Oxford Scholarship Online: The Biology of Polar Regions

Home > Subject index > Biology > Table of contents > Chapter abstract

The Biology of Polar Regions Thomas, D.N. University of Wales, Bangor, UK Fogg, G.E. University of Wales, Bangor, UK. Deceased 2005 Convey, P. British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK Fritsen, C.H. Desert Research Institute, Nevada, USA Gili, J.-M. Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Spanish National Research Council, Spain Gradinger, R. University of Fairbanks, Alaska, USA Laybourn-Parry, J. University of Tasmania, Australia Reid, K. Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, Tasmania, Australia Walton, D.W.H. British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK Print publication date: 2008 (this edition) Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: May 2008 Print ISBN-13: 978-0-19-929811-2
5 Inland waters in polar regions doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199298112.003.0005 David N. Thomas G.E. (Tony) Fogg Peter Convey Christian H. Fritsen Josep-Maria Gili Rolf Gradinger Johanna Laybourn-Parry Keith Reid David W.H. Walton Abstract: This chapter discusses the great variety of inland waters in polar regions. Topics covered include Arctic lakes, Antarctic lakes, and streams and rivers. It is shown that the polar regions contain some of the most extreme, unproductive aquatic environments on the planet. Although the Arctic and Antarctic have their high-latitude locations in common, there are some very significant differences between their lakes and running waters in terms of trophic structure, diversity, and productivity. Keywords: Arctic lakes, Antarctic lakes, streams, rivers,