Reflections of climate change
Some of the most dramatic evidence of climate change today is found in the planet’s lakes and reservoirs, according to three researchers from Miami University, the University of Maine and University of Alberta – Edmonton, writing in a February issue of Science magazine.
These inland waters that are important regulators in the global carbon cycle are among the natural resources threatened by climate change. As sentinels, they already are showing signs of decreased biodiversity and water quality.
The three researchers – Craig Williamson, Jasmine Saros and David Schindler – suggest that global lake observatory networks are needed, in addition to ongoing research to tap the clues found in freshwater sediments about the effects and mechanisms of climate change over time.
“The outlook for lakes and reservoirs and the ecosystem services that they provide is bleak,” wrote the scientists. “Yet records from these inland waters may provide the insights necessary to address the dual challenges of climate change and increased human domination and their effects on lakes and the larger landscape.”
