Laghi di Monticchio (Southern Italy,Region Basilicata): genesis of sediments—a geochemical study

The sedimentation record of Lago Grande di Monticchio (LGM) is one of the most prominent paleoclimatic archives in the non-glaciated areas of Europe. However, the modern lake system has never been the subject of intense limnological studies. On the basis of hydrochemical water profiles, detailed investigations of sediment short cores and in situ pore water profiles from the littoral to the profundal zone, we elucidate spatial variations of sediment genesis within the lake basin and the importance of various depth sections for the lake’s internal nutrient cycling. Sediments from the smaller meromictic Lago Piccolo di Montichio are discussed as a reference. Our study demonstrates: (i) distinctly higher sediment accumulation for the centre of the lake basin by focussing of the settling particle flux; (ii) decline of carbonate from the littoral to the profundal zones; (iii) non-synchronous change of calcite net-accumulation for various water depths; (iv) exceptionally high cation release from sediments covering the steeply inclining sector of the lake basin; (v) relatively constant dissolved silica concentrations in the pore waters (SiO₂ ∼42 mg/l) independent of water depth and sediment composition; (vi) influx of oxygen-bearing groundwater into the anoxic hypolimnion after heavy rainfall and the associated precipitation of Fe-oxihydroxides; (vii) higher release of NH₄ by anaerobic degradation of organic matter at a water depth of 23 m than for sediments at a maximum water depth of 32 m, whereby the latter reflects the importance of seasonal sediment re-oxidation for anaerobic degradation of organic debris; (viii) although seasonal re-oxidation of sediments from various water depths is quite different, Oxygen Index values of LGM sediments fall in a small range, which reflects rapid microbial consumption of seasonally re-generated easily bio-degradable organic molecules.     

Littoral and offshore communities of diatoms,cladocerans and dipterous larvae,and their interpretation in paleolimnology

The remains of diatoms, cladocerans, and midges are usually the most abundant of freshwater organisms and to now have been most useful in interpreting past conditions in a lake. Each taxocene consists of two separate communities, one in the warm littoral zone and the other offshore. Remains of inshore organisms are moved offshore by wind-generated currents, the amount of transport varying with individual characteristics of the lakes. Nowhere do remains of the two communities become completely integrated numerically, although the remains of the littoral chydorid Cladocera become integrated by species before they are incorporated into the sediments. The taxa of the planktonic Eubosmina and of the offshore midges correspond to levels of productivity in present-day lakes, and hence changes in the fossil record are commonly regarded as indicating eutrophication over time. The deepwater midges respond to the concentration of dissolved oxygen in deep water, which may be controlled more by a decrease in volume of deep water through accumulation of sediments than by any real increase in edaphic productivity. While such changes are going on offshore during the Holocene, the littoral communities of cladocerans and midges are scarcely changing at all, suggesting a different response of the inshore from the offshore communities to longterm changes resulting from increasing productively or from other functions. Thus, considering these different responses of the two communities of organisms and their incomplete mixing, the remains of littoral and offshore taxa recovered from an offshore core of sediments must be tabulated separately and interpreted separately. For any studies involving accumulation rates, there must be an understanding of the integration of inshore and offshore remains, its variation over the lake bottom, and how it may have varied with marked fluctuations in water level.This is the third of a series of papers to be published by this journal that was presented in the paleolimnology sessions organized by R. B. Davis and H. Löffler for the XIIth Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA), which took place in Ottawa, Canada in August 1987. Drs. Davis and Löffler are serving as guest editors of this series.     

