes, streams, groundwater, marshes,
wetlands, and even reservoirs.
Limnologists are the scientists who study limnology, and they are charged with
a serious task. Though the common thread of limnology is water, limnology
involves physics, chemistry, and biology, as well as geology and atmospheric
influences. Some limnologists focus on freshwater ecology, which looks at the
ecological system and processes of a freshwater system (> 3ppm), while
freshwater biologists focus on the organisms within a freshwater environment.
Limnology dates back to the late 1800s, with the establishment of the
Limnological Society of America in 1936. Today, with a membership of over 4,300
individuals, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, or
ASLO, represents limnologists from 58 countries around the world. They are
armed with knowledge and tools that they use to study inland waters, be it for
scientific research, policy, protection, modeling, disaster monitoring, or any
number of other purposes.