The Nile, Biology of an Ancient River : Biology of an Ancient River

357 Temperature . . . . . . . . . 358 Transparency and light penetration. 360 Salinity and conductivity 363 Major ions . . . . . 365 Dissolved gases and pH 371 Plant nutrients. 375 References 381 27. Phytoplankton: cOlDposition, developlDent and p- ductivity by]. F. TaIling. 385 Introduction. . . . . 385 Regional Development 385 The headwater lakes 385 a. Lake Victoria . 385 b. Lake Kioga . 387 c. Lake Albert. . 388 d. Lake Tana . . 390 The Sudan plain . 390 The Main Nile in Nubia and Egypt. 395 Limiting factors . . . . . . . . 396 Rates of photosynthetic production 397 References . . . . . 400 VI. Epilogue by ]. Rzoska 403 Authors Index . 407 Subject Index . . . . 413 The Nile in the Desert. The view encompasses more than 2000 kilometers from the river junction in the lower part of the picture to just below the Qena-Luxor bend, at the left upper end. The photograph was taken before the Aswan High Dam basin began to rise. The Red Sea and Saudi Arabia and the Ethiopian Highlands form the background. For the present state of the Dam basin see fig. 72. Courtesy of NASA. INTRODUCTION This book is an attempt to bring together information on the biology of the Nile. A big library could be filled by books on this river devoted to exploration and discovery, human history and hydrology. None has so far been written on the biology of the whole river system. Front Matter....Pages I-XIX Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The Geological Evolution of the River Nile in Egypt....Pages 2-4 Pleistocene History of the Nile in Nubia....Pages 5-9 The Nile in the Sudan, Geomorphological History....Pages 11-19 The Nile — Palaeolimnology of Headwaters....Pages 21-30 Front Matter....Pages 31-31 Palaeo-Ecology....Pages 33-45 Prehistoric Civilisations in Lower Egypt....Pages 47-49 Ancient Egypt, Landscape, Flora and Agriculture....Pages 51-68 Appendix Domesticated Animals of Ancient Egypt....Pages 69-71 River and Nile Valley before Mans’ Interference....Pages 73-78 Vegetation of the Nile Basin....Pages 79-86 The Riverain Flora in Nubia....Pages 87-91 Zoogeography of the Nile Environment....Pages 93-93 Mammals....Pages 95-97 Birds....Pages 99-101 Amphibia and Reptiles....Pages 103-109 Invertebrates....Pages 111-115 The Faunal Relations of Oligoghaeta in the Nile Basin....Pages 117-125 Fish Fauna of the Nile....Pages 127-141 Front Matter....Pages 143-143 Nile Waters — Hydrology Past and Present....Pages 145-153 Nile Sediments....Pages 155-161 Front Matter....Pages 163-163 Lake Victoria, Physical Features, General Remarks on Chemistry and Biology....Pages 167-175 Swamp Development in the Head Waters of the White Nile....Pages 177-196 Descent to the Sudan Plains....Pages 197-214 The White Nile from Malakal to Khartoum....Pages 215-218 Lake Tana, Headwaters of the Blue Nile....Pages 223-232 Notes on the Biogeography of the Blue Nile (Great Abbai) Gorge in Ethiopia....Pages 233-242 The Blue Nile in the Plains....Pages 243-256 The Atbara — An Example of Temporary Rivers....Pages 259-262 The Joint Nile in the Sudan....Pages 263-270 Lake Nasser and Lake Nubia....Pages 271-298 Fishes and Fisheries of Lake Nasser....Pages 299-307 Delta Lakes of Egypt....Pages 309-312 Front Matter....Pages 313-313 The Invasion of Eichhornia Crassipes in the Sudanese White Nile....Pages 315-320 Schistosomiasis in the Nile Basin....Pages 321-324 Insects as Factor in General and Human Ecology in the Sudan....Pages 325-332 Zooplankton of the Nile System....Pages 333-343 Notes on the Benthos of the Nile System....Pages 345-351 Freshwater Crabs of the Nile System....Pages 353-356 Water Characteristics....Pages 357-384 Phytoplankton: Composition, Development and Productivity....Pages 385-402 Epilogue....Pages 403-406 Back Matter....Pages 407-417