Diverse effects of climate changes and anthropogenic activities on sedimentary nitrogen isotope (δ15Nsed.) in lakes across different regions of China since the late Holocene

Abstract

Nitrogen plays a vital role in the Earth's systems. Nitrogen isotopes have been widely used in environmental and climatic research. Various biogeochemical processes and nitrogen sources contribute to the sedimentary organic matter. Therefore, environmental implications of sedimentary nitrogen isotope (δ15Nsed.) require further investigation. In this study, we report and compile the δ15Nsed. records from eight lakes in China influenced by either climate changes or anthropogenic activities since the late Holocene to determine the major forcing factors of δ15Nsed.. Our results showed that: (1) During the late Holocene, lacustrine δ15Nsed. was mainly regulated by natural climate changes, such as temperature, precipitation, or both as anthropogenic activities were weak. (2) The impact of gradually increasing anthropogenic disturbances on δ15Nsed. in the different lakes varied. Globally, the declining lacustrine δ15Nsed. values could be attributed to atmospheric reactive nitrogen deposition. However, on the regional catchment scale, the increased δ15Nsed. values in lakes may be related to increased nutrient input and higher primary production caused by increased anthropogenic activities, whereas the rapid decline of δ15Nsed. values in lakes is possibly related to more nutrition input and 15N-depleted organic matter input resulting excessive anthropogenic activities. Our study suggests that the impact of anthropogenic activities on lake ecosystems gradually increased in recent decades, and the amplitudes in variations of δ15Nsed. values in some lakes exceeded those during periods of weak anthropogenic disturbances. If not properly managed, anthropogenic disturbances may outweigh nature (i.e. temperature, precipitation) as the leading cause of lake ecosystems in the future.