Fish Remains from Homestead Cave and Lake Levels of the Past 13,000 Years in the Bonneville Basin

A late Quaternary ichthyofauna from Homestead Cave, Utah, provides a new source of information on lake history in the Bonneville basin. The fish, represented by 11 freshwater species, were accumulated between 11,200 and 1000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. by scavenging owls. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of Lake Bonneville varied with its elevation; ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values of fish from the lowest stratum of the cave suggest they grew in a lake near the terminal Pleistocene Gilbert shoreline. In the lowest deposits, a decrease in fish size and an increase in species tolerant of higher salinities or temperatures suggest multiple die-offs associated with declining lake levels. An initial, catastrophic, post-Provo die-off occurred at 11,300–11,200 ¹⁴C yr B.P. and was followed by at least one rebound or recolonization of fish populations, but fish were gone from Lake Bonneville sometime before 10,400 ¹⁴C yr B.P. This evidence is inconsistent with previous inferences of a near desiccation of Lake Bonneville between 13,000 and 12,000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. Peaks in Gila atraria frequencies in the upper strata suggest the Great Salt Lake had highstands at 3400 and 1000 ¹⁴C yr B.P.     

Effects of nitrate on phosphorus release: comparison of two Berlin lakes

After installation of phosphorus elimination plants at the inflows of the eutrophic Lake Tegel and Schlachtensee, phosphorus (P) loading declined by a factor of 40 and 100, respectively. This resulted in a pronounced reduction of phosphorus concentrations in the lake water, followed by a decline of chlorophyll‐a concentrations. However, for many years P release from sediments due to mineralization and desorption of sedimentary P continued. In Schlachtensee, the presence of nitrate above the sediment suppresses P release, because the Fe/P ratio is sufficient to provide enough aerobic sorption capacity. In Lake Tegel, some P release occurs even under aerobic conditions because of the low aerobic P sorption capacity of the sediments. There, nitrate could moderate the P release peaks which occur when the Fe‐P cycle at the sediment water interface is disturbed by precipitation of iron sulfide after reduction of sulfate during times of high mineralization intensity. The potentially mobile P pool in the sediments of both lakes is rather small, indicating that the P release could subside after sufficient reduction of the external P load in Lake Tegel and the disruption of the internal P cycle in Schlachtensee.     

Restoration of submerged vegetation in shallow eutrophic lakes – A guideline and state of the art in Germany

One of the most serious problems caused by eutrophication of shallow lakes is the disappearance of submerged macrophytes and the switch to a turbid, phytoplankton-dominated state. The reduction of external nutrient loads often does not result in a change back to the macrophyte-dominated state because stabilising mechanisms that cause resilience may delay a response. Additional internal lake restoration measures may therefore be needed to decrease the concentration of total phosphorus and increase water clarity. The re-establishment of submerged macrophytes required for a long-term stability of clear water conditions, however, may still fail, or mass developments of tall-growing species may cause nuisance for recreational use. Both cases are often not taken into account when restoration measures are planned in Germany, and existing schemes to reduce eutrophication consider the topic inadequately. Here we develop a step-by-step guideline to assess the chances of submerged macrophyte re-establishment in shallow lakes. We reviewed and rated the existing literature and case studies with special regard on (1) the impact of different internal lake restoration methods on the development of submerged macrophytes, (2) methods for the assessment of natural re-establishment, (3) requirements and methods for artificial support of submerged macrophyte development and (4) management options of macrophyte species diversity and abundance in Germany. This guideline is intended to help lake managers aiming to restore shallow lakes in Germany to critically asses and predict the potential development of submerged vegetation, taking into account the complex factors and interrelations that determine their occurrence, abundance and diversity.     

Factors affecting seasonal patterns in epilimnion zooplankton community in one of the largest man-made lakes in Africa (Lake Nasser, Egypt)

The objective of the study was to determine which factors regulate zooplankton organisms along Lake Nasser. Temperature, pH, DO, conductivity, turbidity, nutrients, and zooplankton abundance were measured. Twenty-three species of zooplankton were recorded in Lake Nasser included in Copepoda, Cladocera and Rotifera. Copepoda represented the main bulk of the community. The lowest standing stock of zooplankton was noticed during spring due to the highest fish predation during this season associated with the lowest turbidity. Big difference in temperature in Lake Nasser along the year round is considered as a controlling factor related to range of tolerance of species. The oscillation of the lake water level and the different factors affect the standing stock of zooplankton in the lake. Thus, continuous monitoring of Lake Nasser biota should be undertaken to follow the changes in the ecosystem.     

Variation characteristics of heavy metals and nutrients in the core sediments of Taihu Lake and their pollution history

The sedimentary environment change, trophic evolution and heavy metals pollution history of the northern Taihu Lake in the last 100 years are studied according to the sedimentary geo-chemical proxies of the core sediments, such as grain size, nutrients, heavy metals, diatom, etc. The nutrients in the sediments depended mainly on the lake internal circulation and the heavy metals were from natural geogenic sources before the 1920s, which were not influenced by human activities generally, and grain size was one of the key factors influencing heavy metals content in the sediments. The alternation of manner and strength of human activities in Taihu Lake catchment before and after the 1920s made the lake sediments coarser, and hence heavy metals and TP content decreased contrasted with that before the 1920s. TP content in sediments and water increased from the 1950s to late 1970s due to anthropogenic pollutants discharge, and the lake belonging to mesotrophic state. TN and TOC content and C/N ratio increased due to the increasing external pollutants into Taihu Lake by human activities, TP content also increased obviously in water and sediments, and the diatom association was dominated by eutrophic species since the late 1970s, indicating the eutrophication state of Taihu Lake in this period. Meanwhile the increasing in heavy metals content, such as Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn, and their proportion of valid fractions in the sediments indicates that they all result from human pollutants since the late 1970s. The heavy metals in the surface sediments have certain potential biological toxicity due to the higher SEM/AVS ratio.     