Southern hemispheric westerlies control the spatial distribution of modern sediments in Laguna Potrok Aike,Argentina

We studied the internal lake processes that control the spatial distribution and characteristics of modern sediments at the ICDP (International Continental Scientific Drilling Program) deep drilling site in Laguna Potrok Aike, southern Patagonia, Argentina. Sediment distribution patterns were investigated using a dense grid of 63 gravity cores taken throughout the lake basin and 40 additional shoreline samples. Analysis of the surficial sediment distribution points to distinct internal depositional dynamics induced by wind-driven lake internal currents. Distribution maps illustrate that the spatial characteristics of analysed variables are linked to high erosional wave activity. Persistent wave action and littoral erosion along all shores, especially the eastern shore, is caused by prevailing Southern Hemispheric Westerlies. Several sediment variables (grain size, benthic diatoms, total inorganic carbon and calcium) indicate re-suspension of littoral sediment followed by re-distribution to profundal accumulation areas near the eastern shore. Variations within the catchment influence sediment characteristics in the north-eastern bay. That area is characterized by different mineralogical and sedimentological conditions as well as greater accumulation of pollen, inorganic carbon and diatoms. These findings are related to the influence of episodic inflow into this bay. Spatial differences in stable isotope values throughout the lake suggest that ephemeral tributaries around the lake basin may also contribute to the detected spatial sediment variations.     

Diatom assemblages and water depth in Lake 239 (Experimental Lakes Area,Ontario): implications for paleoclimatic studies

Diatom assemblages in surface sediments were sampled along three transects in Lake 239, from the Experimental Lakes Area (NW Ontario), and analyzed in order to explore the relationship between modern species distributions and water depth. Approximately 170 diatom species were identified in surficial sediments at lake depths from 2 to 30 m. The species composition varied with sample depth but remained highly similar across all three transects. The main patterns of variation in the diatom assemblages across transects, derived from a detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), showed that assemblages were highly correlated (r = 0.97 to 0.98). At depths > 8 m the pattern of predominantly benthic composition changed to a planktonic assemblage dominated by Cyclotella stelligera. This depth currently corresponds to the depth of 1% light penetration as assessed from extinction coefficient measurements. Diatom species diversity increases with the switch to the near-shore benthic taxa in all three transects. Additionally, there is a large decrease in the ratio of chrysophyte scales to diatoms at depths < 8 m. Light transmission data from wet and dry periods over the last 35 years suggests that during dry periods the extent of the littoral zone should change by over 2 m. We suggest that cores along a transect from 8 to 14 m should provide a highly sensitive location for detailed paleoclimatic study.     

Variation among fossil chironomid assemblages in surficial sediments of Bodensee-Untersee (SW-Germany): implications for paleolimnological interpretation

In paleolimnology, subfossil head capsules of chironomids play an important role as ecological indicators of lake history. It is important to determine, therefore, whether fossil assemblages are representative of former biocoenoses. There is evidence that headcapsules washed in from other places can make up a significant percentage of the total. As interpretations are usually drawn from the examination of a single core, it is of special interest to know whether a fossil assemblage of a single site properly reflects limnological conditions of the whole lake. This study examined the taxonomic distribution of subfossil chironomids in the surficial sediments of the Bodensee-Untersee, with the aim of assessing the variability in chironomid assemblages. Apparently, most of the head capsules of the profundal fossil assemblages in the Untersee had been washed in from the littoral zone or from the slope. Although the Bodensee-Untersee is a rather large lake, variability is surprisingly low among all samples. Therefore a correct interpretation from a single core may be possible.     

Interpretation of Holocene lake-level change from diatom assemblages in Lake Sidi Ali,Middle Atlas,Morocco

While palaeohydrological changes in non-outlet lakes provide a key proxy indicator of past climatic fluctuations, for lake systems which have been chemically insensitive, it is necessary to use indicators of water depth rather than salinity to reconstruct their hydro- climatic histories. A study of diatoms in the modern sediments of Sidi Ali, a non-outlet lake in the Middle Atlas of Morocco, has shown a statistically significant correlation between water depth and the ratio of planktonic to littoral diatoms. This relationship is used to calibrate fossil diatom assemblages from a lake sediment core from the same lake to provide a quantitative index of water levels over the pastc. 6500 years. Palaeoecological evidence suggests that climatically induced hydrological variations have dominated the bulk of the mid-late Holocene lake sediment record, with significant human-induced catchment disturbance only occurring during the twentieth century. The pattern of water depth fluctuations suggests that the response time of the regional groundwater system to climatic forcing is <100 years.This is the third in a series of papers published in this issue on the paleolimnology of arid regions. These papers were presented at the Sixth International Palaeolimnology Symposium held 19–21 April, 1993 at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. Dr A. R. Chivas served as guest editor for these papers.     

