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Advances in Plateau Lake Water Quality and Eutrophication

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Quality and Contamination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 January 2026 | Viewed by 538

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Interests: environmental planning and management; climate change; uncertainty optimization model; energy–water nexus; water quality
College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
Interests: simulation of watershed water environmental processes; environmental planning and management; heavy metal risk assessment and management; algal bloom warning and emergency response; multi-scale environmental risk zoning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Eutrophication of lakes typically refers to the increase in nutrient elements, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, due to human activities or natural factors. This process results in a decline in water quality, characterized by reduced dissolved oxygen levels, the production of toxins (such as those from blue-green algae), disruption of food webs, increased turbidity, hydrochemical changes (including fluctuations in pH), diminished biodiversity, degradation of aquatic vegetation, and various negative ecological impacts.

As a global environmental issue, eutrophication of water bodies is receiving increasing attention. Numerous studies indicate that the occurrence of eutrophication in lakes is influenced not only by water quality conditions but also by geographical and meteorological factors, as well as the hydraulic conditions and aquatic ecosystems present in these lakes. Significant regional differences exist in the relationship between the inherent nutritional status, nutrient load entering lakes, and the effects of eutrophication across different regions.

Currently, numerous studies have been conducted on the eutrophication evolution processes of lakes across various regions; however, research specifically addressing the eutrophication evolution patterns of plateau lakes remains relatively scarce. The lakes situated in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau encompass those found in Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and other areas. This region's lake terrain is characterized by high mountains and deep valleys, with an average altitude exceeding 1000 meters, and it experiences highly active tectonic movements. Most lakes are located along significant fault zones formed by stratigraphic faults. Additionally, some karst lakes are noted for their high altitudes, small surface areas, and deep waters. Under natural conditions, the concentrations of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in these lakes are generally low, resulting in predominantly poor to moderately nutritious lakes. Due to the semi-closed characteristics of lakes, water resources within the lake basin are generally scarce, with an uneven spatial and temporal distribution. Furthermore, lakes possess a longer water exchange cycle, rendering their ecosystems more fragile compared to those of lakes in the eastern plains. Intensified human activities can lead to eutrophication, as evidenced by lakes such as Dianchi, which have rapidly become eutrophic and lost their ecological functions due to significant human interference. In recent decades, the acceleration of climate change, along with frequent industrial and daily life activities, has posed new challenges to the water quality safety of plateau lakes. In response, this special issue systematically analyzes the nutrient levels, plant community structures, and water quality of representative plateau lakes at various stages of eutrophication research. It also investigates the characteristics and influencing factors of eutrophication evolution in these lakes, aiming to elucidate the trends of environmental changes in lakes and their surrounding areas, as well as the impact of human activities on lake environmental changes. This research provides theoretical support for the sustainable management of water resources in plateau lakes.”

Dr. Zhenghui Fu
Dr. Zheng Li
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • simulation of watershed water environmental processes
  • environmental planning and management
  • eutrophication risk assessment and management
  • algal bloom warning and emergency response
  • multi-scale environmental risk zoning

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 5573 KB  
Article
Assessing the Impact of Land Use and Landscape Patterns on Water Quality in Yilong Lake Basin (1993–2023)
by Yue Huang, Ronggui Wang, Jie Li and Yuhan Jiang
Water 2026, 18(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18010030 - 22 Dec 2025
Viewed by 92
Abstract
To investigate the influence of land use landscape patterns on lake water quality in the basin, the land use and water quality data of the Yilong Lake Basin from 1993 to 2023 were analyzed with a geographic information system, remote sensing, and landscape [...] Read more.
To investigate the influence of land use landscape patterns on lake water quality in the basin, the land use and water quality data of the Yilong Lake Basin from 1993 to 2023 were analyzed with a geographic information system, remote sensing, and landscape ecology methods in this research. The results show that (1) the land use landscape pattern and water quality of the Yilong Lake Basin had significant changes: the lake surface area, farmland, and shrubland declined, with grassland showing the sharpest decrease and serving as the main source of conversion to other land types, while forest land expanded and built-up land increased by five times. The landscape pattern analysis showed that the aggregation degree of the core habitat in the basin increased and the landscape had decreased patch density and increased heterogeneity. Regarding water quality, the concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N); permanganate index (IMn); and biochemical oxygen demand over 5 days (BOD5) decreased. Furthermore, the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) increased and the concentration of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) fluctuated for a long time but did not decrease dramatically at the end of the period compared with the beginning. In general, the eutrophication degree of Yilong Lake slightly decreased. (2) The landscape configuration strongly shaped the water quality: the redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that the edge density (ED), landscape shape index (LSI), largest patch index (LPI), and patch density (PD) were negatively associated with the eutrophication of Yilong Lake (TN, TP, NH4+-N, Chl-a), whereas the contagion index (CONTAG) was positively associated; the Shannon’s diversity index (SHDI) was closely linked with TN and IMn but negatively with DO; and the patch cohesion index (COHESION) had a low interpretation power for water quality changes. In particular, larger and more cohesive ecological patches supported a higher DO, while an increased patch density was linked to an elevated IMn and reduced DO. These results indicate that the restoration of key ecological patches and enhanced landscape cohesion helped to improve the water quality, whereas increased patch density and landscape heterogeneity negatively affected it. (3) In the past 30 years, the ecological management and protection work on Yilong Lake, such as returning farmland to forests and lakes, wetland restoration, and sewage pipe network construction, achieved remarkable results that were reflected in the change in the relationship between land use landscape pattern and water quality in the basin. However, human activities still affected the dynamic evolution of water quality: the expansion of built-up land increased the patch density, the reduction in shrubland and grassland weakened natural filtration, and the rapid urbanization process introduced more pollution sources. Although the increase in forest land helped to improve the water quality, the effect was not fully developed. These findings provide a scientific basis for the management and ecological restoration of plateau lakes. Strengthening land use planning, controlling urban expansion, and maintaining ecological patches are essential for sustaining water quality and promoting the coordinated development of the ecology and economy in the Yilong Lake Basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plateau Lake Water Quality and Eutrophication)
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