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A treatise on limnology. Vol. III. Limnological botany
Aquatic Botany, 2 (1976) 365--366 365 © Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam -- Printed in The Netherlands
B o o k Review LIMNOLOGICAL BOTANY
A Treatise on Limnology. Vol. III. Limnological Botany. G.E. Hutchinson. John Wiley & Sons, New York, London, Sydney, Toronto, 1976, 660 pp., ISBN 471-42574-5, £ 16.75. This is the third volume of Hutchinson's famous "A Treatise on Limnology". Volume I, dealing with geography, physics and chemistry of lakes, was published in 1957, and volume II, on lake biology and the limnoplankton, in 1967. In contrast to the earlier volumes, this b o o k on limnological botany can be characterized as a collection of 6 reviews, viz. the 6 chapters. The first chapter (Chapter 27) reviews the literature on bottom-fixed vegetations of Charophyta and Bryophyta. It is a rich source of information which is excellently written. Chapter 28 is a review of the growth forms and the diversity of the aquatic Tracheophyta (Angiospermae and Cormophyta). It is an almost encyclopedic summing up of aquatic and semi-aquatic taxa in the sequence of the system of J. Hutchinson. This information is presented more extensively and much clearer in the recent b o o k by C.D.K. Cook, "Waterplants of the World" [reviewed in Aquat. Bot., 1 (1975) 83], that appeared just over a year earlier. The most valuable part of this chapter is the further elaboration of the typology of the life- and growth-forms of the aquatic and marsh plants. In Chapter 29, the biological properties of the aquatic Tracheophyta are discussed; stress is laid on those subjects not already extensively dealt with b y Gessner (1955, 1959) and Sculthorpe (1967). Chapter 30 deals with the chemical ecology of freshwater macrophytes. Surveys are given on nutrient uptake by water plants, elementary composition of water plants, and chemical factors in environments with water plants. This is an excellent chapter, and by far the most extensive review of this field. Chapter 31 is, in the opinion of Hutchinson himself, the central theme of the book. He himself considers Chapters 27--30 to be only background information to this chapter, which deals with the distribution of the macrophytes in lakes. Apart from a general discussion on vertical distribution of aquatic vegetation (zonation, depth, etc.), a survey is given on distribution and zonation of water plant vegetations in many types of lakes, situated in many geographical areas. The chapter is concluded b y a survey of the phytosociology of macrophyte vegetations. According to Hutchinson, there are two different approaches, the continental European approach and the Clements--Pearsall approach. The principles of both approaches are reported very unsatisfactorily; the account on the European approach does not deal with the basic concepts of the Zikrich-Montpellier school b u t only with some unimportant details; the description of
366
the basic concept of the Anglo-American school is t o o short to be fully appreciated. The survey of the European water plant communities is based on 9 papers, and does not properly reflect their great diversity. Further, it is shown that the European approach has been applied in Zaire. The Clements-Pearsall approach seems to be popular only in Britain and North America. In general, the survey of the communities is superficial and most incomplete. Nevertheless, even from the few data which are presented, it is clear that there is a striking similarity in vegetation structure and zonation pattern in the various parts of the world. Hutchinson, however, does not make the slightest attempt to elaborate a synthesis. In fact this chapter is unbalanced and most disappointing. The last chapter (Chapter 32) deals with benthic algae, including the lichens, and contains very valuable information; it is a balanced selection from a very rich, b u t scattered literature. It is quite clear from the outline of the b o o k that Hutchinson has been seriously hindered in his intention to present an all-round review of the limnological botany by his device to do no superfluous work and the existence of some outstanding books, e.g. Gessner's " H y d r o b o t a n i k " and Sculthorpe's "The Biology of Aquatic Vascular Plants". He makes no secret of the fact that he concentrated on subjects not treated in these books. This may explain the imbalance of Chapter 29. In spite of these limitations, several important subjects have n o t been touched upon, although the already mentioned authors did n o t treat them, e.g. primary productivity and decomposition of macrophytes, mutual relations between aquatic plants, relations between aquatic plants and aquatic animals, succession and periodicity, and aquatic fungi. The figures are generally satisfactory, b u t there are some exceptions, Figs. 27, 42, 47 D and E, 50 A and C, 53 and 67 being of poor quality. My general conclusion is that Hutchinson's b o o k can be recommended to every botanist working with or interested in aquatic plants. It misses, however, the brilliance of the other t w o volumes which are true masterpieces. C. DEN H A R T O G
