Chemical and biological response of two small lakes in the Khumbu Valley,Himalayas (Nepal) to short-term variability and climatic change as detected by long-term monitoring and paleolimnological methods

The most remote regions of the globe are home of the least disturbed ecosystems, yet they are threatened by air pollution and by climatic change. The Himalayas are one of the most isolated and least explored wilderness areas in the world outside the Polar Regions and it is for this reason that the Tibetan Plateau is often referred to as the ‘Third Pole’. Since 1990, an annual limnological survey (including chemistry and biology) has been carried out at two lakes located in the Kumbhu Valley, Nepal, at 5200 and 5400 m a.s.l., respectively. Lake water chemistry surveys reveal a persistent increase in the ionic content of the lake water, a trend which appears to be closely linked to increasing temperature. In this study, we also analysed lake sediment cores for historical changes in algal abundance and community composition to evaluate how long-term variations in primary producer communities corresponded to known regional variations in climate systems during the past 3500 years. Paleolimnological results support the evidence that the strong variability observed in the chemical data drives the variability in lake production and in the composition of algal assemblages. These variabilities can be related to known features of local climate and the values recorded in the recent years compare well with those recorded during warm periods, such as around 2000 BP, and thus support the idea that this area of the Himalayan Range, influenced by the South Asia monsoon, is closely linked to Northern Hemisphere climate dynamics.     

Comparative phylogeography and evolutionary history of schizothoracine fishes in the Changtang Plateau and their implications for the lake level and Pleistocene climate fluctuations

The water level oscillation of endorheic lakes and extent change of glaciers associated with the Asian monsoon are known as prominent representatives of climatic and environmental events in the Tibetan Plateau during the Quaternary. However, details process in spatial and temporal changes are still debated. We use the schizothoracines as a palaeoclimatic proxy to test two hypotheses concerning the evolution of Quaternary glaciations and lakes of the Changtang Plateau: (1) the Tibetan glaciations generally tended to decrease since the middle Pleistocene; (2) the lakes expansion was driven by summer monsoon rainfall. Based on a wide range‐wide sampling throughout in the Changtang Plateau and its adjacent drainages, we constructed phylogeny and demographic histories of schizothoracines in the Changtang Plateau. Our results showed that the populations of the exorheic rivers and lakes in southern Tibet possessed higher genetic variability, earlier coalescent and expansion times than those of the endorheic lakes in the Changtang Plateau. Population expansions are highly consistent with phases of strong summer monsoon and high lake level during interglacial stages. The maximum growth rate intervals showed three pulses from 64.7 to 54.8, 39.6 to 31.0, and 14.9 to 2.4 kya respectively. The significant positive correlations were found between regional precipitation and genetic diversity, as well as coalescence time of populations in the endorheic lakes. We suggested that the demographic history of the schizothoracines reflects the spatial and temporal changes in climate and lake level, in particular, in regional precipitation gradients associated with changes of the South Asian monsoon, and supports the climatic hypothesis of a general diminishing tend in Tibetan glaciations in the Tibetan Plateau since the middle Pleistocene.     

Measurement and interpretation of sedimentary pigments

SUMMARY.

