Customer Reviews

Stream Ecology: Structure and function of running waters

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book because my class required it as a textbook. There's a substantial weight to it but it uses regular printing paper, not the smooth shiny stuff that is impossible to read under a light.

There are 14 chapters in this book that all talk about a different aspect of streams such as : human impact, streamflow, abiotic environment and trophic relationships. The double-column formatting is broken every once in a while to include a graph or image that helps explain what the textbook is saying. Each chapter also has a one page summary that helps you recall all that you read.

4/5 stars: good book chock full of information in text and pictorial form. Just wish it wasn't such a slow read. But then again, which textbook isn't?

My interest in this book followed from a desire to obtain information that might help me outwit wild and wily trout by any and every means possible. And sure enough, this book contains a wealth of information. The only problem is that much of it is incomprehensible to the lay reader as opposed to the scientific community.

For instance, here's what I encountered as I researched what and how fish eat (feeding ecology of riverine fishes): "Herbivorous fishes with scraping mouthparts such as the stoneroller Campostoma anomalum clearly have little in common with ooze feeders such as the blunt-nose minnow Pimephales notatus. Some benthic invertebrate feeders utilize prey primarily from soft bottoms (the suckermouth minnow Phenacobius mirabilis), others from stony bottoms (the greenside darter Etheostoma blennioides)."

OK...

On the other hand, for biologists and advanced students of ecology the book presents a comprehensive exposition of technical information. And the rest of us, who may not be equipped to cut through the scientific jargon, will still take away a sense of the intricacy and complexity of the living systems of streams and rivers.

since this is the best text on the subject. Cluttered and difficult, reads more like a literature review than a textbook. There is no glossary and the index isn't very good. The figures are hard to interpret without reading the text. The drawings are poor quality. On the other hand, it is packed with information. Anything you want to know about stream ecology is in here, its just difficult to access.

I am a college student who was taught in a course using this textbook. From a student's perspective, the book was thorough and detailed but relatively unhelpful. The block text and lack of bolded words (or color, for that matter) was a huge deterrent to effective studying. These elements may not be important for professors, but they truly make a difference to students. The illustrations were confusing at best and unintelligable at worst (even reading the caption and text did not effectively explain the graph in some instances). All in all, it contained good information, but I ultimately used it very little.

Book came on time and in great shape just as the seller promised. Thank you very much.

The composition and content of this text make up for a lack of illustrations, which are black and white photos or graphs.

Use this to go back to over and over again. Also helps to explain for all levels of understanding.