The world's largest heliothermal lake newly formed in the Aral Sea basin
This survey on the seasonal thermal and mixing regime in a hypersaline basin of the Aral Sea revealed a newly formed two-layered structure with strong gradients of salinity and water transparency at mid-depths. As a result, the Chernyshev has evolved to an unprecedently large (∼80 km2) heliothermal lake accumulating solar energy in the subsurface temperature maximum with temperatures up to 37 °C.
Attribution of global lake systems change to anthropogenic forcing
The authors have uncovered the human imprint on lakes worldwide using hindcasts and projections from five lake models. Reanalysed trends in lake temperature and ice cover in recent decades are extremely unlikely to have occurred without the warming effect of rising greenhouse-gas emissions and implicate decline of ice thickness and duration worldwide.
Changing pattern of water level trends in eurasian endorheic lakes as a response to the recent climate variability
To address the large-scale patterns of hydrological response to the climate change, we investigated the variability of levels in 15 Eurasian lakes. Satellite altimetry revealed a heterogeneous pattern among different regions of the worldwide largest endorheic area: lake levels increased significantly in Central Asia and the Tibetan Plateau but decreased on the Mongolian Plateau.
An automatic method to detect lake ice phenology using MODIS daily temperature imagery
The authors developed a new method of satellite data processing for lake ice determination and applied it to investigation of ice regime on Chinese lakes. The method allowed to obtain estimates of the climate driven trends in ice phenology including the duration of transitional periods of partial ice coverage.
Non-English languages enrich scientific knowledge: the example of economic costs of biological invasions
The authors compiled global economic cost data of invasive species from non-English sources. A large number of costs were added for new invasive species and new countries. As a result, global cost estimates of invasions increased by 16.6% (US$ 214 billion). Multi-language collaborations are necessary to enrich scientific knowledge, to enhance data completeness and reduce knowledge gaps.
Design and implementation of an illumination system to mimic skyglow at ecosystem level in a large-scale lake enclosure facility
The authors present the skyglow illumination system for IGB’s LakeLab, a large-scale enclosure research facility in Lake Stechlin. This is the first experimental setup to mimic skyglow realistically at ecosystem scale. Light propagation was modeled using photonics tools, a method adaptable to other outdoor and indoor experiments, urgently needed to understand the impact of skyglow on ecosystems.
Setting robust biodiversity goals
The new global biodiversity framework (GBF) must drive action to reverse the decline of biodiversity. However, the draft goals and targets fail to set out these clear outcomes. The authors propose modifications that would help to reveal the specific contribution of each action and provide clarity on whether the achievement of action targets would be adequate to achieve the outcome goals.
The aquaponic principle - it is all about coupling
The authors have tightened up the definitions of aquaponics and created a calculation model for resource use. They argue that the coupling of internal flows, for example of water, nutrients and energy, must be evaluated. After all, it is the cycle idea that ultimately makes aquaponics sustainable.
The lake ice continuum concept: influence of winter conditions on energy and ecosystem dynamics
The authors combined current literature with three novel case studies – one of them Lake Stechlin - to develop the Lake Ice Continuum Concept to understand how key aspects of the physical, chemical, and ecological structure and function of lakes vary along a continuum of energy inputs mediated by winter climate. This framework is useful for predicting how lakes respond to climate change.
Spatial and local environmental factors outweigh geo-climatic gradients in structuring taxonomically and trait-based β-diversity of benthic algae
The authors examined different facets of β-diversity of stream benthic algae in northeastern China. They found that local environmental and spatial factors are more important than geo-climatic variables in structuring taxonomically and trait-based β-diversity of benthic algae.