Climate change induced eutrophication of cold-water lake in an ecologically fragile nature reserve
Xiaotian Lu , Yonglong Lu , Deliang Chen , Chao Su , Shuai Song , Tieyu Wang , Hanqin Tian , Ruoyu Liang , Meng Zhang , Kifayatullah Khan
DOI:10.1016/j.jes.2018.05.018
Received April 10, 2018,Revised January 01, 1900, Accepted May 10, 2018, Available online May 26, 2018
Volume 31,2019,Pages 359-369
Aquatic ecosystem sustainability around the globe is facing crucial challenges because of increasing anthropogenic and natural disturbances. In this study, the Tianchi Lake, a typical cold-water lake and a UNESCO/MAB (Man and Biosphere) nature reserve located in high latitude and elevation with the relatively low intensity of human activity was chosen as a system to examine the linkages between climate change and eutrophication. As a part of the UNESCO Bogda Man and Biosphere Reserve, Tianchi Lake has been well preserved for prevention from human intervention, but why has it been infected with eutrophication recent years? Our results show that climate change played a significant role in the eutrophication in the Tianchi Lake. Increased temperature, changed precipitation pattern and wind-induced hydrodynamic fluctuations in the summer season were suggested to make a major contribution to the accelerated eutrophication. The results also showed that the local temperature and precipitation changes were closely linked to the large-scale atmospheric circulation, which opens the door for the method to be applied in other regions without local climatic information. This study suggests that there is an urgent need to take into consideration of climate change adaptation into the conservation and management of cold-water lakes globally.
