Abstract
Saline lakes possess midge communities whose composition reflects the range in annual salt concentration fluctuations within the lake basin. Chironomid remains accumulating in such lakes may be used as archives for reconstructing past salinity changes. Quantitative palaeosalinity reconstructions are now available for lakes in parts of Canada and Africa. In arid and semi-arid regions, much potential exists for relating these midge-inferred salinities to past changes in climate. Salinities at these sites may reflect past hydrological changes, especially changes in evaporation/precipitation balance. Recent analyses of coastal lakes in Norway demonstrate that midge fossils are also potentially useful indicators of sea-level changes. Limitations to midge-inferred palaeosalinity reconstructions include non-climate reasons for changes in salinity, such as variation in ionic input and local hydrology, and additional influences on community composition, such as midge habitat preferences, selective predation, and metal toxicity.
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