AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE A N D FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, VOL. 3. 159 (1993)

BOOK REVIEW

THE RIVERS HANDBOOK VOLUME 1: HYDRO- LOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES, edited by P. Calow and G. E. Petts, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford. 526 pp.

This is the first part of a two-volume work ‘conceived to provide a synthesis of scientific knowledge on rivers and to provide the basis for achieving scientifically-sound and environmentally-sensitive river management’. Volume 1 aims to give an up-to-date scientific background and Volume 2 will develop the principles and philosophy into the management sphere. Clearly the success of the enterprise will depend greatly on the second volume but meantime the first volume has to be assessed in isolation.

This is an edited volume with 23 chapters written by 30 contributors and divided into four parts. Part 1 covers hydrological and physicochemical characteristics. It has chapters on headwater catchments (T. P. Burt), river regimes (A. Gustard), physical (D. E. Walling and B. W. Webb) and chemical (B. W. Webb and D. E. Walling) water quality, hydraulics and sediment transport (P. A. Carling), channel morphology and typology (M. Church), and floodplains (J. Lewin). These provide a good basic introduction to the topics and most are successful in deriving principles either from particular detailed cases or from broad comparative studies.

Part 2 deals with the biota and has chapters on hetero- trophic microbes (L. Maltby), algae (C. S. Reynolds), macrophytes (A. M. Fox), invertebrates (K. W. Cummins), fish (P. B. Bayley and H. W. Li) and sampling (R. H. Norris, E. P. McElravy and V. H. Resh). Again these provide a good introduction to the topics. Detailed information is generally avoided with the emphasis placed on explaining the unifying concepts and principles that have emerged in recent years. The chapters on algae and on fish seem particularly innovative in their approaches. The inclusion of a chapter on the sampling problem is perhaps unusual but highly relevant. Unidirectional flow creates particular problems in areas such as replicating sampling units and establishing controls and these are addressed directly and clearly.

Part 3 turns to inputs and pathways of matter and energy. It is concerned with the functioning of ecosystems, building on the structural organization described in the earlier sections. There are chapters on food webs and species interactions (A. G. Hildrew), detritus processing (L. Maltby), primary production (R. G. Wetzel and A. K. Ward), energy budgets (P. Calow) and cycles and spirals of nutrients (J. D. Newbold). I failed to detect any logical sequence through the section, which made it difficult to read as a

whole, but each chapter presents a good account of the principles involved. In particular, the opening chapter is an excellent review of the advances that have taken place in the analysis of trophic interactions in recent years.

Part 4 consists of five case studies of individual river systems: La Grande Riviere, Canada (P. P. Harper), The RhBne, France (J. P. Bravard, A. L. Roux, C. Amoros and J. L. Reygrobellet), The Orinoco, Venezuela and Colombia (E. Vasquez and W. Wilbert), The Murray, Australia (K. F. Walker) and the St Vrain, USA (J. V. Ward). These are said to have been selected to cover all major geographical regions, mountain and lowland regions, and to focus on large rivers because these have been given less emphasis elsewhere. In practice most of the chapters are updating previous and more extensive reviews of the rivers. The RhBne and the Murray are extensively utilized and controlled by man, and most of the studies on La Grande Riviere relate to the development of a major hydroelectric project. Although I enjoyed reading the reviews I do not feel that these rivers are an appropriate selection for this volume on basic principles. Indeed, this section has little connection with the rest of the volume.

As with all edited volumes there is some unevenness in the approach of the authors. Most say little, if anything, about methodology but some spend up to nine pages on it. Several discuss human impacts, including management, and it remains to be seen how this will fit in with Volume 2. Some attempt to cover most aspects of their topic while others concentrate on what they consider to be the most relevant themes. Parts 1 to 3 are written almost exclusively by authors from the UK or the USA. Some show a good awareness of the international literature but others seem rather parochial in the examples they discuss. The latter should realize that, even if they are using the best available data, their unifying concepts will carry less conviction if they are not shown to apply on a wide geographical basis. There is certainly scope for improved river management in Europe and North America but the problems there are generally less awesome than those which can arise in the rivers of Africa, Asia and South America.

Overall I found this volume very interesting and informative to read. The emphasis on principles rather than elaborate details is refreshing and stimulating. It gives a comprehensive account of our present under- standing of river ecosystems and will be an important reference work for years to come. I look forward with anticipation to reading Volume 2.

A. D. BERRIE Fresh water Biological Association, Wareham, UK

1052-761 3/93/0201 59-01 $05.50 01993 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd