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As with all ecosystems, river systems involve a complex interaction of a rich diversity of microorganisms, plants and animals with their physical and chemical environment. Uniquely, the river habitat presents particular problems for organisms exposed to unidirectional currents, seasonal variation in flow, and disturbance due to pollution and other human interference. This book, drawing on chapters from the two volumes of The Rivers Handbook starts with a description of the taxa, their adaptation and their ecologies, followed by chapters describing the ecosystem processes in the terms of trophic interactions and the key production processes related to photosynthesis and decomposition, the problems of making reliable observations of river organisms, how river biota are impacted upon by humans, and finally, how these biota can be used as indicators of these effects.