• 1 The factors that control the concentrations of pigments in lake sediments are examined using data from (i) transects across lake basins, (ii) surface samples from logographic and atrophic lakes, and (iii) two ²¹⁰Pb-dated short cores. Methods for the rapid non-chromatographic analysis of percent native chlorophyll and the blue-green algal pigments oscillaxanthin and myxoxanthophyll are described.
• 2 The concentrations of chlorophyll derivatives, total arytenoids, oscillaxanthin and myxoxanthophyll, and percent native chlorophyll, are higher under conditions along the transects favorable for preservation. Chlorophyll degrades at about the same rate as total carotenoids, and oscillaxanthin degrades at about the same rate as myxoxanthophyll. Therefore, both the ratio of chlorophyll to arytenoids (CD/TC) and the ratio of oscillaxanthin to myxoxanthophyll (OSC/MYX) are mostly determined by the quality of autochthonous production rather than by preservation conditions.
• 3 CD/TC values are higher in logographic lakes than in atrophic lakes, apparently as a result of differences in production of the two pigment types. Calculations show that CD/TC shifts in these two cores cannot be a record of the allochthonous-autochthonous Baltic in the systems. Instead, the CD/TC values shift with large changes in the kinds of plants dominating primary production.
• 4 The stratigraphy of percent native chlorophyll appears to record the hypohmnetic oxygen concentrations at the time of deposition.
• 5 No obvious reason exists why a eutrophic lake should produce more pigment per gram organic matter than should an oligotrophic lake. However, several correlated mechanisms tend to produce higher sedimentary pigment concentrations in eutrophic lakes. Most of these mechanisms, such as hypolimnetic oxygen consumption, indirectly translate greater primary productivity into greater sedimentary pigment concentration. Therefore, pigment concentrations are sometimes misleading, and pigment accumulation rate may be a better indicator of past primary production.

     

Sediment organic matter in mountain lakes of north-western Slovenia and its stable isotopic signatures: records of natural and anthropogenic impacts

Sediment organic matter (OM) and its stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were studied in 12 Slovenian mountain lakes in the Julian Alps. The lakes have different catchment areas and display a range of trophic states. Surface sediment atomic C/N ratios ranged from 8.4 to 13.2. Based on these C/N ratios, we concluded that autochthonous OM dominates in these lakes and constitutes approximately 65–92% of the total OM. Higher contributions of autochthonous OM sources were observed in lakes above the tree line. Relatively constant C/N ratios in the deeper sediments suggest that degradation processes are most intense in the upper few centimetres of the sediments and/or that remaining OM is relatively resistant to further degradation. Surface sediment δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values ranged from −36.1 to −14.1‰ and from −5.2 to +1.1‰, respectively. In sediment cores from seven lakes, higher δ¹³C and lower δ¹⁵N values characterize oligotrophic lakes situated above the tree line, whereas the reverse is true for eutrophic lakes below the tree line that are also exposed to more anthropogenic impact. Carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycling differs considerably among the lakes. Stratigraphic shifts in carbon, total nitrogen, C/N ratios and stable C and N isotopes in cores record changes in inputs, and hence water column processes, as well as alterations in loading to the lakes. The stratigraphic variations are also the result of post-depositional diagenetic changes in the upper few centimetres of sediment. All the lakes show impacts from recent increases in atmospheric deposition of dissolved inorganic nitrogen. Application of sediment OM analysis thus proved to be useful to reconstruct paleoecological changes in sensitive mountain lake ecosystems that are either natural and/or anthropogenically derived.     

The distribution and drivers of microbial pigments in the cryoconite of four Tibetan glaciers

Microbial pigments play a significant role in glacier albedo reduction, thereby contributing to accelerated glacier retreat. The Tibetan Plateau has experienced rapid glacier retreat in recent decades due to global warming, yet there is limited understanding of microbial pigment distribution in the region. Here, we investigated the pigment concentration and composition in cryoconite from four glaciers. Our results showed that chlorophylls were the dominant pigments in Palong No. 4 (PL) and Jiemayangzong (JMYZ) glaciers located in the south of the Tibetan Plateau, while carotenoids were dominant in Qiangyong (QY) and Tanggula (TGL) glaciers located in the central region. Additionally, the chlorophyll b to chlorophyll a ratio, which is an indicator of the algae-to-cyanobacteria ratio, was higher in PL and JMYZ compared to QY and TGL. By using Random Forest Regression and Structural Equation Modelling, we determined that the concentrations of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids were associated with autotrophic bacteria relative abundance, climatic factors, and a combination of bacterial and climatic factors, respectively. This study is the first to describe the distribution of microbial pigments in cryoconite from Tibetan glaciers, providing additional support on the influence of algal pigment on glacier retreat.     

