In this account, Alan Pickering starts by providing a background to Windermere, introducing the reader to the lake geography, geology and historical development. As with all of the lakes in the English Lake District, and most of the UK, Windermere was formed at the end of the last glaciation. Major changes in its catchment induced by the changing climate and then by the removal of the forests by man have been recognised through examination of lake sediments. The book concentrates on one of the most dramatic changes in the second half of the twentieth century - the decline in the health of the lake ecosystem. The main cause of this was the increased nutrient load from local sewage treatment works. As the ecological balance of the lake was threatened, the collaborative efforts of scientists and environmental managers restored the lake to one with thriving populations of fish and other aquatic fauna and flora. As one of the scientists involved in this work, Professor Pickering gives a very clear account of all of these changes and some thoughts on issues surrounding the future management of the lake. His explanations of the more technical aspects make it accessible for the less technically- minded as well as to scientists and students of lakes and their catchments.

This is the latest in the FBA series of Special Publications and complements the previous publication, The Phytoplankton of Windermere by C. S. Reynolds and A. E. Irish (published in 2000). It will appeal to anyone who has an interest in lakes or the English Lake District.