Application of subfossil cladocerans (water fleas) in assessing ecological resilience of shallow Yangtze River floodplain lake systems (China)

Abstract

Majority of shallow floodplain lake ecosystems of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (China) have gone through serious eutrophication problems over the recent past. The severe environmental deterioration accompanied by cyanobacterial blooms have become major water resource management challenges in the region. An advanced research method is urgently needed to tackle these challenges. The concept of ecological resilience address pressing questions of non-linear dynamics, threshold effects and regime shifts in shallow floodplain lakes, and help manage the ecosystem effectively. Palaeolimnological techniques are important for assessing long term resilience and associated threshold..