Paleolimnological records for tracking dam-induced changes in the composition and supply of sediment to middle Yangtze floodplain lakes

Xu Chen; Suzanne McGowan; Jing  Ji; Linghan Zeng; Yanmin Cao; Chunling Huang; Qianglong Qiao; Jia Liang; Lijuan Nie

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2022.106643

Paleolimnological records for tracking dam-induced changes in the composition and supply of sediment to middle Yangtze floodplain lakes

Xu Chen^* (Corresponding author), Suzanne McGowan, Jing Ji, Linghan Zeng, Yanmin Cao, Chunling Huang, Qianglong Qiao, Jia Liang, Lijuan Nie

^*Corresponding author for this work

NIOO - Aquatic Ecology (AqE)

Research output: Contribution to journal/periodical › Article › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

A global boom in dam construction has reduced sediment loading of large rivers, as well as their connected floodplains. In order to explore potential effects of hydrological regulation on floodplain ecosystems, this study presents concentrations of inorganic elements, organic matter content and grain size spectra in 210Pb-dated sediment cores of five lakes in the middle Yangtze River floodplain. These lakes had free hydrological connectivity with the Yangtze River before the operation of local sluice gates, and hence K-rich but Al-poor particulates from the upper Yangtze reaches can be transported into lakes during periods of high river discharge. After hydrological regulation, sedimentary K/Al ratios registered substantial decreases in the study lakes, probably due to the declining supply of fine-grained and K-enriched riverine particulates from the Yangtze River. In East Dongting Lake, a hydrologically open lake proximal to the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), the sharp decrease in K/Al ratio after 2003 mainly responded to declining sediment supply from the Yangtze River after the TGD operation. In addition, prolonged water retention time probably promoted aquatic production and greater deposition of organic matter, as indicated by recent increases in organic matter content in the upper strata of the dammed lakes. Taken together, sedimentary K/Al ratios provide essential information on effects of past hydrological changes on sediment supply and aquatic productivity over multi-decadal timescales in these floodplain lakes with scarce monitoring data. The impacts of dam construction during recent decades on sediment composition in middle Yangtze floodplain lakes might be widespread in other similar floodplains worldwide. Thus sedimentary records can be utilized to inform and direct floodplain management.

Original language	English
Article number	106643
Journal	Catena
Volume	219
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2022.106643
Publication status	Published - 2022

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title = "Paleolimnological records for tracking dam-induced changes in the composition and supply of sediment to middle Yangtze floodplain lakes",

abstract = "A global boom in dam construction has reduced sediment loading of large rivers, as well as their connected floodplains. In order to explore potential effects of hydrological regulation on floodplain ecosystems, this study presents concentrations of inorganic elements, organic matter content and grain size spectra in 210Pb-dated sediment cores of five lakes in the middle Yangtze River floodplain. These lakes had free hydrological connectivity with the Yangtze River before the operation of local sluice gates, and hence K-rich but Al-poor particulates from the upper Yangtze reaches can be transported into lakes during periods of high river discharge. After hydrological regulation, sedimentary K/Al ratios registered substantial decreases in the study lakes, probably due to the declining supply of fine-grained and K-enriched riverine particulates from the Yangtze River. In East Dongting Lake, a hydrologically open lake proximal to the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), the sharp decrease in K/Al ratio after 2003 mainly responded to declining sediment supply from the Yangtze River after the TGD operation. In addition, prolonged water retention time probably promoted aquatic production and greater deposition of organic matter, as indicated by recent increases in organic matter content in the upper strata of the dammed lakes. Taken together, sedimentary K/Al ratios provide essential information on effects of past hydrological changes on sediment supply and aquatic productivity over multi-decadal timescales in these floodplain lakes with scarce monitoring data. The impacts of dam construction during recent decades on sediment composition in middle Yangtze floodplain lakes might be widespread in other similar floodplains worldwide. Thus sedimentary records can be utilized to inform and direct floodplain management.",

author = "Xu Chen and Suzanne McGowan and Jing Ji and Linghan Zeng and Yanmin Cao and Chunling Huang and Qianglong Qiao and Jia Liang and Lijuan Nie",

note = "Data archiving: no NIOO data, data with paper",

year = "2022",

doi = "10.1016/j.catena.2022.106643",

language = "English",

volume = "219",

journal = "Catena",

issn = "0341-8162",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

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T1 - Paleolimnological records for tracking dam-induced changes in the composition and supply of sediment to middle Yangtze floodplain lakes