Diatoms in sediments of perennially ice-covered Lake Hoare, and implications for interpreting lake history in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica

Diatom assemblages in surficial sediments, sediment cores, sediment traps, and inflowing streams of perennially ice-covered Lake Hoare, South Victorialand, Antarctica were examined to determine the distribution of diatom taxa, and to ascertain if diatom species composition has changed over time. Lake Hoare is a closed-basin lake with an area of 1.8 km², maximum depth of 34 m, and mean depth of 14 m, although lake level has been rising at a rate of 0.09 m yr^-1 in recent decades. The lake has an unusual regime of sediment deposition: coarse grained sediments accumulate on the ice surface and are deposited episodically on the lake bottom. Benthic microbial mats are covered in situ by the coarse episodic deposits, and the new surfaces are recolonized. Ice cover prevents wind-induced mixing, creating the unique depositional environment in which sediment cores record the history of a particular site, rather than a lake-wide integration. Shallow-water (<1 m) diatom assemblages (Stauroneis anceps, Navicula molesta, Diadesmis contenta var. parallela, Navicula peraustralis) were distinct from mid-depth (4–16 m) assemblages (Diadesmis contenta, Luticola muticopsis fo. reducta, Stauroneis anceps, Diadesmis contenta var. parallela, Luticola murrayi) and deep-water (26–31 m) assemblages (Luticola murrayi, Luticola muticopsis fo. reducta, Navicula molesta). Analysis of a sediment core (30 cm long, from 11 m water depth) from Lake Hoare revealed two abrupt changes in diatom assemblages. The upper section of the sediment core contained the greatest biomass of benthic microbial mat, as well as the greatest total abundance and diversity of diatoms. Relative abundances of diatoms in this section are similar to the surficial samples from mid-depths. An intermediate zone contained less organic material and lower densities of diatoms. The bottom section of core contained the least amount of microbial mat and organic material, and the lowest density of diatoms. The dominant process influencing species composition and abundance of diatom assemblages in the benthic microbial mats is episodic deposition of coarse sediment from the ice surface.     

Cladoceran and diatom evidence of lake-level fluctuations from a Finnish lake and the effect of acquatic-moss layers on microfossil assemblages

We studied Holocene lake-level fluctuations from a small lake, Iso Lehmälampi, southern Finland, utilizing cladoceran and diatom analyses. We report data from a sediment core (A) taken from the deepest part of the lake (8.1 m) where two layers of moss, mixed with gyttja, were found. These layers were formed in situ during the early Holocene (1. ca. 8100-7900, 2. ca. 7300 BP). Lake-level fluctuations were inferred also from another core C, which did not have moss layers. According to the ratio of planktonic/littoral Cladocera, the water level was high around 9000 BP and started to fall before 8000 BP. The lowering continued until 7000 BP and the moss layers were formed during this lowering. Water level was high again ca. 6000 BP and lowered towards ca. 4000 BP. The late Holocene is characterized by several rapid fluctuations of lake-level. The ratio of planktonic/littoral Cladocera and the diatom species composition in core A showed drastic changes between the moss layers and the non-moss gyttja sections of the core. We suggest that they reflect changes in sedimentary facies between the local moss environment and the pelagic bottom. Thus, cores which contain moss layers may lead to erroneous interpretations of lake-level fluctuations.     