Radiometric dating for recent lake sediments on the Tibetan Plateau

We present radiometric data from nine lakes across the Tibetan Plateau, and compare their reliability in relation to recent research. Unsupported ²¹⁰Pb profiles show, except for one particular lake, non-exponential decline of ²¹⁰Pb activity with sediment depth. Stratigraphic dates based on global atmospheric nuclear weapons maximum fallout of ¹³⁷Cs (1963) support the use of the constant rate of ²¹⁰Pb supply (CRS) model in four of the dated cores. The discrepancy in the others is likely due to recent increased input of catchment-derived ²¹⁰Pb. ²¹⁰Pb dates in this study suggest that post depositional diffusion of ¹³⁷Cs activity has been significant. The practice of assigning early 1950s dates (start of global atmospheric thermonuclear testing) to lake sediment sequences on the Tibetan Plateau should be used with caution. ¹³⁷Cs profiles from Tibetan lake sediment cores and their geographical distribution suggest that ¹³⁷Cs derived from the 1986 Chernobyl accident or atmospheric testing in China was not sufficient to form a significant peak effective for dating.     

Climate-induced changes in the vegetation pattern of China in the 21st century

Quantifying climate-induced changes in vegetation patterns is essential to understanding land–climate interactions and ecosystem changes. In the present study, we estimated various distributional changes of vegetation under different climate-change scenarios in the 21st century. Both hypothetical scenarios and Hedley RCM scenarios show that the transitional vegetation types, such as shrubland and grassland, have higher sensitivity to climatic change compared to vegetation under extreme climatic conditions, such as the evergreen broadleaf forest or desert, barren lands. Mainly, the sensitive areas in China lie in the Tibetan Plateau, Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, northeastern plain of China and eco-zones between different vegetations. As the temperature increases, mixed forests and deciduous broadleaf forests will shift towards northern China. Grassland, shrubland and wooded grassland will extend to southeastern China. The RCM-project climate changes generally have caused positive vegetation changes; vegetation cover will probably improve 19% relative to baseline, and the forest will expand to 8% relative to baseline, while the desert and bare ground will reduce by about 13%.     

Distribution and Diversity of Cyanobacteria and Eukaryotic Algae in Qinghai–Tibetan Lakes

Cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae are important primary producers in a variety of environments, yet their distribution and response to environmental change in saline lakes are poorly understood. In this study, the community structure of cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae in the water and surface sediments of six lakes and one river on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau were investigated with the 23S rRNA gene pyrosequencing approach. Our results showed that salinity was the major factor controlling the algal community composition in these aquatic water bodies and the community structures of water and surface sediment samples grouped according to salinity. In subsaline–mesosaline lakes (salinity: 0.5–50 g L^?1), Cyanobacteria (Cyanobium, Synechococcus) were highly abundant, while in hypersaline lakes (salinity: >50 g L^?1) eukaryotic algae including Chlorophyta (Chlorella, Dunaliella), Bacillariophyta (Fistulifera), Streptophyta (Chara), and Dinophyceae (Kryptoperidinium foliaceum) were the major members of the community. The relative abundance ratio of cyanobacteria to eukaryotic algae was significantly correlated with salinity. The algae detected in Qinghai–Tibetan lakes exhibited a broader salinity range than previously known, which may be a result of a gradual adaptation to the slow evolution of these lakes. In addition, the algal community structure was similar between water and surface sediment of the same lake, suggesting that sediment algal community was derived from water column.     

Catchment‐mediated atmospheric nitrogen deposition drives ecological change in two alpine lakes in SE Tibet

