Course Objective: Course provides a comprehensive overview of classical and contemporary aspects of the freshwater algal ecology and takes full advantage of the excellent range of aquatic habitats to provide a sound introduction to community succession and species interactions in plankton and benthos. Course Outcome: Students will develop knowledge of algal community monitoring methods at different spatial and temporal scales in a diversity of freshwater habitats.
Students will be able to apply ecological principles in describing relationships between algal community and habitats and explain the environmental controls of the algal distribution in plankton and benthos. Students will acquire a foundation for understanding complex ecological processes in freshwaters and will be able to apply it in biomonitoring and next generation biomonitoring. Reading: Dodds W.K., While M. R. 2010 Freshwater Ecology, Second edition: Concepts and Environmental Applications of Limnology (Aquatic ecology), Academic press, New York, NY