Variability in diatom and chrysophyte assemblages and inferred pH: paleolimnological studies of Big Moose Lake,New York,USA

We measured variability in the composition of diatom and chrysophyte assemblages, and the pH inferred from these assemblages, in sediment samples from Big Moose Lake, in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Replicate samples were analyzed from (1) a single sediment core interval, (2) 12 different intervals from each of 3 separate cores, and (3) 10 widely spaced surface sediment samples (0–1 cm). The variability associated with sample preparation (subsampling, processing, and counting) was relatively small compared to between-core and within-lake variability. The relative abundances of the dominant diatom taxa varied to a greater extent than those of the chrysophyte scale assemblages. Standard deviations of pH inferences for multiple counts from the same sediment interval from diatom, chrysophyte, and diatom plus chrysophyte inference equations were 0.04 (n=8), 0.06 (n=32), and 0.06 (n=8) of a pH unit, respectively. Stratigraphic analysis of diatoms and chrysophytes from three widely spaced pelagic sediment cores provided a similar record of lake acidification trends, although with slight differences in temporal rates of change. Average standard deviations of pH inferences from diatom, chrysophyte and diatom plus chrysophyte inference equations for eight sediment intervals representing similar time periods but in different cores were 0.10, 0.20, and 0.09 pH unit, respectively. Our data support the assumption that a single sediment core can provide an accurate representation of historical change in a lake. The major sources of diatom variability in the surface sediments (i.e., top 1.0 cm) were (1) differences in diatom assemblage contributions from benthic and littoral sources, and (2) the rapid change in assemblage composition with sediment depth, which is characteristic of recently acidified lakes. Because scaled chrysophytes are exclusively planktonic, their spatial distribution in lake sediments is less variable than the diatom assemblages. Standard deviations of pH inferences for 10 widely spaced surface sediment samples from diatom, chrysophyte and diatom plus chrysophyte inference equations were 0.21, 0.09, and 0.16 of a pH unit, respectively.     

Late Holocene diatom assemblages in a lake-sediment core from Central Kamchatka,Russia

Fossil diatom assemblages in a sediment core from a small lake in Central Kamchatka (Russia) were used to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental conditions of the late Holocene. The waterbody may be a kettle lake that formed on a moraine of the Two-Yurts Lake Valley, located on the eastern slope of the Central Kamchatka Mountain Chain. At present, it is a seepage lake with no surficial outflow. Fossil diatom assemblages show an almost constant ratio between planktonic and periphytic forms throughout the record. Downcore variations in the relative abundances of diatom species enabled division of the core into four diatom assemblage zones, mainly related to changes in abundances of Aulacoseira subarctica, Stephanodiscus minutulus, and Discostella pseudostelligera and several benthic species. Associated variations in the composition and content of organic matter are consistent with the diatom stratigraphy. The oldest recovered sediments date to about 3220 BC. They lie below a sedimentation hiatus and likely include reworked deposits from nearby Two-Yurts Lake. The initial lake stage between 870 and 400 BC was characterized by acidic shallow-water conditions. Between 400 BC and AD 1400, lacustrine conditions were established, with highest contributions from planktonic diatoms. The interval between AD 1400 and 1900 might reflect summer cooling during the Little Ice Age, indicated by diatoms that prefer strong turbulence, nutrient recycling and cooler summer conditions. The timing of palaeolimnological changes generally fits the pattern of neoglacial cooling during the late Holocene on Kamchatka and in the neighbouring Sea of Okhotsk, mainly driven by the prevailing modes of regional atmospheric circulation.     