AU - Chen, Xu

AU - McGowan, Suzanne

AU - Ji, Jing

AU - Zeng, Linghan

AU - Cao, Yanmin

AU - Huang, Chunling

AU - Qiao, Qianglong

AU - Liang, Jia

AU - Nie, Lijuan

N1 - Data archiving: no NIOO data, data with paper

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - A global boom in dam construction has reduced sediment loading of large rivers, as well as their connected floodplains. In order to explore potential effects of hydrological regulation on floodplain ecosystems, this study presents concentrations of inorganic elements, organic matter content and grain size spectra in 210Pb-dated sediment cores of five lakes in the middle Yangtze River floodplain. These lakes had free hydrological connectivity with the Yangtze River before the operation of local sluice gates, and hence K-rich but Al-poor particulates from the upper Yangtze reaches can be transported into lakes during periods of high river discharge. After hydrological regulation, sedimentary K/Al ratios registered substantial decreases in the study lakes, probably due to the declining supply of fine-grained and K-enriched riverine particulates from the Yangtze River. In East Dongting Lake, a hydrologically open lake proximal to the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), the sharp decrease in K/Al ratio after 2003 mainly responded to declining sediment supply from the Yangtze River after the TGD operation. In addition, prolonged water retention time probably promoted aquatic production and greater deposition of organic matter, as indicated by recent increases in organic matter content in the upper strata of the dammed lakes. Taken together, sedimentary K/Al ratios provide essential information on effects of past hydrological changes on sediment supply and aquatic productivity over multi-decadal timescales in these floodplain lakes with scarce monitoring data. The impacts of dam construction during recent decades on sediment composition in middle Yangtze floodplain lakes might be widespread in other similar floodplains worldwide. Thus sedimentary records can be utilized to inform and direct floodplain management.

AB - A global boom in dam construction has reduced sediment loading of large rivers, as well as their connected floodplains. In order to explore potential effects of hydrological regulation on floodplain ecosystems, this study presents concentrations of inorganic elements, organic matter content and grain size spectra in 210Pb-dated sediment cores of five lakes in the middle Yangtze River floodplain. These lakes had free hydrological connectivity with the Yangtze River before the operation of local sluice gates, and hence K-rich but Al-poor particulates from the upper Yangtze reaches can be transported into lakes during periods of high river discharge. After hydrological regulation, sedimentary K/Al ratios registered substantial decreases in the study lakes, probably due to the declining supply of fine-grained and K-enriched riverine particulates from the Yangtze River. In East Dongting Lake, a hydrologically open lake proximal to the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), the sharp decrease in K/Al ratio after 2003 mainly responded to declining sediment supply from the Yangtze River after the TGD operation. In addition, prolonged water retention time probably promoted aquatic production and greater deposition of organic matter, as indicated by recent increases in organic matter content in the upper strata of the dammed lakes. Taken together, sedimentary K/Al ratios provide essential information on effects of past hydrological changes on sediment supply and aquatic productivity over multi-decadal timescales in these floodplain lakes with scarce monitoring data. The impacts of dam construction during recent decades on sediment composition in middle Yangtze floodplain lakes might be widespread in other similar floodplains worldwide. Thus sedimentary records can be utilized to inform and direct floodplain management.

U2 - 10.1016/j.catena.2022.106643

DO - 10.1016/j.catena.2022.106643

M3 - Article

SN - 0341-8162

VL - 219

JO - Catena

JF - Catena

M1 - 106643

ER -

Paleolimnological records for tracking dam-induced changes in the composition and supply of sediment to middle Yangtze floodplain lakes

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