Study on the nutrient evolution and its controlling factors of Longgan Lake for the last 200 years

Based on the total phosphorous (TP) concentration in sediment core, the TP concentration in lake water quantitatively reconstructed from fossil diatoms and diatom-TP transfer function in the Longgan Lake during the last 200 years, the temperature and precipitation data from meteorological observation for the last 50 years, the temperatures and precipitation sequences of climate simulation for the last 200 years, as well as the amount of the agricultural phosphate fertilizer in Longgan area for nearly 50 years, the characteristic and the law of the nutrient status evolution were analyzed, and the influence of the climatic factor, the anthropologic factor and the aquatic biology factor on the nutrient status evolution and its mechanism were discussed for the Longgan Lake during the last 200 years. The results showed that, in the nearly 200 years, the TP concentration in the sediment core of the Longgan Lake gradually increased, its range of variation was situated between 330-580 mg/kg, the mean value was 388 mg/kg, a nearly 30-year vibration adjustment period existed at 1950 around. The TP concentration in lake water changed in a different way. Before 1950, it had a slow increasing tendency in fluctuated background, to 1950 around it reached up to the mean value (52.18μg/L), and vibrated and adjusted around the mean value, then it fast declined, its change range was situated between 37.75-62.33μg/L. The analyses indicated that, in the centennial time scale, the climate change was the main controlling factor, while in the decadal time scale in the recent 50 years, human activities were the leading factors for the nutrient status evolution of the Longgan Lake. 60% of the variability of the TP concentration in the sediments and 57% of that in lake water were due to human activities. The differentiation between phosphorus concentration in the sediment and in the lake water reflected the response processes and the adjustment abilities of the lake aquatic ecosystems to the lake nutrient level, implying the maintenance and the destruction of the balances between the algae and the aquatic plants, as well as the corresponding accumulating characteristics of the phosphorus.     

宁夏鸳鸯湖电厂空冷气象条件分析

通过在宁夏鸳鸯湖电厂建立气温、风向、风速60 m梯度及地面观测站,与邻近的灵武市气象站展开为期一年的同步观测,获得实地观测资料。利用两地同步气象观测资料进行对比分析,揭示出电厂所在地气候特点。同时结合灵武市气象站1971~2000年观测资料,采用相关性分析方法,订正得到电厂地面历年气象要素特征值。结果表明,电厂风向和风速特征明显有别于邻近的灵武市气象站。分析结果主要用于该地火电厂空冷系统的安装与安全运行。     

Temporal-spatial variations of euphotic depth of typical lake regions in Lake Taihu and its ecological environmental significance

Euphotic depth can be defined as the portion of wa- ter column that supports the net primary productivity. Its lower end is the critical depth, namely, the depth measured when the daily net primary productivity is zero[1]. In the ecosystems of oceans, lakes and rivers, phytoplankton live in the euphotic depth and euphotic depth is usually taken as the lower boundary, when studying the primary productivity and biomass of phytoplankton; therefore the corresponding depth is sometimes called the t…     

Geophysical survey on the tectonic and sediment distribution of Qinghai Lake basin

1 Introduction in China, with an area of 4400 km2 and a drainage area With the advancement of global change study, peo- of nearly 29,660 km2[2]. Occurring at a “climatic triple ple are paying more and more attention to the conti- junction” among the East Asian monsoon, Indian nental environment (in which we reside), its evolution Monsoon and the Westerly Jet Stream, it lies in the and its future tendency. As a component of the global transitional belt of the east monsoonal humid areas sys…     

Humid Little Ice Age in arid central Asia documented by Bosten Lake, Xinjiang, China

Short sediment cores retrieved from Bosten Lake, the largest inland freshwater lake in China, were used to explore humidity and precipitation variations in arid central Asia during the past millennium. The chronology of the cores was established using 137Cs, 210Pb and AMS 14C dating re- sults. Multi-proxy high-resolution analysis, including pollen ratios of Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae (A/C), carbonate content and grain size, indicates that the climate during the past millennium can be divided into three stages: a dry climate between 1000―1500 AD, a humid climate during the Little Ice Age (LIA) (c. 1500―1900 AD), and a warm dry period after 1900 AD. On centennial timescales, the climate change in northwestern China during the past 1000 years is characterized by oscillations between warm-dry and cold-humid climate conditions. All the proxies changed significantly and indi- cate increased precipitation during the LIA, including increased pollen A/C ratios and pollen concen- trations, decreased carbonate content and increased grain size. The humid period during the LIA re- corded by the Bosten Lake sediments is representative of arid central Asia and is supported by nu- merous records from other sites. During the LIA, the water runoff into the Keriya River and Tarim River in the Tarim Basin increased, while the ice accumulation in the Guliya ice core increased. Additionally, the lake levels of the Aral and Caspian Sea also rose, while tree-ring analysis indicates that precipita- tion increased. We hypothesize that both the lower temperature within China and the negative anomalies of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during this period may have contributed to the humid climate within this area during LIA.