Edward G. Bellinger, Department Environmental Sciences & Policy, Central European University, HungaryDavid C. Sigee, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, UK

• Preface to the First Edition ix Preface to the Second Edition xiAcknowledgements xiii1 Introduction to Freshwater Algae 11.1 General introduction 11.1.1 Algae – an overview 11.1.2 Algae as primary producers 21.1.3 Freshwater environments 21.1.4 Planktonic and benthic algae 21.1.5 Size and shape 41.2 Taxonomic variation – the major groups of algae 51.2.1 Microscopical appearance 81.2.2 Biochemistry and cell structure 81.2.3 Molecular characterisation and identification 101.3 Blue-green algae 131.3.1 Cytology 131.3.2 Morphological and taxonomic diversity 141.3.3 Ecology 151.3.4 Blue-green algae as bioindicators 161.4 Green algae 171.4.1 Cytology 181.4.2 Morphological diversity 181.4.3 Ecology 191.4.4 Green algae as bioindicators 221.5 Euglenoids 221.5.1 Cytology 231.5.2 Morphological diversity 231.5.3 Ecology 241.5.4 Euglenoids as bioindicators 241.6 Yellow-green algae 241.6.1 Cytology 241.6.2 Morphological diversity 251.6.3 Ecology 251.6.4 Yellow-green algae as bioindicators 261.7 Dinoflagellates 261.7.1 Cytology 261.7.2 Morphological diversity 281.7.3 Ecology 281.8 Cryptomonads 291.8.1 Cytology 291.8.2 Comparison with euglenoid algae 301.8.3 Biodiversity 311.8.4 Ecology 311.8.5 Cryptomonads as bioindicators 321.9 Chrysophytes 321.9.1 Cytology 321.9.2 Morphological diversity 321.9.3 Ecology 321.9.4 Chrysophytes as bioindicators 331.10 Diatoms 341.10.1 Cytology 351.10.2 Morphological diversity 381.10.3 Ecology 401.10.4 Diatoms as bioindicators 411.11 Red algae 411.12 Brown algae 422 Sampling, Biomass Estimation and Counts of Freshwater Algae 43A. PLANKTONIC ALGAE 432.1 Protocol for collection 432.1.1 Standing water phytoplankton 442.1.2 River phytoplankton 472.2 Mode of collection 482.2.1 Phytoplankton trawl net 482.2.2 Volume samplers 502.2.3 Integrated sampling 512.2.4 Sediment traps 522.3 Phytoplankton biomass 532.3.1 Turbidity 532.3.2 Dry weight and ash-free dry weight 542.3.3 Pigment concentrations 552.4 Flow cytometry: automated analysis of phytoplankton populations 602.5 Biodiversity of mixed-species populations: microscope counts and biovolumes 632.5.1 Sample preservation and processing 632.5.2 Chemical cleaning of diatoms 642.5.3 Species counts 652.5.4 Conversion of species counts to biovolumes 722.5.5 Indices of biodiversity 772.6 Biodiversity within single-species populations 782.6.1 Molecular analysis 782.6.2 Analytical microscopical techniques 79B. NON-PLANKTONIC ALGAE 832.7 Deep-water benthic algae 842.7.1 Benthic-pelagic coupling 842.7.2 Benthic algae and sediment stability 852.7.3 Invertebrate grazing of benthic algae 862.8 Shallow-water communities 862.8.1 Substrate 862.8.2 Algal communities 892.9 Algal biofilms 902.9.1 Mucilaginous biofilms 912.9.2 Biomass 912.9.3 Taxonomic composition 922.9.4 Matrix structure 942.10 Periphyton – algal mats 952.10.1 Inorganic substratum 952.10.2 Plant surfaces 953 Algae as Bioindicators 1013.1 Bioindicators and water quality 1013.1.1 Biomarkers and bioindicators 1013.1.2 Characteristics of bioindicators 1023.1.3 Biological monitoring versus chemical measurements 1033.1.4 Monitoring water quality: objectives 1043.2 Lakes 1073.2.1 Contemporary planktonic and attached algae as bioindicators 1073.2.2 Fossil algae as bioindicators: lake sediment analysis 1083.2.3 Water quality parameters: inorganic and organic nutrients, acidity and heavy metals 1113.3 Wetlands 1213.3.1 Marshes 1213.3.2 Peatlands 1233.4 Rivers 1233.4.1 The periphyton community 1233.4.2 River diatoms 1233.4.3 Evaluation of the diatom community 1243.4.4 Human impacts and diatom indices 1263.4.5 Calculation of diatom indices 1283.4.6 Practical applications of diatom indices 1303.4.7 Nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae 1353.5 Estuaries 1353.5.1 Ecosystem complexity 1363.5.2 Algae as estuarine bioindicators 1374 A Key to the More Frequently Occurring Freshwater Algae 1414.1 Introduction to the key 1414.1.1 Using the key 1414.1.2 Morphological groupings 1424.2 Key to the main genera and species 1424.3 List of algae included and their occurrence in the key 2494.4 Algal identification: bibliography 251Glossary 253References 259Index 269