Large Asian Lakes in a Changing World

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

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2. The Dead Sea and Its Deviation from Natural Conditions

   • Revital Bookman

   Pages 1-33

3. Lake Sevan: Evolution, Biotic Variability and Ecological Degradation

   • Ian P. Wilkinson

   Pages 35-63

4. Past and Current Changes in the Largest Lake of the World: The Caspian Sea

   • Suzanne A. G. Leroy, Hamid A. K. Lahijani, Jean-Francois Crétaux, Nikolai V. Aladin, Igor S. Plotnikov

   Pages 65-107

5. The Aral Sea: A Story of Devastation and Partial Recovery of a Large Lake

   • Philip Micklin, Nikolai V. Aladin, Tetsuro Chida, Nikolaus Boroffka, Igor S. Plotnikov, Sergey Krivonogov et al.

   Pages 109-141

6. Geological History and Present Conditions of Lake Balkhash

   • Renato Sala, Jean-Marc Deom, Nikolai V. Aladin, Igor S. Plotnikov, Sabyr Nurtazin

   Pages 143-175

7. Lake Issyk-Kul: Its History and Present State

   • Andrei O. Podrezov, Ari J. Mäkelä, Steffen Mischke

   Pages 177-206

8. Lop Nur in NW China: Its Natural State, and a Long History of Human Impact

   • Steffen Mischke, Chenglin Liu, Jiafu Zhang

   Pages 207-233

9. Uvs Nuur: A Sentinel for Climate Change in Eastern Central Asia

   • Michael Walther, Wolfgang Horn, Avirmed Dashtseren

   Pages 235-257

10. Back Matter

    Pages 259-264

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Describing the natural state of eight important lakes in Asia and the human impact on these lake ecosystems, this book offers a valuable reference guide. Over the past several decades the Aral Sea, Dead Sea, Lake Balkhash and other major lakes in Asia have undergone significant changes with regard to their size, water level, chemical composition, and flora and fauna. Most of these changes resulted from the loss of water from tributaries (now used for irrigation farming) or increasing consumption in local industries and households. However, significant human impacts may have begun as early as 2000 years ago. In addition to the three lakes mentioned above, Lake Sevan (Armenia), the Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan), Lake Issyk-Kul (Kyrgyzstan), and Lake Lop Nur (China) are discussed as the most prominent examples of changing lake ecosystems. In contrast, an example of an almost pristine lake ecosystem is included with the report on Lake UvsNuur (Mongolia).

For each lake, the book summarizes its origin and early geological history, and reconstructs its natural state and variability on the basis of proxy records from drilled or exposed lake sediments that have accumulated since the last ice age. The frequently observed reductions in lake level and size during most recent decades led often to significant environmental impacts in the respective lake catchments including vegetation deterioration, soil erosion and badland formation, soil salinization or the formation of sinkholes.  

      

• Human impact on biodiversity
• Desertification
• Ecosystem Changes
• Human Impact
• Paleolimnology
• Saline Lakes
• Effects of water withdrawal
• Water Consumption
• Soil erosion in catchment
• Badland formation
• Human use of lakes

     

• Institue of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland

  Steffen Mischke

  

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