Biology Centre: Structure, functioning and development of aquatic ecosystems

Biology Centre of the ASCR, v.v.i.
AV0Z60170517
Structure, functioning and development of aquatic ecosystems

The research effort of HBI is oriented on limnology of man–made reservoirs and acidified mountain lakes. It covers two major trends of recent limnology – detailed studies of functioning of aquatic ecosystems on population and individual levels and studies of entire catchment–recipient (lake or reservoir) ecosystems. Main aims of the Institutional Research Plan are to get insight into (i) the structure and functioning of limnic ecosystems from nutrient input through primary production a nd microbial food webs up to terminal consumers, including feed–back pathways, and (ii) the factors controlling hydrology and external material transport from catchment to aquatic ecosystems. Biodiversity and overall spatial heterogeneity of most biotic and abiotic parameters in stratified freshwaters will be considered. Results should increase our understanding of factors influencing biogeochemical processes, ecological interactions and functional diversity within aquatic ecosystems.