Limnology (2+1)

Unit 1- Limnology- An introduction

1.1.2 Development of Limnology
Initiation of works in the field of Limnology could be traced back to Aristotle (384-322 BC) which consisted mostly of strange mixtures of facts and fiction with little scientific value followed by observation of certain conspicuous freshwater phenomena. However, significant contributions of strictly limnological nature began to appear about a thousand nine hundred years after Aristotle with the description related to habitat, habit and life history of certain fishes, insects and aquatic macrophytes. But, most of these were isolated accumulation of correlated observations, few of which could be used by modern limnologists mostly for historical purposes.
Since the initiation of optics with Euclid (2000 BC) and later with the invention of microscope, there has been significant development in the field of aquatic biology and limnology because it has not only opened the door to the whole world of microscopic organisms, but also provided with a new and effective means of studying the various higher types of life in water. This was followed by description of minute aquatic organisms by Anton Van Leewenhook (1632 – 1723), the pioneering classification of microscopic organisms by the Danish biologist, Otto Friedrich Muller (1786), publication of the Treatise, “Infus Animalcules” by Ehrenberg (1838) which marks the beginning of those advances in knowledge which occurred in the 20th century.
Peter Erasmus Muller is credited with laying the foundation stone of limnological study. Anton Fritsch could be considered as the pioneer in lacustrine limnology for his work on lakes in the Bohemian Forest and F. Simony (1850) is regarded, sometimes as the founder of Limnology for his discovery of thermal stratification. However, it remained practically everything for F.A. Forel (1841- 1912), a professor in the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, to recognize the real biological opportunity of lake investigations and the science of limnology is indebted to him for his comprehensive vision and complete anticipation about the future of this subject. He is regarded as the Founder and father of Modern Limnology for his 110 publications (Chumley, 1910). It was he who took the decisive step forward from hydrobiology to limnology through his investigations in Lake Geneva, not only from the biological point of view but also from physical and chemical stand points, thereby formulating the concept of lake types. In addition the design of his first programme for limnological investigations in freshwater and its subsequent execution turned out to be a model for future researches.
Forel’s work paved the way for establishment of Limnological Society in 1887 as a component of Swiss Natural history Society (in order to promote limnological works) and later the International Commission of limnology was established in 1890). In brief, the History of limnology could be dated back to approximately 100 years. Although certain preliminary studies has been done on the habits, nutrition, movement, behaviour etc., on certain aquatic organisms by different workers during the 17th and 18th centuries, these were mostly hydrobiological works and not limnological. True studies on the relationship of biota to freshwater could be treated as initiated from Junge (1885) and Forbes (1897) who were the first to treat the native waters as microcosm.
Gaarder and Gran (1927) made pioneering attempts at measuring the photoautotrophic production (primary production) by quantitative determination of oxygen produced during photosynthesis. Later the direct measurement of carbon assimilation in the water bodies was achieved in 1952 using radio-carbon method (Steemann and Nielsen, 1952). The estimation of trophic dynamics concept having regard to the biomass, material turn over and energy transport along the food chain by Lindeman (1942) not only revolutionized the field of general ecology, but also gave a new direction to Limnology (Cook,1977).

Early freshwater investigations
In 1870, Simson, published a short account of the deep water fauna of Lake Michigan. Smith and Verrill (1871) made deep water dredging in Lake Superior and published on the invertebrates collected. In 1886, the Allis Lake laboratory, a privately supported institution and said to be the first freshwater biological station in America, was established at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but its life was brief and none of its work was concerned with the general biology of the Great lakes. In the meantime, interested workers were giving attention to some of the smaller inland lakes. Forbes made a study of certain high lakes of the Rocky Mountains and published only on biological information concerning lakes in western United States. During the decade of 1890 -1900, important freshwater biological stations have been found viz, (1) the University of Minnesota at Gull Lake, Minnesota, 1893; (2) the University of Illinosis on the Illinosis River, 1894; (3) the University of Indiana at Turkey Lake, Indiana, 1895.
The stimuli of scientific interest and of the necessities of public health brought about the initiation of systematic surveys of water supplies and of water systems in general, the Massachusette State Board of health taking the lead in about 1887. Subsequently, similar work was undertaken by various municipal and government departments, all of which contributed, directly and indirectly to the sum total of limnological information. Phenomenal progress of the general subject of ecology inevitably had a constructive influence on limnology and because of its many ramifications limnology has likewise profited from simultaneous advances of other sciences.