The primary role of this book is to introduce the reader to, and hopefully stimulate interest in, the ecology of temporary aquatic habi­ tats. The book assumes that the reader will have, already, some gen­ eral knowledge of ecology but this is not essential. Temporary waters exhibit amplitudes in both physical and chemical parameters which are much greater than those found in most waterbodies. The organisms that live in these types of habitats have, therefore, to be very well adapted to these conditions if they are to survive. Survival depends largely on exceptional physiological tolerance or effective immigration and emigration abilities. Examples of such adaptations are given throughout the book and it is hoped that these will aid the reader in gaining an insight into the structure and function of plant and animal communities of these unusual habi­ tats. The final chapter suggests field and laboratory projects that should be useful to students in school and university studies.
1: Introduction to Temporary Waters.- 1.1 What are temporary waters?.- 1.2 Classification of temporary waters.- 1.3 Importance of temporary waters.- 2: The Physical Factors that Govern the Formation of Temporary Waters.- 2.1 The runoff cycle.- 2.2 Components of subsurface water.- 2.3 Basin and channel formation.- 2.3.1 Pond basins.- 2.3.2 How many ponds?.- 2.3.3 Stream channels.- 2.3.4 How many streams?.- 3: Abiotic Features of Temporary Waters.- 3.1 Water balance.- 3.2 Water temperature.- 3.3 Turbidity.- 3.4 Dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide.- 3.5 Other chemical parameters.- 4: The Biota.- 4.1 The temporary water community  global scale.- 4.1.1 Comparison of the communities of four ponds.- 4.1.2 Distribution patterns in the Branchiopoda.- 4.2 The temporary water community  local scale  case histories.- 4.2.1 Biota of a nearctic temporary pond.- 4.2.2 Biota of a nearctic temporary stream.- 4.2.3 Australian temporary streams.- 4.2.4 Billabong systems.- 4.2.5 Sahara Desert rainpools.- 4.2.6 Rain-filled rock pools of African “Kopjes”.- 4.2.7 Rain-filled rock pools of southwestern Australia.- 4.2.8 Antarctic melt-water streams.- 4.2.9 Temporary saline ponds and lakes.- 4.3 Other inhabitants of temporary waters.- 4.4 Comparison of permanent and temporary water faunas.- 4.5 Community dynamics and trophic relationships.- 4.6 Community structure  biotic versus abiotic control.- 5: Special Adaptations.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Variability in life cycles.- 5.3 Phenotypic and genotypic variation.- 5.4 Physiological adaptations.- 5.4.1 Behavioural avoidance.- 5.4.2 Timing of growth and emergence.- 5.4.3 Diapause.- 5.5 Physiology of desiccation.- 6: Colonization Patterns.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Adaptive “strategies” of colonizing animals.- 6.3 Active colonization.- 6.3.1 Flight periodicity.- 6.3.2 Flight initiation and termination.- 6.4 Passive colonization.- 6.5 Colonization and competition.- 6.6 Temporary waters as islands in time and space.- 7: Other Temporary Water Habitats.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Treeholes.- 7.3 Pitcher plants.- 7.4 Bromeliads.- 7.5 Inflorescences.- 7.6 Snowfields.- 7.7 Deserts.- 7.8 Dung.- 7.9 Saltwater rock pools.- 7.10 Starfish.- 8: Applied Aspects of Temporary Waters.- 8.1 Aquaculture/agriculture rotation  an ancient art.- 8.2 Floodplain fisheries.- 8.2.1 Habitat types.- 8.2.2 The flora.- 8.2.3 The fauna.- 8.3 Habitats for vectors of disease.- 9: Temporary Waters as Study Habitats.- 9.1 Investigations of the structure and function of aquatic populations and communities.- 9.2 Investigations of colonization patterns, dynamics and mechanics of temporary water species.- 9.3 Investigations of the physiological adaptations of temporary water faunas.- References.