Course: Cycles of Elements in Aquatic Ecosystems and their Catchments

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Course title Cycles of Elements in Aquatic Ecosystems and their Catchments
Course code VURH/CEWD
Organizational form of instruction Lecture
Level of course Doctoral
Year of study not specified
Semester Summer
Number of ECTS credits 5
Language of instruction English
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Course availability The course is available to visiting students
Lecturer(s)
  • Kopáček Jiří, prof. Ing. Ph.D.
  • Hejzlar Josef, doc. Ing. CSc.
Course content
The course will be focused on adverse effects of increasing concentrations of nutrients and other ecologically important elements and substances from anthropogenic and natural sources on aquatic ecosystems. The graduates will gain basic knowledge about (i) major sources of water pollutants, (ii) their effects on natural element cycling in waters, and (iii) possible measures, how to protect aquatic environments from their effects. The aims of individual lectures are as follows: 1) Water composition and its basic physical and chemical 2) Carbon (C) cycle in waters: Carbon dioxide, organic C and its terrestrial sources, primary production in waters, transformations in food webs, mineralization, and methane production. Burial of inorganic and organic C forms in sediments, loss of gaseous C compounds to atmosphere 3) Nitrogen (N) cycle in waters: Major N forms, sources for waters, fixation, nitrification, denitrification, dissimilative nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA), N burial in sediments, loss of N to atmosphere. 4) Phosphorus sources, forms and chemistry, mechanisms of P retention in soils and sediments, factors governing P mobility in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. 5) Sulphur (S), iron (Fe), aluminium (Al), and silicon (Si) cycles in waters: Sources, major forms, and chemistry of these elements in terrestrial and aquatic environments and their interactions with P and C cycles. 6) Major toxic pollutants in aquatic environments: Heavy metals, xenobiotics bioaccumulation in food webs, their reactivity and possible mitigation of their negative effects. 7) Eutrophication effect on surface water quality: Major sources of nutrients, limitation of primary production, stoichiometry, and strategies to prevent and mitigate pollution of aquatic ecosystems by nutrients, prediction models. 8) Effect of atmospheric acidification on chemistry and biology of surface waters: Emission trends in S and N compounds to the atmosphere, soil acidification, acidifying effects of N compounds, changes in chemistry of surface waters, Al toxicity for aquatic biota, recovery from acidification. 9) Effects of climate change and agriculture on hydrology and diffuse sources of pollution: Factors affecting surface and ground water resources, effects of draining systems and fertilization on terrestrial losses of sulphate, chloride, base cations and P and N forms to the receiving waters. 10) Point sources of surface water pollution: Domestic and industrial waste waters, their types, composition, risks, and possible elimination of their negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems. 11) Water quality management: Principles of the EU Water Framework Directive; reservoir functions and design; ecotechnological methods of management reservoirs and their catchments; revitalization of streams; reduction of pollution of streams under production ponds (fishponds)

Learning activities and teaching methods
Monologic (reading, lecture, briefing), Group work
Learning outcomes
Education will be focused on adverse effects of increasing concentrations of nutrients and other ecologically important elements and substances from anthropogenic and natural sources on aquatic ecosystems.
The graduates will gain basic knowledge about (i) major sources of water pollutants, (ii) their effects on natural element cycling in waters, and (iii) possible measures, how to protect aquatic environments from their effects.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge on physical-chemistry, limnology, and hydrobiology

Assessment methods and criteria
Oral examination, Written examination

Participation at most lectures, study of obligatory literature, 15-minute lecture (selected from an obligatory list) at a student seminary (part of lectures), and successful completion of the final written exam.
Recommended literature
  • Davis M.L. Water and wastewater engineering. McGraw Hill, New York., 2010.
  • Driscoll C.T., Postek K.M. The chemistry of aluminum in surface waters, p. 363?418.. In G. Sposito [ed.], The environmental chemistry of aluminum. Lewis. Exley C. 2003. A biogeochemical cycle for aluminium? Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 97: 1?7. 1996.
  • Hanrahan G. Key concepts in environmental chemistry. Academic Press, Amsterdam., 2012.
  • Holdren C. et al. Managing Lakes and Reservoirs. NALMS, Madison, WI, 2001.
  • Kalff J. Inland water ecosystems. Limnology. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River., 2002.
  • Kopáček, J., Hejzlar, J., Porcal, P., Posch, M. Trends in riverine element fluxes: A chronicle of regional socio-economic changes. Water Research, 125. 2017.
  • Kopáček J., Hejzlar J., Posch M. Factors controlling the export of nitrogen from agricultural land in a large central European catchment during 1900?2010. Environ. Sci. Technol. 47, 2013.
  • Wetzel R.G. Limnology. 3. vyd.. Academic Press, New York., 2001.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester