Inland Waters of Southern Africa: An Ecological Perspective

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

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2. The subcontinent

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Introduction

      • B. R. Allanson, R. C. Hart, J. H. O’Keeffe, R. D. Robarts

      Pages 3-8

   3. The geomorphology of southern Africa

      • B. R. Allanson, R. C. Hart, J. H. O’Keeffe, R. D. Robarts

      Pages 9-19

   4. The climate

      • B. R. Allanson, R. C. Hart, J. H. O’Keeffe, R. D. Robarts

      Pages 21-26

   5. The regional limnology of southern Africa

      • B. R. Allanson, R. C. Hart, J. H. O’Keeffe, R. D. Robarts

      Pages 27-62

3. The rivers and their catchments, floodplains and wetlands

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 63-63

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   2. Types of rivers and their characteristics

      • B. R. Allanson, R. C. Hart, J. H. O’Keeffe, R. D. Robarts

      Pages 65-81

   3. Unique rivers

      • B. R. Allanson, R. C. Hart, J. H. O’Keeffe, R. D. Robarts

      Pages 83-96

   4. A review of river research in southern Africa since 1900

      • B. R. Allanson, R. C. Hart, J. H. O’Keeffe, R. D. Robarts

      Pages 97-129

   5. Riverine wetlands

      • B. R. Allanson, R. C. Hart, J. H. O’Keeffe, R. D. Robarts

      Pages 131-149

   6. The influence of man

      • B. R. Allanson, R. C. Hart, J. H. O’Keeffe, R. D. Robarts

      Pages 151-164

4. Natural and man-made lakes

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 165-165

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   2. Suspensoids, hydrodynamics and chemical conditions in natural and man-made lakes

      • B. R. Allanson, R. C. Hart, J. H. O’Keeffe, R. D. Robarts

      Pages 167-219

   3. Primary producers and their production in lakes and reservoirs

      • B. R. Allanson, R. C. Hart, J. H. O’Keeffe, R. D. Robarts

      Pages 221-284

   4. Bacteria and their activity in lakes and reservoirs

      • B. R. Allanson, R. C. Hart, J. H. O’Keeffe, R. D. Robarts

      Pages 285-308

   5. Planktonic and benthic invertebrates

      • B. R. Allanson, R. C. Hart, J. H. O’Keeffe, R. D. Robarts

      Pages 309-374

   6. Fish and fisheries

      • B. R. Allanson, R. C. Hart, J. H. O’Keeffe, R. D. Robarts

      Pages 375-386

5. Back Matter

   Pages 387-458

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Limnology - the study of inland waters - had its genesis in Europe about the turn of the century. The studies of Fore1 on Lake Geneva were of seminal value at this time. It prospered under the early guidance of Thienemann, Naumann and Wesenberg-Lund in Europe and, soon transplanted, of Birge and Juday in North America (to name just a few early spirits). Now, liminology is a respectable scientific discipline taught at many universities, and limnologists are recognized as important contributors to our understanding of how this fragile spaceship functions. All this acknowledged, it must also be acknowledged that limnology is not yet a globally comprehensive science. To be sure, much is known about globally applicable processes, and the structural elements of aquatic ecosystems worldwide, but limnological emphases, interests and concerns remain essentially European and North American in balance. Much is known about lakes and rivers in less than one fifth of the world's land area (northern temperature regions); rather little is known about inland waters elsewhere.

• Fauna
• Namib
• benthic
• classification
• ecosystem
• fisheries
• limnology
• macrophytes
• morphology
• plankton
• temporal dynamics
• wetland

`All in all this is a well written, well presented book, generally thorough in it coverage, with some shortcomings but it will become a necessary reference for southern African, southern hemisphere and indeed many global limnologists.'
South African Journal of Zoology 26 (3) 1991

• Institute for Freshwater Studies, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

  B. R. Allanson, J. H. O’Keeffe

• Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

  R. C. Hart

• Division of Water Technology, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa

  R. D. Robarts

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