98
W. Y. B. Chang
the 1960s, large lakes were generally oligotrophic with inputs
of primary organic matter from the immediate watershed.
The new economic initiatives of the 1980s stimulated
major industrial development, resulting in a great increase in
industrial effluents. In addition to nutrient inputs, high levels
of metals and toxic organics have already been found in lake
sediments and benthic fishes in China’s great lakes, such as
Lakes Tai and Chao. These contaminants include mercury,
arsenic, phenol, copper, cyanide, zinc, lead, and chromium,
and can be readily associated with the nearby major industrial sources. Large lakes in this basin became mesotrophic
to eutrophic with the beginning of blue-green algae blooms.
Lakes Tai and Cao have now become hypereutrophic.
Lake Cao has 192 and 3,035 µg L
−1
of TP and TN, respectively, while Lake Tai’s TP and TN are 108 and 1,771 µg L
−1
based on the survey conducted in 2001–2003. Aquatic
ecosystems in these lakes have undergone a major change
in which systems dominated by macrophytes have been
replaced by algal-dominated systems. Blue-green algae
blooms in the great lakes in this basin are becoming annual
occurrences, threatening water supplies and the sustainability of freshwater ecosystems.
These lakes have changed from oligotrophic to hypereutrophic in the last 40 years. Continuing disposal of untreated domestic and industrial wastes contributed significantly
to this change. Lake management practices, such as dams
and weirs for flood control and extensive use of littoral area
and wetland for farming, aquaculture, and home construction, have also contributed to the acceleration of this process.
With its enormous population and increasing use of its great
lakes, China needs to integrate its lake management programs
and to plan for sustainable use of its aquatic resources. The
management plan should take into consideration the environmental costs of development and the ecological service that
these lakes provide. The reduction or recycling of wastes by
industries needs to be closely controlled. Continued encouragement and promotion of environmental consciousness is
necessary, and promotion of sustainable uses of inland waters
and involvement of average citizens to contribute to the joint
decision in environmental planning and lake management are
a key to the success of managing these important water bodies.
References
Academia S (1981) Chinese Geography Surface Water. Beijing Scientific Publisher, p 185
Chang WYB (1987) Large lakes of China. J Great Lakes Res 13(3):235–
249
Chang WYB (1990) Human population, modernization and the changing face of China’s eastern Pacific lowlands. China Exchange News
18(4):3–8
Chang WYB (1993) Lake management in China. J. Asian Environ
Manage 1(2):11–23
Chang WYB (1994) Management of shallow tropical lakes using integrated lake farming. In Dudgeon D, Lam PKS (eds) Inland waters of
tropical Asia and Australia: conservation and management Vol 24.
Mitteilungen, pp 219–224
Chang WYB (1996) Major environmental changes since 1950 and the
onset of accelerated eutrophication in Tai Lake, China. Acta Palaeontol Sinica 35(2):155–176
Dudgeon D, Arthington A, Chang WYB, Davis J, Humphrey CL, Pearson RG, Lam PKS et al (1993) Conservation and management of
tropical Asian and Australian inland waters: problems, solutions,
and prospects. In: Dudgeon D and Lam PKS (eds) Inland Waters
of Tropical Asian and Australia: Conservation and Management.