The south‐east margin of Tibet is highly sensitive to global environmental change pressures, in particular, high contemporary reactive nitrogen (Nr) deposition rates (ca. 40 kg ha^?1 yr^?1), but the extent and timescale of recent ecological change is not well prescribed. Multiproxy analyses (diatoms, pigments and geochemistry) of ²¹⁰Pb‐dated sediment cores from two alpine lakes in Sichuan were used to assess whether they have undergone ecological change comparable to those in Europe and North America over the last two centuries. The study lakes have contrasting catchment‐to‐lake ratios and vegetation cover: Shade Co has a relatively larger catchment and denser alpine shrub than Moon Lake. Both lakes exhibited unambiguous increasing production since the late 19th to early 20th. Principle component analysis was used to summarize the trends of diatom and pigment data after the little ice age (LIA). There was strong linear change in biological proxies at both lakes, which were not consistent with regional temperature, suggesting that climate is not the primary driver of ecological change. The multiproxy analysis indicated an indirect ecological response to Nr deposition at Shade Co mediated through catchment processes since ca. 1930, while ecological change at Moon Lake started earlier (ca. 1880) and was more directly related to Nr deposition (depleted δ¹⁵N). The only pronounced climate effect was evidenced by changes during the LIA when photoautotrophic groups shifted dramatically at Shade Co (a 4‐fold increase in lutein concentration) and planktonic diatom abundance declined at both sites because of longer ice cover. The substantial increases in aquatic production over the last ca. 100 years required a substantial nutrient subsidy and the geochemical data point to a major role for Nr deposition although dust cannot be excluded. The study also highlights the importance of lake and catchment morphology for determining the response of alpine lakes to recent global environmental forcing.     

Bacterial Growth on Allochthonous Carbon in Humic and Nutrient-enriched Lakes: Results from Whole-Lake 13C Addition Experiments

Organic carbon (C) in lakes originates from two distinct sources—primary production from within the lake itself (autochthonous supply) and importation of organic matter from the terrestrial watershed (allochthonous supply). By manipulating the ¹³C of dissolved inorganic C, thereby labeling within-lake primary production, we examined the relative importance of autochthonous and allochthonous C in supporting bacterial production. For 35 days, NaH¹³CO₃ was added daily to two small, forested lakes. One of the lakes (Peter) was fertilized so that primary production exceeded total respiration in the epilimnion. The other lake (Tuesday), in contrast, was low in productivity and had high levels of colored dissolved organic C (DOC). To obtain bacterial C isotopes, bacteria were regrown in situ in particle-free lake water in dialysis tubes. The contribution of allochthonous C to bacterial biomass was calculated by applying a two-member mixing model. In the absence of a direct measurement, the isotopic signature of the autochthonous end-member was estimated indirectly by three different approaches. Although there was excess primary production in Peter Lake, bacterial biomass consisted of 43–46% allochthonous C. In Tuesday Lake more than 75% of bacterial growth was supported by allochthonous C. Although bacteria used autochthonous C preferentially over allochthonous C, DOC from the watershed contributed significantly to bacterial production. In combination with results from similar experiments in different lakes, our findings suggest that the contribution of allochthonous C to bacterial production can be predicted from ratios of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (a surrogate for allochthonous supply) and chlorophyll a (a surrogate for autochthonous supply).     

2000-2014年我国西北地区湖泊面积的时空变化

以2000-2014年Landsat TM、ETM+以及OLI影像为基础,通过人工目视解译方法提取我国西北地区111个面积10.0 km²以上湖泊矢量数据,并对湖泊面积变化总体趋势、空间分异特征以及成因进行分析。结果表明：（1）2000-2014年期间,西北地区湖泊总面积呈整体增加的态势,由1.58×10⁴ km²增加为1.74×10⁴ km²。（2）在研究时段内,我国西北地区湖泊面积在整体增加的同时也表现出明显的空间差异。根据湖泊面积变化不同,研究区可以被划分为稳定、扩张、萎缩3种类型和5个区域：新疆维吾尔自治区北部与青海省南部为湖泊面积稳定区;塔里木盆地、昆仑山北麓、阿尔金山、柴达木盆地、可可西里地区、祁连山南麓至三江源北部大片区域为湖泊面积扩张区;由准噶尔盆地和吐鲁番盆地组成的北疆中部地区和喀喇昆仑山北坡山区为湖泊萎缩区。（3）受研究区复杂的自然人文环境影响,在不同区域引起湖泊面积变化的原因不尽相同：总体而言,降水增加、气温上升导致的冰川融水增加和冻土水分释放是湖泊面积呈现扩张趋势地区的最主要原因;在湖泊面积稳定区,湖泊所处的地形条件以及湖泊与河流间强烈的水量交换起着关键作用;日益增强的人类活动是湖泊萎缩区的主要影响要素,但在喀喇昆仑山北坡地区,冰川物质平衡状态的变化也可能发挥着重要作用。     

