Abstract
Abstract The recession of water levels of natural lakes and their associated impacts on wetland ecosystems is a serious issue worldwide. Poyang Lake (the largest freshwater lake in China) has experienced a heightened and prolonged water decline since the year 2000, which causes concern for associated ecological impacts. In particular, climate change, operation of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), and high magnitude sand mining appear to be well-correlated with the occurrence of water decline in Poyang Lake. Though the above factors have been analyzed in previous studies, a comprehensive summary has never been compiled. This paper provides a detailed literary review highlighting the driving forces and possible impacts of the consistent water decline in Poyang Lake. We conclude here that the operation of TGD is a fundamental cause for the lake water decline, aggravated by climate change and sand mining. The water decline has caused a deterioration of water quality, as well as having given rise to a potential threat to the habitat of migratory birds and Yangtze finless porpoises. The paper intends to offer constructive references that can be used in decision-making for effective protection of water resources and lake ecosystems.
Highlights
The correlation between climate change and water level in autumn is not obvious, and another question can be raised: Are there other driving forces that dominate the water level of Poyang Lake in autumn? One study proposed a perspective that the recent lake water decline was not a long-term trend, as no significant correlation was seen between precipitation and outflow discharge; instead, the shrinkage was considered as a regime shift that coincided with the stage decrease of the Yangtze River (Liu et al )
Since the habitat of the finless porpoise shrinks as the water surface decreases during the dry season, a large part of Poyang Lake cannot be reached by boat during the dry season
The study of the hydrological conditions in the areas populated by the finless porpoise is of great significance to the protection of this species during the dry season, and it should be a key future research direction to provide scientific guidance for the patrol of the finless porpoise in Poyang Lake
Summary
Key words | climate change, migratory birds, sand mining, TGD, Yangtze finless porpoise, water decline One study proposed a perspective that the recent lake water decline was not a long-term trend, as no significant correlation was seen between precipitation and outflow discharge; instead, the shrinkage was considered as a regime shift that coincided with the stage decrease of the Yangtze River (Liu et al ).
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