Palaeolimnology involves the use of lake sediment records to reconstruct lake histories and assess the causes, timing and magnitude of environmental change. In this talk, Professor Helen Bennion will show how palaeolimnological research has been used to further our understanding of lake response to pressures such as nutrient enrichment and climate change and how a long-term perspective on ecosystem change can enhance our understanding of ecological processes and mechanisms. She will also showcase the value of sediment records for informing lake management and conservation.
Professor Helen Bennion will cover four main themes:
i) assessing lake eutrophication in lowland catchments across Europe and China,
ii) assessing reference conditions, restoration targets and recovery rates,
iii) understanding climate nutrient interactions and impacts of multiple stressors, and
iv) understanding changes in lake ecological structure and function over decadal to centennial timescales.