Variability of diatom-inferred phosphorus profiles in a small lake basin and its implications for histories of lake eutrophication

Diatom analyses were undertaken of sediment cores covering a range of water depths in a small eutrophic lake (Lough Augher, Co. Tyrone, N. Ireland). The significance of between-core variability in diatom relative frequency stratigraphy was assessed by Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) where the ordination axes were constrained to external environmental variables (sediment depth, core location coordinates, water depth, effective fetch, distance-from-shore and distance-from-inflow). After the removal of the effect of sediment age by partialling it out, the resultant first two axes from the partial-CCA were significantly correlated with water depth and distance-from-shore, indicating non-uniform diatom stratigraphies across the lake. Despite this variability, all cores show the same succession of species and, therefore, record the eutrophication of the lake. Diatom-inferred total phosphorus (DI-TP) was inferred for six cores using weighted averaging regression and calibration. Apart from considerable differences of DI-TP in surficial sediment samples, there was good between-core repeatability of DI-TP profiles. These data support the use of DI-TP for establishing background nutrient concentrations for lakes, and associated implications for lake restoration schemes using single cores. Comparisons of DI-TP profiles and total diatom accumulation rate data for the individual cores indicate that diatom production peaked prior to the maximum TP concentrations in the lake.     

Stratigraphy of fossil pigments and Cladophora and its relationship with deposition of tephra in Lake Mývatn,Iceland

Fossil plant pigments and Cladophora fragments were analyzed in a 6.53 m long sediment profile from Lake Mývatn, Iceland, covering most of its history of about 2300 years. A decrease in myxoxanthophyll (produced by Cyanobacteria) with time and an increase in the benthic Cladophora reflects a gradual shift from planktonic to benthic primary production as water depth is reduced (to 3.15 m at the core site) because of sediment accumulation.Two periods of relatively high concentrations of myxoxanthophyll coincided with relatively frequent deposition of tephra (volcanic ash) but did neither conform with tectonic activity which might have changed the water level nor the available climatic record. Sediment depth, tephra content and percent undegraded chlorophyll (an indicator of pigment preservation) together could explain 56.7% of the variation in myxoxanthophyll. It is hypothesized that temporary increases in myxoxanthophyll resulted from periodic nutrient enrichment by fresh tephra deposited in the watershed or because tephra increased the erosion of organic soil in the water catchment area.Fluctuations in Cladophora show an inverse relationship with myxoxanthophyll in the uppermost 4 m of the core, and may result from a shading effect of planktonic Cyanobacteria on the phytobenthos or competition for nutrients released by the bottom sediments.     

Controls on loss-on-ignition variation in cores from two shallow lakes in the northeastern United States

Loss-on-ignition analysis of Quaternary lake sediments provides an inexpensive and easy way to investigate past environmental changes. The mass loss on ignition at 550 °C (LOI) from lake sediment cores may vary because of temporal changes in: (1) sediment composition controlled by factors such as productivity, inorganic inputs, and decomposition; and (2) the patterns of sediment accumulation controlled by factors such as basin morphology and water level. Climatic changes can alter both. Here, modern surface samples and transects of sediment cores, collected across small (<10 ha), shallow (<4 m) lakes in the northeastern United States, show that LOI varies little (2–5%) across the deep portions of these small lakes at a given time. Large changes in LOI occur only at the transition into the littoral (shallow) zone. LOI variations in sediment cores that exceed 2–5%, therefore, appear to represent meaningful environmental changes. However, because of the many possible controls, changes in the LOI of a single core are often hard to interpret. Multiple cores increase the interpretability. At lakes studied here, similar LOI trends among several cores confirm that some LOI changes resulted from basin-wide shifts in sediment composition. Differences among cores, however, developed during the early- and mid-Holocene and indicate that the edge of the littoral zone moved towards the centers of the lakes during two periods of low lake levels, at ca. 11 000–8000 and ca. 5400–3000 cal yr B.P. The basin-wide balance of sediment sources controlled the LOI from deep-water sediments, but sedimentation patterns, which changed as lake levels changed, were also important. LOI differences among cores may therefore help identify past lake-level changes in other lakes.     

