Solid particulate matter is very important in aquatic sciences as it regulates the transport of all types of water pollutants in dissolved and particulate phases. It regulates water clarity and the depth of the photic zone as well as bacterioplankton production and biomass, mineralization, oxygen consumption and oxygen concentrations.
These topics are discussed in this book, which also presents empirical and dynamical models for SPM based on the ecosystem perspective. The aim of these models is to structure existing knowledge on the factors regulating variations among and within aquatic systems of SPM in a rational and quantitative manner. This knowledge is fundamental for an understanding of the function and structure of aquatic systems.