(Nijmegen, The Netherlands)
B o o k Review LIMNOLOGICAL BOTANY
A Treatise on Limnology. Vol. III. Limnological Botany. G.E. Hutchinson. John Wiley & Sons, New York, London, Sydney, Toronto, 1976, 660 pp., ISBN 471-42574-5, £ 16.75. This is the third volume of Hutchinson's famous "A Treatise on Limnology". Volume I, dealing with geography, physics and chemistry of lakes, was published in 1957, and volume II, on lake biology and the limnoplankton, in 1967. In contrast to the earlier volumes, this b o o k on limnological botany can be characterized as a collection of 6 reviews, viz. the 6 chapters. The first chapter (Chapter 27) reviews the literature on bottom-fixed vegetations of Charophyta and Bryophyta. It is a rich source of information which is excellently written. Chapter 28 is a review of the growth forms and the diversity of the aquatic Tracheophyta (Angiospermae and Cormophyta). It is an almost encyclopedic summing up of aquatic and semi-aquatic taxa in the sequence of the system of J. Hutchinson. This information is presented more extensively and much clearer in the recent b o o k by C.D.K. Cook, "Waterplants of the World" [reviewed in Aquat. Bot., 1 (1975) 83], that appeared just over a year earlier. The most valuable part of this chapter is the further elaboration of the typology of the life- and growth-forms of the aquatic and marsh plants. In Chapter 29, the biological properties of the aquatic Tracheophyta are discussed; stress is laid on those subjects not already extensively dealt with b y Gessner (1955, 1959) and Sculthorpe (1967). Chapter 30 deals with the chemical ecology of freshwater macrophytes. Surveys are given on nutrient uptake by water plants, elementary composition of water plants, and chemical factors in environments with water plants. This is an excellent chapter, and by far the most extensive review of this field. Chapter 31 is, in the opinion of Hutchinson himself, the central theme of the book. He himself considers Chapters 27--30 to be only background information to this chapter, which deals with the distribution of the macrophytes in lakes. Apart from a general discussion on vertical distribution of aquatic vegetation (zonation, depth, etc.), a survey is given on distribution and zonation of water plant vegetations in many types of lakes, situated in many geographical areas. The chapter is concluded b y a survey of the phytosociology of macrophyte vegetations. According to Hutchinson, there are two different approaches, the continental European approach and the Clements--Pearsall approach. The principles of both approaches are reported very unsatisfactorily; the account on the European approach does not deal with the basic concepts of the Zikrich-Montpellier school b u t only with some unimportant details; the description of
366
the basic concept of the Anglo-American school is t o o short to be fully appreciated. The survey of the European water plant communities is based on 9 papers, and does not properly reflect their great diversity. Further, it is shown that the European approach has been applied in Zaire. The Clements-Pearsall approach seems to be popular only in Britain and North America. In general, the survey of the communities is superficial and most incomplete. Nevertheless, even from the few data which are presented, it is clear that there is a striking similarity in vegetation structure and zonation pattern in the various parts of the world. Hutchinson, however, does not make the slightest attempt to elaborate a synthesis. In fact this chapter is unbalanced and most disappointing. The last chapter (Chapter 32) deals with benthic algae, including the lichens, and contains very valuable information; it is a balanced selection from a very rich, b u t scattered literature. It is quite clear from the outline of the b o o k that Hutchinson has been seriously hindered in his intention to present an all-round review of the limnological botany by his device to do no superfluous work and the existence of some outstanding books, e.g. Gessner's " H y d r o b o t a n i k " and Sculthorpe's "The Biology of Aquatic Vascular Plants". He makes no secret of the fact that he concentrated on subjects not treated in these books. This may explain the imbalance of Chapter 29. In spite of these limitations, several important subjects have n o t been touched upon, although the already mentioned authors did n o t treat them, e.g. primary productivity and decomposition of macrophytes, mutual relations between aquatic plants, relations between aquatic plants and aquatic animals, succession and periodicity, and aquatic fungi. The figures are generally satisfactory, b u t there are some exceptions, Figs. 27, 42, 47 D and E, 50 A and C, 53 and 67 being of poor quality. My general conclusion is that Hutchinson's b o o k can be recommended to every botanist working with or interested in aquatic plants. It misses, however, the brilliance of the other t w o volumes which are true masterpieces. C. DEN H A R T O G
(Nijmegen, The Netherlands)