The use of sedimentary algal pigments to infer historic algal communities in Lake Apopka,Florida

The primary producer community of Lake Apopka, a large (125 km²), shallow (mean depth, 1.7 m), polymictic Florida lake, shifted from macrophyte dominance to phytoplankton dominance in the 1940s. Today, frequent wind resuspension of highly organic, unconsolidated sediments supports a meroplanktonic community that is predominantly diatoms, but during calm periods the algal community is dominated by planktonic cyanobacteria. Sedimentary algal pigments (chlorophyll derivatives and carotenoids) and chemical proxies for nutrient enrichment (polyphosphate, total phosphorus and biogenic silica) in three sediment cores were used to investigate historic changes in primary producers. Sediments were separated into three stratigraphic zones using multivariate statistical techniques. Stratigraphic zonation was established in each core although sediment deposition at one site was insufficient to adequately resolve temporal changes. These results show the importance of selecting suitable sites for paleolimnological studies. The oldest zone represents macrophyte-derived sediments, and the two overlying zones represent phytoplankton-derived sediments deposited since the 1940s. Algal pigments in the most recent sediment zone show little degradation, which might be due to the presence of viable meroplankton in the sediment. After the initial primary producer shift from macrophytes to phytoplankton, the lake experienced a short period of cyanobacterial dominance followed by a period of benthic diatom abundance before being replaced by the present algal community consisting of cyanobacteria and meroplanktonic diatoms. Chlorophyll derivatives and carotenoids were highly correlated with total phosphorus. Historic trends inferred from the data include algal and cyanobacterial productivity that increased with increased phosphorus loading. The study demonstrates that valid paleolimnological proxies for historic eutrophication are available in loosely consolidated sediments of shallow, subtropical lakes.     

Reconstructing fluctuations of a shallow East African lake during the past 1800 yrs from sediment stratigraphy in a submerged crater basin

The sedimentology of an 8.22-m long core of late-Holocene deposits in the submerged Crescent Island Crater basin of Lake Naivasha, Kenya, is used to reconstruct decade-scale fluctuations in lake-surface elevation during the past 1800 yrs. Lake-depth inference for the past 1000 yrs is semi-quantitative, based on (1) relationships between lake level and bottom dynamics predicted by wave theory, and (2) historical validation of the effects of lake-level fluctuation and hydrologic closure on sediment composition in Crescent Island Crater and nearby Lake Oloidien. In these shallow fluctuating lakes, organic-carbon variation in a lithological sequence from clayey mud to algal gyttja is positively correlated with lake depth at the time of deposition, because the focusing of oxidized littoral sediments which dilute autochthonous organic matter before burial is reduced during highstands. The lake-level reconstruction for Lake Naivasha agrees with other adequately dated lake-level records from equatorial East Africa in its implication of dry climatic conditions during the Mediaeval Warm Period and generally wet conditions during the Little Ice Age. Crescent Island Crater survived widespread aridity in the early-19th century as a fresh weedy pond, while the main basin of Lake Naivasha and many other shallow East African lakes fell dry and truncated their sediment archive of Little Ice Age climatic variability.     

Climate-mediated changes in small lakes inferred from midge assemblages: the influence of thermal regime and lake depth

Subfossil midge (Chironomidae and Chaoboridae) assemblages were examined in the surficial sediments (0?C1?cm) from small inland lakes in the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) of northwestern Ontario, Canada. In these boreal lakes, maximum depth (Z_max), alkalinity, Secchi depth and chlorophyll-a concentrations explained significant amounts of variation in the subfossil assemblages. Constrained ordinations (redundancy analysis) indicated that the relationship between Z_max (as sqrt Z_max) and assemblage composition was strong enough to develop a paleolimnological inference model. Model statistics suggested that a robust model was generated (r ²?=?0.78, RMSEP?=?0.533, max bias?=?0.674); however, when the model was applied to a subfossil stratigraphy from an ELA lake sediment core, results suggested that the inference model had produced an unrealistically shallow Z_max inference. Further analyses indicated that thermal regime had a strong influence on assemblage composition; when the influence of thermal regime was partialled out, there was a much weaker relationship between Z_max and assemblage composition, particularly for stratified lakes. A thermal regime inference model was subsequently developed, which, when applied to the lake sediment core stratigraphy, indicated that the shallow Z_max inference may have been the result of a period of increased mixing or polymixis in this stratified lake. Water column mixing may increase due to hypolimnetic warming and increased water clarity resulting from declines in dissolved organic carbon. In a training set where there are strong correlations between lake depth and assemblage composition, this relationship is not necessarily a strict function of lake depth, but of some other highly correlated variable, likely thermal conditions.     