Schweizerbart’sche, Stuttgart
Jeppesen E, Jensen JP, Kristensen P, Sondergaard ME, Mortensen E,
Sortkjar O, Olrik K (1990) Fish manipulation as a lake restoration
tool in shallow, eutrophic temperate lakes 1: cross-analysis of three
Danish case studies. Hydrobiologia 61:205–218
Jin X, Liu H, Tu Q, Zhang Z, Zhu X (1990) Eutrophication of Lakes
in China. Beijing: Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences,
p 651
Lin YJ, He ZL, Yang YG, Stoffela PJ, Phlips EJ, Charles AP et al (2008)
Nitrogen versus phosphorus limitation of phytoplankton growth in
Ten Mile Creek, Florida. USA Hydrobiologia 605:247–258
Nanjing Institute of Geography (1982) Lakes in Jiangsu Province. Nanjing, Jiangsu: Jiangsu Scientific and Technical Publisher, p 220
Paerl H, Xu H, MaCarthy M, Zhu G, Qin B, Li Y, Gardner W et al
(2011) Controlling harmful cyanobacterial blooms in a hyper-eutrophic lake (Lake Tai, China): The need for a dual nutrient (N & P)
management strategy. Water Res 45:1973–1983
Pu P, Tu Q, Wang S et al (1989) Research progress of limnology in
China. Scientia Limnologica Sinica 6(1):1–12
Qin B, Xu P, Wu Q, Luo L, Zhang Y et al (2007) Environmental issues
of Lake Tai, China. Hydrobiologia 581:13–14
Shi C, Wang X, Dou H, Zhang L, Wang HD et al (1989) A General Outline of Chinese Lakes. Beijing. Science Press, China, p 240
Shu JH (1991) Study of environmental problems and measure of China’s urban lakes. J Lake Sci 3(1):61–67
Stone R (2011) China aims to turn tide against toxic lake pollution.
Science 333:210–211
Sun SC, Wu YU (1989) Formation and development of Lake Tai and
recent deposition. Lake Science in China 32:478–492
Sun SC, Huang YP (1993) Taihu Lake. Beijing, China: Ocean Press,
p 271
Xu H, Paerl H, Qin B, Zhu G, Gao G et al (2010) Nitrogen and phosphorus inputs control phytoplankton growth in eutrophic Lake
Taihu, China. Limnol Oceanogr 55(1):420–432
Yang XD, Anderson J, Dong XJ, Shen J et al (2008) Surface sediment
diatom assemblages and epilimnetic total phosphorus in large,
shallow lakes of the Yangtze floodplain: their relationships and
implications for assessing long-term eutrophication. Freshwat Biol
53:1273–1290
Zhang H, Chang WYB (1994) Management of inland fisheries in shallow eutrophic, mesotrophic and oligotrophic lakes in China. In:
Dudgeon D and Lam PKS (eds) Inland Waters of Tropical Asian
and Australia: Conservation and Management. Schweizerbart’sche,
Stuttgart
W. Y. B. Chang
the 1960s, large lakes were generally oligotrophic with inputs
of primary organic matter from the immediate watershed.
The new economic initiatives of the 1980s stimulated
major industrial development, resulting in a great increase in
industrial effluents. In addition to nutrient inputs, high levels
of metals and toxic organics have already been found in lake
sediments and benthic fishes in China’s great lakes, such as
Lakes Tai and Chao. These contaminants include mercury,
arsenic, phenol, copper, cyanide, zinc, lead, and chromium,
and can be readily associated with the nearby major industrial sources. Large lakes in this basin became mesotrophic
to eutrophic with the beginning of blue-green algae blooms.
Lakes Tai and Cao have now become hypereutrophic.
Lake Cao has 192 and 3,035 µg L
−1
of TP and TN, respectively, while Lake Tai’s TP and TN are 108 and 1,771 µg L
−1
based on the survey conducted in 2001–2003. Aquatic
ecosystems in these lakes have undergone a major change
in which systems dominated by macrophytes have been
replaced by algal-dominated systems. Blue-green algae
blooms in the great lakes in this basin are becoming annual
occurrences, threatening water supplies and the sustainability of freshwater ecosystems.
These lakes have changed from oligotrophic to hypereutrophic in the last 40 years. Continuing disposal of untreated domestic and industrial wastes contributed significantly
to this change. Lake management practices, such as dams
and weirs for flood control and extensive use of littoral area
and wetland for farming, aquaculture, and home construction, have also contributed to the acceleration of this process.
With its enormous population and increasing use of its great
lakes, China needs to integrate its lake management programs
and to plan for sustainable use of its aquatic resources. The
management plan should take into consideration the environmental costs of development and the ecological service that
these lakes provide. The reduction or recycling of wastes by
industries needs to be closely controlled. Continued encouragement and promotion of environmental consciousness is
necessary, and promotion of sustainable uses of inland waters
and involvement of average citizens to contribute to the joint
decision in environmental planning and lake management are
a key to the success of managing these important water bodies.
