ABSTRACT

Human activity and climate change have driven complex physical and ecological changes in China’s inland waterbodies. Many lakes are facing serious problems with degraded ecosystem functions and services, driven by multiple factors. Knowledge of how lakes change and respond to these drivers is crucial for sustainable lake management. Paleolimnological records provide highly resolved time-series data of long-term lake environmental change. We review how local paleolimnological studies and regional syntheses are improving understanding of the current status of Chinese aquatic ecosystems and revealing new insights into the changes that occurred in the past, such as eutrophication, heavy metal pollution, aquatic community change, and ecosystem shifts. We examine how these changes are related to natural and anthropogenic environmental stressors and consider the use of paleolimnological methods for defining reference conditions and setting ecological and chemical restoration targets. Despite past progress, we suggest that increased incorporation of paleolimnological information into policy and decision-making is needed for evidence-based adaptive management to enhance the sustainability of lake ecosystem functions and reduce long-term risks.