Effects of long term nutrient and climate variability on subfossil Cladocera in a deep,subalpine lake (Lake Garda,northern Italy)

Albeit subfossil Cladocera remains are considered as a reliable proxy for tracking historical lake development, they have been scarcely studied in large subalpine lakes south of the Alps. In this study, subfossil Cladocera remains from Lake Garda in northern Italy were analyzed to track the lake’s environmental changes since the Middle Ages. One core was retrieved from the largest sub-basin of Lake Garda (Brenzone, 350 m deep) and two cores were retrieved from the profundal and littoral zone of the smaller lake sub-basin (Bardolino, 80 and 40 m deep, respectively). The species distribution of Cladocera remains in recent sediment layers was similar to that observed in contemporary water samples. The deepest sections of the three cores were characterized by species sensitive to water temperature, which suggest a key role of major climatic events in driving the lake response during the late Holocene. The most evident change in Cladocera assemblages in the studied cores was observed during the 1960s, when planktonic taxa such as Daphnia spp. and Bosmina spp. became dominant at the expense of littoral taxa. Despite the highly coherent general pattern of subfossil Cladocera, the cores showed a set of minor differences, which were attributed to different morphological and hydrological features of the two basins forming Lake Garda. Multivariate analysis revealed a clear relation of Cladocera to climate variability during periods of low lake nutrient levels (i.e. before the 1960s). This provides additional information on past ecological responses of Lake Garda, as contrast previous data from subfossil diatom and pigment analyses did not fully capture effects of climate change during the same period. Since the 1960s shifts in assemblage composition of Cladocera and diatoms were highly coherent, in response to nutrient increase and the following, less pronounced, decrease in nutrient concentrations. During the last five decades, the response of the Cladocera to climate variability appeared to be masked by nutrient change. This work points up the potential of the multi-proxy approach for disentangling the multifaceted biological responses to multiple environmental stressors in large and deep lakes.     

Diatom-inferred lake level from near-shore cores in a drainage lake from the Experimental Lakes Area,northwestern Ontario,Canada

We inferred late Holocene lake-level changes from a suite of near-shore gravity cores collected in Lake 239 (Rawson Lake), a headwater lake in the Experimental Lakes Area, northwestern Ontario. Results were reproduced across all cores. A gravity core from the deep central basin was very similar to the near-shore cores with respect to trends in the percent abundance of the dominant diatom taxon, Cylcotella stelligera. The central basin, however, does not provide a sensitive site for reconstruction of lake-level changes because of the insensitivity of the diatom model at very high percentages of C. stelligera and other planktonic taxa. Quantitative estimates of lake level are based on a diatom-inferred depth model that was developed from surficial sediments collected along several depth transects in Lake 239. The lake-level reconstructions during the past ~3,000 years indicate that lake depth varied on average by ±2 m from present-day conditions, with maximum rises of ~3–4 m and maximum declines of ~3.5–5 m. The diatom-inferred depth record indicates several periods of persistent low levels during the nineteenth century, from ~900 to 1100 AD, and for extended periods prior to ~1,500 years ago. Periods of inferred high lake levels occurred from ~500 to 900 AD and ~1100 to 1650 AD. Our findings suggest that near-shore sediments from small drainage lakes in humid climates can be used to assess long-term fluctuations in lake level and water availability.     