中国湖泊水量调节能力及其动态变化

湖泊水量调节是指湖泊生态系统通过洪水蓄积和径流补给实现水资源的再分配,进而减轻洪旱灾害。在围湖造田、退田还湖和气候变化影响下,科学评估我国湖泊水量调节能力现状及变化情况,是实现湖泊洪水调蓄功能和水资源调节功能评价的重要基础。基于全国湖泊调查数据,将全国划分为5个评价区,探讨了面向全国尺度的湖泊水量调节能力评价方法,在此基础上对全国湖泊的水量调节能力及其动态变化进行了分析评价。结果表明:(1)我国湖泊(面积1 km2)水量调节总量为1500.02亿m3,其中东部平原区和青藏高原区的调节量最高,分别占全国总量的44.46%和43.63%;(2)湖泊调节水量的效能以东部平原区最高(310.19万m3/km2),其次是东北平原与山区(191.19万m3/km2),围湖造田/退田还湖将导致该区湖泊水量调节能力明显削弱/增强;(3)近几十年来,我国湖泊水量调节能力呈小幅增长(增长量9.76亿m3,增幅0.65%),5个评价区仅蒙新高原区湖泊水量调节能力明显削弱,其余区域均呈不同程度增强,且以东部平原区增加最多,东北平原与山区增幅最大。研究可以为评估我国湖泊生态系统水量调节能力、分析土地利用变化对流域洪水调蓄和水资源调节功能的影响提供参考。     

Modern pollen representation of source vegetation in the Qaidam Basin and surrounding mountains, north-eastern Tibetan Plateau

We use a data set of 35 surface pollen samples from lake sediments, moss polsters and top soils on the north-eastern Tibetan Plateau to explore the relationship between modern pollen assemblages and contemporary vegetation patterns. The surface pollen transect spanned four vegetation zones––alpine meadow, steppe, steppe desert and desert––under different climatic/elevational conditions. Relative representation (R _rel) values and Principal Components Analysis (PCA) were used to determine the relationships between modern pollen and vegetation and regional climate gradients. The results show that the main vegetation zones along the regional and elevational transects can be distinguished by their modern pollen spectra. Relative to Poaceae, a high representation of Artemisia, Nitraria and Chenopodiaceae was found, while Cyperaceae and Gentiana showed values in the middle range, and Ranunculaceae, Asteraceae, Ephedra and Fabaceae had low relative representation values. PCA results indicate a high correlation between the biogeoclimatic zones and annual precipitation and annual temperature and July temperature. The Artemisia/Chenopodiaceae ratio and the Artemisia/Cyperaceae ratio are useful tools for qualitative and semi-quantitative palaeoenvironmental reconstruction on the north-eastern Tibetan Plateau. Surface lake sediments are found to have different palynomorph spectra from moss cushion and soil samples, reflecting the larger pollen source area in the contemporary vegetation for lakes.     

The influence of the de Vries (∼ 200-year) solar cycle on climate variations: Results from the Central Asian Mountains and their global link

Long-term climatic changes related to solar forcing were examined using millennium-scale palaeoclimatic reconstructions from the Central Asian mountain region, i.e. summer temperature records for the Tien Shan mountains and precipitation records for the Tibetan Plateau. The reconstructions were based on juniper tree-ring width records, i.e. Juniperus turkestanica for the Tien Shan and Sabina przewalskii for the Tibetan Plateau. The data were processed using spectral and wavelet analysis and filtered in the frequency range related to major solar activity periodicities. The results obtained for various tree-ring chronologies indicate palaeoclimatic oscillations in the range of the de Vries (～ 210-year) solar cycles through the last millennium.The quasi-200-year variations revealed in the palaeoclimatic reconstructions correlate well (R² = 0.58–0.94) with solar activity variations (Δ¹⁴C variations). The quasi-200-year climatic variations have also been detected in climate-linked processes in Asia, Europe, North and South America, Australia, and the Arctic and Antarctica. The results obtained point to a pronounced influence of solar activity on global climatic processes.Analysis has shown that climate response to the long-term global solar forcing has a regional character. An appreciable delay in the climate response to the solar signal can occur (up to 150 years). In addition, the sign of the climate response can differ from the solar signal sign. The climate response to long-term solar activity variations (from 10s to 1000s years) manifests itself in different climatic parameters, such as temperature, precipitation and atmospheric and oceanic circulation. The climate response to the de Vries cycle has been found to occur not only during the last millennia but also in earlier epochs, up to hundreds of millions years ago.     