References
Academia S (1981) Chinese Geography Surface Water. Beijing Scientific Publisher, p 185
Chang WYB (1987) Large lakes of China. J Great Lakes Res 13(3):235–
249
Chang WYB (1990) Human population, modernization and the changing face of China’s eastern Pacific lowlands. China Exchange News
18(4):3–8
Chang WYB (1993) Lake management in China. J. Asian Environ
Manage 1(2):11–23
Chang WYB (1994) Management of shallow tropical lakes using integrated lake farming. In Dudgeon D, Lam PKS (eds) Inland waters of
tropical Asia and Australia: conservation and management Vol 24.
Mitteilungen, pp 219–224
Chang WYB (1996) Major environmental changes since 1950 and the
onset of accelerated eutrophication in Tai Lake, China. Acta Palaeontol Sinica 35(2):155–176
Dudgeon D, Arthington A, Chang WYB, Davis J, Humphrey CL, Pearson RG, Lam PKS et al (1993) Conservation and management of
tropical Asian and Australian inland waters: problems, solutions,
and prospects. In: Dudgeon D and Lam PKS (eds) Inland Waters
of Tropical Asian and Australia: Conservation and Management.
Schweizerbart’sche, Stuttgart
Jeppesen E, Jensen JP, Kristensen P, Sondergaard ME, Mortensen E,
Sortkjar O, Olrik K (1990) Fish manipulation as a lake restoration
tool in shallow, eutrophic temperate lakes 1: cross-analysis of three
Danish case studies. Hydrobiologia 61:205–218
Jin X, Liu H, Tu Q, Zhang Z, Zhu X (1990) Eutrophication of Lakes
in China. Beijing: Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences,
p 651
Lin YJ, He ZL, Yang YG, Stoffela PJ, Phlips EJ, Charles AP et al (2008)
Nitrogen versus phosphorus limitation of phytoplankton growth in
Ten Mile Creek, Florida. USA Hydrobiologia 605:247–258
Nanjing Institute of Geography (1982) Lakes in Jiangsu Province. Nanjing, Jiangsu: Jiangsu Scientific and Technical Publisher, p 220
Paerl H, Xu H, MaCarthy M, Zhu G, Qin B, Li Y, Gardner W et al
(2011) Controlling harmful cyanobacterial blooms in a hyper-eutrophic lake (Lake Tai, China): The need for a dual nutrient (N & P)
management strategy. Water Res 45:1973–1983
Pu P, Tu Q, Wang S et al (1989) Research progress of limnology in
China. Scientia Limnologica Sinica 6(1):1–12
Qin B, Xu P, Wu Q, Luo L, Zhang Y et al (2007) Environmental issues
of Lake Tai, China. Hydrobiologia 581:13–14
Shi C, Wang X, Dou H, Zhang L, Wang HD et al (1989) A General Outline of Chinese Lakes. Beijing. Science Press, China, p 240
Shu JH (1991) Study of environmental problems and measure of China’s urban lakes. J Lake Sci 3(1):61–67
Stone R (2011) China aims to turn tide against toxic lake pollution.
Science 333:210–211
Sun SC, Wu YU (1989) Formation and development of Lake Tai and
recent deposition. Lake Science in China 32:478–492
Sun SC, Huang YP (1993) Taihu Lake. Beijing, China: Ocean Press,
p 271
Xu H, Paerl H, Qin B, Zhu G, Gao G et al (2010) Nitrogen and phosphorus inputs control phytoplankton growth in eutrophic Lake
Taihu, China. Limnol Oceanogr 55(1):420–432
Yang XD, Anderson J, Dong XJ, Shen J et al (2008) Surface sediment
diatom assemblages and epilimnetic total phosphorus in large,
shallow lakes of the Yangtze floodplain: their relationships and
implications for assessing long-term eutrophication. Freshwat Biol
53:1273–1290
Zhang H, Chang WYB (1994) Management of inland fisheries in shallow eutrophic, mesotrophic and oligotrophic lakes in China. In:
Dudgeon D and Lam PKS (eds) Inland Waters of Tropical Asian
and Australia: Conservation and Management. Schweizerbart’sche,
Stuttgart