Limnological Methods for Environmental Rehabilitation

Lakes and wetlands, ecologically impaired tovarious degrees by pollution and exploitation are a sad reality not only inEurope, but around the globe. But wait: Ecologicalrestoration of these ecosystems is possible! Sven Björk, the pioneer andlong-time practitioner of ecological lake restoration describeswell-illustrated, practical examples (before and after) of the restoration ofdifferent types of damaged aquatic ecosystems and discusses tailor-madeapproaches to rehabilitate their individual ecological structure andfunctions. The crucial importance of the relationship between catchment areaand the associated lake/wetland in selecting the "right" approach and thussuccessful restoration is pointed out and discussed.Reference cases of restoration projects on lakes and wetlands at differentlatitudes and altitudes all over the globe are described and discussed,including such cases where ecological restoration was carried out bycontractors, with more and sometimes less success. All experience indicates theneed of skilled limnologists and other ecologists to guide such procedures frominception to conclusion, to reach the final aim of restoring a sustainablyfunctioning ecosystem. Experience and knowledge gained inrestoration projects, on the processes and approaches that transform turbidgreen, cyanobacteria-infested lakes into blue waters or how drained, subsidingmarshes are converted into wetlands of high biodiversity turn experiencedecologists into specialists in demand in research and administration.The feeling of exultation that follows the observation that an aquaticecosystem - degraded by man - finally has been restored to "normal" life, definitely motivates the classification of this kind of applied ecology as an activity of the Fine Arts. Björk's instructive book is aimed both at administrators seeking approaches and help to fix ailing aquatic systems and also at aquatic ecologists interested in designing tailor-made methods for restoring, monitoring and documenting