Sediment focusing and210Pb dating: a new approach

In this paper we test the utility of the mud deposition boundary depth (mud DBD) theory (Rowanet al. 1992) as a means of maximizing sampling efficiency in paleolimnological investigations, particularly those that apply to²¹⁰Pb dating. The mud DBD is defined by the relationship between near bottom wave velocity and particle threshold velocity, with wave and particle threshold theory simplified to terms of exposure and depth. Mud DBD theory can be used to define the depositional zone in lakes, and within the depositional zone defined by the mud DBD: 1) there is a high probability of obtaining a representative core, 2) variation in mass sediment accumulation rate (MSAR) is not correlated with water depth, and 3) variation in MSAR is considerably reduced from the whole lake average. This suggests that mud DBD theory can account for the effects of sediment focusing, and that the mud DBD defined depositional zone is the zone to which fine-grained sediments are focused. Finally, we have shown that to optimize sampling effort, 5 to 10 cores within the depositional zone are necessary for a reasonably precise estimate of the mean mass sediment accumulation rate. In addition, the use of mud DBD theory prior to sampling can dramatically reduce the cost associated with analyzing large numbers of cores for²¹⁰Pb.This is the fifth of a series of papers to be published by this journal following the 20 ^th anniversary of the first application of²¹⁰Pb dating of take sediments. Dr P. G. Appleby is guest editing this series.     

Implications of diverse sedimentation patterns in Hala Lake, Qinghai Province, China for reconstructing Late Quaternary climate

Hala Lake is located in the Qilian Mountains, Qinghai Province, China, at 4,078?m a.s.l. Its sediments contain an archive of climate and hydrologic changes during the Late Quaternary, as it is located close to the area influenced by the East-Asian summer monsoon and westerly-driven air masses. Sedimentation patterns and depositional conditions within the lake were investigated using eight sediment cores from different water depths, and this information was used to evaluate the feasibility of using a single core to reconstruct past climate and hydrological conditions. Long core H7, from the center of the lake (65?m water depth) and core H8 from a western, near-shore location (20?m water depth), were compared in detail using sediment composition and geochemical data (X-ray fluorescence, loss-on-ignition and CNS analysis). Age models were constructed using 17 AMS radiocarbon dates and indicate negligible reservoir error for sediments from the lake center and?~1,000?year errors for the near-shore sediment core. Cores H1?CH5 and HHLS21-1 revealed a sediment succession from sand and silty clay to laminated clay on the southern side of the lake. Undisturbed, finely laminated sediments were found at water depths???15?m. Core H5 (2.5?m long), from 31?m water depth, yielded abundant green algal mats mixed with clayey lake deposits and was difficult to interpret. Algae occurred between 25 and 32?m water depth and influenced the dissolved oxygen content of the stratified lake. Comparison of cores H7 and H8 yielded prominent mismatches for different time periods, which may, in part, be attributed to internal lacustrine processes, independent of climate influence. We thus conclude that data from a single sediment core may lead to different climate inferences. Common shifts among proxy data, however, showed that major climate shifts, of regional to global significance, can be tracked and allow reconstruction of lake level changes over the last 24,000?years. Results indicate advance of glaciers into the lake basin during the LGM, at which time the lake experienced lowest levels, 25?C50?m below present stage. Stepwise refilling began at ca. 16 kyr BP and reached the ?25?m level during the B?lling/Aller?d warm phase, ca. 13.5 kyr BP. A desiccation episode falls within the Younger Dryas, followed by a substantial lake level rise during the first millennium of the Holocene, a result of climate warming, which promoted glacier melt. By ca. 7.6 kyr BP, the lake reached a stable high stand similar to the present level, which persisted until ca. 6 kyr BP. Disturbed sediments in core H7 indicate a single mass flow that was most likely triggered by a major seismic event?~8.5 kyr BP. Subsequent lake development remains unclear as a consequence of data mismatches, but may indicate a general trend to deteriorating conditions and lake level lowstands at ca. 5.0?C4.2, 2.0 and 0.5 kyr BP.