Terrestrial and aquatic responses to climate change and human impact on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau during the past two centuries

Rapid population growth and economic development have led to increased anthropogenic pressures on the Tibetan Plateau, causing significant land cover changes with potentially severe ecological consequences. To assess whether or not these pressures are also affecting the remote montane‐boreal lakes on the SE Tibetan Plateau, fossil pollen and diatom data from two lakes were synthesized. The interplay of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem response was explored in respect to climate variability and human activity over the past 200 years. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling and Procrustes rotation analysis were undertaken to determine whether pollen and diatom responses in each lake were similar and synchronous. Detrended canonical correspondence analysis was used to develop quantitative estimates of compositional species turnover. Despite instrumental evidence of significant climatic warming on the southeastern Plateau, the pollen and diatom records indicate very stable species composition throughout their profiles and show only very subtle responses to environmental changes over the past 200 years. The compositional species turnover (0.36–0.94 SD) is relatively low in comparison to the species reorganizations known from the periods during the mid‐ and early‐Holocene (0.64–1.61 SD) on the SE Plateau, and also in comparison to turnover rates of sediment records from climate‐sensitive regions in the circum arctic. Our results indicate that climatically induced ecological thresholds are not yet crossed, but that human activity has an increasing influence, particularly on the terrestrial ecosystem in our study area. Synergistic processes of post‐Little Ice Age warming, 20th century climate warming and extensive reforestations since the 19th century have initiated a change from natural oak‐pine forests to seminatural, likely less resilient pine‐oak forests. Further warming and anthropogenic disturbances would possibly exceed the ecological threshold of these ecosystems and lead to severe ecological consequences.     

近40a甘肃省气候生产潜力时空变化特征

根据甘肃省69个气象站1971-2007年温度和降水资料,采用Miami模型、Thornthwaite Memorial模型计算了全省温度生产潜力、降水生产潜力和气候生产潜力,分析了影响气候生产潜力的气候驱动力,用经验正交函数(EOF)分析其时空变化特征。结果表明:温度生产潜力显著增加,降水生产潜力略有减少,平均气候生产潜力为733.86 kg · hm^-2 · a^-1,呈逐渐减少趋势。区域差异性明显,呈东南-西北递减,陇南山区＞陇东高原＞陇中高原＞甘南草原＞河西走廊,气候生产潜力以1997年为转型年。增湿和增温均有利于气候生产潜力的增加,但增湿增益更为显著,另气候的暖干化趋势是研究区气候生产潜力减少的重要原因。     

Anthropogenic forcing leads to an abrupt shift to phytoplankton dominance in a shallow eutrophic lake

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Seasonal patterns in primary productivity and algal biomass in subtropical Florida lakes along increasing gradients of both dissolved organic color and phytoplankton biomass are presented. Chlorophyll a concentrations and gross primary productivity generally reached maxima during the summer and were most depressed in winter months, regardless of color or trophic classification. Primary productivity was more strongly correlated with chlorophyll a, nutrient concentrations and water clarity in clearwater (< 75 Pt units) than in colored (> 75 Pt units) systems. Amplitudes in algal biomass were considerably smaller than temperate lakes. Variability in primary production in Florida lakes was intermediate to patterns in the temperate zone and tropics, but was more closely aligned to northern latitudes. Within the Florida peninsula, variability of primary productivity decreased from north to south and corresponded to latitudinal gradients in climatic regimes.     

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