1. Water cycle in the biosphere and distribution of water on the planet Earth
Hydrological cycle; elementary physical and chemical properties of water; origin of lakes, trophic status and zonation of lakes, running waters.

2. Distribution of light and temperature, distribution of oxygen, turbidity, inorganic carbon and pH.

3. Biogenic elements in waters – cycle of C, N, P

4. Communities of stagnant waters - phytoplankton
Composition of the community, size distribution. Stokes rule, Redfield ratio. Seasonal succesion, plankton paradox.

5. Communities of stagnant waters – zooplankton
Spatial structure of stagnat waters, communities, food webs, microbial loop. Major zooplankton groups. Top-down, bottom-up effect, PEG model.

6. Bacterioplankton and detritus of stagnant waters, forms of carbon in waters.

7. Littoral and march communities, macrophytes, benthos, and fish of stagnant waters.

8. Running waters – characteristics
Speed of currents, flow regime, transport of substances. River ecosystem, river continuum concept, erosion.

9. Running waters - communities

10. Protection of waters
Water frame directive (WFD), impact of climatic changes on running waters.

11. Acidification
Anthropogenic acidification, pH of rain and lake waters. Impact of S and N deposition on soil and water ecosystems. Recovery from acidification.

12. Eutrophication
Nutrients responsible for eutrophication and their sources. Impact on waters.