Lake Stechlin

This current volume in the Advances in Limnology addresses new limnological studies carried out in the Lake Stechlin area and summarizes and integrates the present state of approach in various fields to understand a temperate oligotrophic lowland lake. It provides unpublished recent results from different disciplines, e. g. bacteriology, fish ecology and fishery, gas cycling, geochemistry, hydrology, limnology, phycology, paleolimnology, sedimentology, which are carefully related to previous knowledge on Lake Stechlin and other lake ecosystems. The limnological studies on Lake Stechlin, which now span a period of more than four decades, covered a large range of subjects, focused on producing a better understanding of the structure and function of an oligotrophic lowland lake in the temperate climate zone. Throughout this period, a general focus was on understanding the importance of catchment area influences, hydrometeorological conditions and nutrient loading on biocoenoses, bacterial, primary and secondary production and the water and sediment composition as well as heat, matter and water balances. The relationships between different reasonably reproduced environmental conditions and subsequent changes in lake limnology and reactions in the lake were investigated on a quasi experimental basis. Lake Stechlin has been studied extensively since 1958 by different research institutions within the bounds of special scientific collaboration programs and projects. In addition to these programs, scientists from different countries participated in Lake Stechlin research. This volume is intended to stimulate new approaches and potentials for integrative studies on lake ecology and the sustainable management of lake systems.