River Pollution [antikvár]

During this century, river pollution has greatly increased: increased in the numbers of rivers affected, though often lessened in the worstaffected rivers. The awareness of its damaging effects, to the rivers and the life they contain, to the seas to which the rivers flow, and on the people drinking the water, is spreading. It is to be hoped that this awareness will lead to the abatement of the nuisance. This book is intended both for river specialists, and for undergraduates and those with a generál interest in pollution. The generál reader will, the writer hopes, find a readable text and decorative illustrations. The Tables, and the later parts of Chapter 4 and 5 can be omitted. The speciálist will find much more detail in the Figures and Tables, which should be read in addition to the text. Most Figures need more attention than an equivalent area of text. The text is biased towards vegetation. That is the speciality of the writer. More importantly, vegetation is the most obvious and the most easily interpretable of the living components of the river ecosystem. The pollution in most European lowland rivers can be assessed using this book. Literature References, including somé not cited in the book, are listed at the end. However, special notice can be given to the following: 1. Z oology Hynes, H.B.N. (1960). The Biology of Polluted Waters. Liverpool University Press. The classic book (for English readers) of animal behaviour in relation to pollution. Hellawell, J.M. (1986). Biological indicators of freshwater pollution and environmental management. London: Elsevier. A most comprehensive source-book of the literature on the effects of pollutants. Diagnostic methods, and the effects of habitat disturbance. Many tables in this text come from here, by kind permission of author and publisher. These are, though, a tiny selection of the numerous tables in that book. References for the tables used are in the originál, but are omitted here. The reference list is very full. Warren, C.E. (1971). Biology and water pollution control. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. An interesting book, mainly on animals, about the philosophy and effects of pollution, from an American standpoint. 2. Botany Books by the writer. To keep the present book readable, repeated references to the writer's earlier work have been omitted. The evidence for the principles of plánt behaviour not obvious from this book is given and discussed in these other books. Hasiam, S.M. (1978). River Plants. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Plánt life in the river, vegetation in different river types, pollution. (Middle-level.) Hasiam, S.M. Wolseley, P.A. (1981). River vegetation: its identification, assessment and management. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. As indicated in the title - i.e. pollution assessment. For Britain. (Low to Middle-level.) Hasiam, S.M. (1987a). River Plants of Western Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Comprehensive research on many aspects of river vegetation, including pollution. Full reference list. (High-level.) Hasiam, S.M. (1982b). Vegetation in British Rivers. London: Nature Conservancy Council. Hundreds of River maps, with brief text. Mainly 1970s. Provides a data base from which later trends and changes, as well as the then pollution, can be assessed. Hasiam, S.M., Sinker, C.A. & Wolseley, P.A. (1982). British Water Plants. Taunton: Field Studies Council, Nettlecombe, Williton, Taunton, Somerset. An extract from this, to identify common river species is in Appendix 7.