Assessment of nutrient sources and paleoproductivity during the past century in Longgan Lake, middle reaches of the Yangtze River, China

Abstract

Total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were determined in combination with stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen (δ13COrg, δ15N) in a 63 cm sediment core from Longgan Lake, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, China. These geochemical and isotopic records provide a continuous history of lake productivity and trophic state of Longgan Lake since 1890. Variations of δ13COrg, TOC, TN and TP indicate that primary productivity of Longgan Lake increased continuously during the last century and that the trophic state of the lake shifted from oligotrophic to mestrotrophic conditions accordingly. Anthropogenic sources of organic carbon (OC), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were distinguished from their natural background in the sediments using mass accumulation rates. Element mass accumulation rates suggested increased human activities in the lake’s catchment since 1950s, were especially the utilization of artificial fertilizers amplified the anthropogenic input of N and P into the lake. In the course of the improved availability of dissolved nutrients also primary productivity of Longgan Lake increased, resulting in an increase of the Suess-effect corrected organic carbon isotope ratios. δ15N of bulk sediments show a marked shift towards lower values around 1950 that has been attributed to the input of nitrogen from chemical fertilizers characterized by relatively depleted isotopic signatures into the lake.