Vegetation of Freshwater Habitats

Abstract

This chapter will give a comprehensive overview of the vegetation ecology of lakes and ponds, as well as springs, streams and rivers. The ecology of these systems is the focus of the field of limnology, one of the oldest branches of ecology. Here, we will concentrate on the aquatic and semi-aquatic macrophytes and their ecology, including flowering plants, ferns, bryophytes and stoneworts (Characeae) as macroscopic primary produces in still and flowing water (see Fig. 4.1). More detailed works on the ecology of freshwater habitats can be found in the limnological literature (e.g. Allan 1995; Brehm and Meijering 1996; Brönmark and Hansson 2005; Giller and Malmquist 1998; Lampert and Sommer 1999; Schwoerbel 1999 and Wetzel 2001).