Limnology

The understanding of functioning of water bodies, especially natural and artificial lakes and reservoirs, is crucial in a period when water demands are increasing, in parallel with the increasing pollution, for their protection and sustainable use. Students will deepen their understanding of interactions between aquatic organisms and their environment, particularly in the standing water bodies, as well as the understanding of interactions between water bodies and their terrestrial catchment area. Students will get familiar with biodiversity in aquatic environment and problems related to introduction of alien species. Achieved knowledge will help them to understand the normal seasonal as well as accidental processes in the lakes which are crucial for determining water quality and consequently its use for human beings.

Pre-knowledge of hydrology and biology is desired.

The course is aimed at the students who wish to deepen their knowledge on the surface water bodies, particularly in the lakes and their physical, chemical and biological characteristics and seasonal dynamic of the phenomena there. Special emphasis will be put on the interactions between physical, chemical and biological components in the lakes and consequences resulting from the changes in their interactions. The examples are illustrated from intensive human impacts on lakes’ environment and suggestions for their solutions, related to the threats to the lakes (pollution, erosion, introduction of the alien species) are presented, too.

1.) SUBJECT AND FIELD OF RESEARCH
• History of research
• Types of the lakes and their origin
2.) STRUCTURE OF A LAKE ECOSYSTEM
• Physical partitioning of a lake
• Functional partitioning of a lake
3.) PHYSICAL PARAMETERS IN THE LAKES
• Light
• Temperature
4.) CHEMICAL ELEMENTS AND COMPOUNDS IN THE LAKES AND THEIR ROLE IN A LAKE ECOSYSTEM
• Oxygen
• Phosphorus / Phosphates
• Nitrogen / Nitrates
• Other relevant elements
5.) BIOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF A LAKE ECOSYSTEM
• Plankton
• Littoral zone
• Deep bottom (profundal)
6.) SEASONAL DYNAMIC OF SELECTED PHENOMENA IN THE LAKES
• Role of thermal stratification
7.) FOOD WEBS IN THE LAKES
• Role and abundance of particular biological component
• Role of alien / invasive species
• Energy flow and trophic levels
8.) RIVERS ECOSYSTEMS
• Main components
• Physical characteristics of a particular river zone
• Biological characteristic of a particular river zone
9.) SUCCESSIONS AND PALAEOLIMNOLOGY
• Chronology of successions in a lake
• Functional changes
• Methods of palaeolimnological research
10.) HUMAN IMPACTS ON A LAKE ECOSYSTEM
• Sources of threats
• Methods and actions for improvement of a lake status

Knowledge and understanding:

The students will get knowledge on the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems, with the emphasis on standing water bodies, which are an important source of drinking water and other ecosystem services. With their knowledge they can participate in preventive as well as in curative activities related to the lakes’ ecosystems which are a result of human activities (industry, tourism, agriculture, water abstraction, introduction of alien species) or natural hazards (floods, avalanches / erosion). They will be able to evaluate the extent of impact and, based on their achieved knowledge, find the best solutions for actions. During their field work they will get familiar with the equipment and procedures used during research or control of the water quality in the lakes – i.e. measurements of physical and chemical characteristics of the water column, sampling of phytoplankton, zooplankton and benthos, as well as sampling of the lake’s sediments for the evaluation of pollution at the deepest part of the lake.

• WETZEL, R., G., 2001. Limnology – Lake and River Ecosystems (3rd edition). San Diego, Academic Press, pp. 1006. Catalogue E-version
• BRANCELJ, A. (ur.). 2002. Visokogorska jezera v vzhodnem delu Julijskih Alp. / High mountain lakes in the eastern part of the Julian Alps. Ljubljana. Založba ZRC & Nacionalni inštitut za biologijo, pp. 266. Catalogue E-version
• Selected scientific articles.

Written exam (80 %), written report from the field work (20 %)

Full professor of Ecology at the University of Nova Gorica

SIMČIČ, T., PAJK, F., JAKLIČ, M., BRANCELJ, A., VREZEC, A. The thermal tolerance of crayfish could be estimated from respiratory electron transport system activity. Journal of Thermal Biology, ISSN 0306-4565. [Print ed.], 2014, vol. 41, str. 21-30, doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2013.06.003. [COBISS.SI-ID 2846031]

BRANCELJ, A., ŽIBRAT, U., MEZEK, T., REJEC BRANCELJ, I., DUMONT, H. Consecutive earthquakes temporarily restructured the zooplankton community in an Alpine Lake. Annales de Limnologie, ISSN 0003-4088, 2012, vol. 48, str. 113-123. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/limn/2012001, doi: 10.1051/limn/2012001. [COBISS.SI-ID 2549839]

MORI, N., SIMČIČ, T., ŽIBRAT, U., BRANCELJ, A. The role of river flow dynamics and food availability in structuring hyporheic microcrustacean assemblages : a reach scale study. Fundamental and applied limnology, ISSN 1863-9135, 2012, vol. 180, no. 4, str. 335-349. http://dx.doi.org/10.1127/1863-9135/2012/0258, doi: 10.1127/1863-9135/2012/0258. [COBISS.SI-ID 2623823]

MORI, N., BRANCELJ, A. Invertebrate drift during in-stream gravel extraction in the River Bača, Slovenia. Fundamental and applied limnology, ISSN 1863-9135, 2011, vol. 178, no. 2, str. 121-130. http://dx.doi.org/10.1127/1863-9135/2011/0178-0121, doi: 10.1127/1863-9135/2011/0178-0121. [COBISS.SI-ID 2351951]

SIMČIČ, T., PAJK, F., BRANCELJ, A. Electron transport system activity and oxygen consumption of two amphibious isopods, epigean Ligia italica Fabricius and hypogean Titanethes albus (Koch), in air and water. Marine and freshwater behaviour and physiology, ISSN 1023-6244, 2010, vol. 43, no. 2, str. 149-156. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10236244.2010.483052, doi: 10.1080/10236244.2010.483052. [COBISS.SI-ID 2212431]

CATALAN, J., BRANCELJ, A., et al. Ecological thresholds in European alpine lakes. Freshwater Biology, ISSN 0046-5070, 2009, issue 12, vol. 54, 2494-2517. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2009.02286.x, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2009.02286.x. [COBISS.SI-ID 2124367]

KERNAN, M., VENTURA, M., BITUŠÍK, P., BRANCELJ, A., CLARKE, G., VELLE, G., RADDUM, G. G., STUCHLÍK, E., CATALAN, J. Regionalisation of remote European mountain lake ecosystems according to their biota: environmental versus geographical patterns. Freshwater Biology, ISSN 0046-5070, 2009, issue 12, vol. 54, str. 2470-2493. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2009.02284.x, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2009.02284.x. [COBISS.SI-ID 2124111]