1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910452377103321

Titolo

Ecology and conservation of estuarine ecosystems : Lake St. Lucia as a global model / / edited by Renzo Perissinotto, Derek D. Stretch, Ricky H. Taylor [[electronic resource]]

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cambridge : , : Cambridge University Press, , 2013

ISBN

1-107-35749-7

1-107-23555-3

1-107-34162-0

1-107-34896-X

1-107-34787-4

1-139-09572-2

1-107-34537-5

1-299-40336-0

1-107-34412-3

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (xxvii, 486 pages) : digital, PDF file(s)

Disciplina

577.7/86096843

Soggetti

Natural history - South Africa - Saint Lucia, Lake

Estuarine ecology - South Africa - Saint Lucia, Lake

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Nota di contenuto

1. South Africa's first World Heritage Site -- 2. Management history -- 3. Geological history -- 4. The marine environment -- 5. Catchment hydrology -- 6. The wetlands -- 7. Estuary and lake hydrodynamics -- 8. Groundwater hydrology -- 9. Physico-chemical environment -- 10. Microalgae -- 11. Macrophytes -- 12. Benthic invertebrates -- 13. Zooplankton -- 14. Penaeid prawns -- 15. Fish and fisheries -- 16. Birds -- 17. Crocodiles -- 18. Hippopotamuses -- 19. Alien and invasive species -- 20. Food webs and ecosystem functioning -- 21. Climate change impacts.

Sommario/riassunto

St Lucia is the world's oldest protected estuary and Africa's largest estuarine system. It is also the centerpiece of South Africa's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, and has



been a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance since 1986. Knowledge of its biodiversity, geological origins, hydrology, hydrodynamics and the long history of management is unique in the world. However, the impact of global change has culminated in unprecedented challenges for the conservation and management of the St Lucia system, leading to the recent initiation of a project in support of its rehabilitation and long-term sustainability. This timely volume provides a unique source of information on the functioning and management of the estuary for researchers, students and environmental managers. The insights and experiences described build on over 60 years of study and management at the site and will serve as a valuable model for similar estuaries around the world.