Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of Chl-a in Chinese lakes between 1986 and 2023
Eutrophication of water bodies is a major ecological problem associated with increased input of nitrogen and phosphorus during rapid economic development. The abundance of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in aquatic systems serves as a reliable ecological indicator of lake water quality that is strongly correl...
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De Gruyter
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Open Geosciences |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/geo-2025-0819 |
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| author | Liu Chang Zhu Fangfang Yan Xingguang Ma Xiaoliang Yang Di Smith Andrew Robert |
| author_facet | Liu Chang Zhu Fangfang Yan Xingguang Ma Xiaoliang Yang Di Smith Andrew Robert |
| author_sort | Liu Chang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Eutrophication of water bodies is a major ecological problem associated with increased input of nitrogen and phosphorus during rapid economic development. The abundance of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in aquatic systems serves as a reliable ecological indicator of lake water quality that is strongly correlated to the degree of eutrophication. Using multi-source remote sensing data – including Landsat and Sentinel-2 imagery – and employing Theil-Sen median analysis, the Mann–Kendall trend test, and Pearson correlation analysis, we comprehensively examined the spatial and temporal dynamics, as well as the driving forces, of Chl-a concentrations in medium and large lakes (lake area >10 km2) across China from 1986 to 2023. The results showed that, over the past four decades, Chl-a concentration in Chinese lakes generally exhibited a declining trend, with a more pronounced decrease occurring after 2013. Significant regional disparities were observed: lakes in the southwestern region demonstrated the most pronounced declines, while those in the southern region exhibited the least. Seasonal variability in Chl-a was consistent across the country, with concentrations peaking between July and August and reaching their lowest levels from November to March. Nevertheless, the extent of seasonal variation differed regionally, being lower in western China and greater in the eastern and southern regions. Land surface temperature, water vapor content, and soil moisture showed strong positive correlations with Chl-a concentrations, while elevation and wind speed displayed negative correlations. These relationships also varied significantly in geographic subregions. Overall, the study revealed the spatiotemporal patterns and driving mechanisms of Chl-a dynamics in Chinese lakes and highlighted the spatial heterogeneity of ecological and geographical influences on Chl-a concentrations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2b4c5cf6d1b84dd5bd5e6acf04509405 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2391-5447 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
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| series | Open Geosciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-2b4c5cf6d1b84dd5bd5e6acf045094052025-08-20T03:31:20ZengDe GruyterOpen Geosciences2391-54472025-06-0117138840310.1515/geo-2025-0819Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of Chl-a in Chinese lakes between 1986 and 2023Liu Chang0Zhu Fangfang1Yan Xingguang2Ma Xiaoliang3Yang Di4Smith Andrew Robert5School of Internet of Things, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, ChinaFaculty of Geomatics, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, ChinaGeovis Earth Technology Co., Ltd., Hefei, 230088, Anhui, ChinaGeography Faculty, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611, Florida, United States of AmericaSchool of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor University, Bangor, LL572UW, Gwynedd, United KingdomEutrophication of water bodies is a major ecological problem associated with increased input of nitrogen and phosphorus during rapid economic development. The abundance of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in aquatic systems serves as a reliable ecological indicator of lake water quality that is strongly correlated to the degree of eutrophication. Using multi-source remote sensing data – including Landsat and Sentinel-2 imagery – and employing Theil-Sen median analysis, the Mann–Kendall trend test, and Pearson correlation analysis, we comprehensively examined the spatial and temporal dynamics, as well as the driving forces, of Chl-a concentrations in medium and large lakes (lake area >10 km2) across China from 1986 to 2023. The results showed that, over the past four decades, Chl-a concentration in Chinese lakes generally exhibited a declining trend, with a more pronounced decrease occurring after 2013. Significant regional disparities were observed: lakes in the southwestern region demonstrated the most pronounced declines, while those in the southern region exhibited the least. Seasonal variability in Chl-a was consistent across the country, with concentrations peaking between July and August and reaching their lowest levels from November to March. Nevertheless, the extent of seasonal variation differed regionally, being lower in western China and greater in the eastern and southern regions. Land surface temperature, water vapor content, and soil moisture showed strong positive correlations with Chl-a concentrations, while elevation and wind speed displayed negative correlations. These relationships also varied significantly in geographic subregions. Overall, the study revealed the spatiotemporal patterns and driving mechanisms of Chl-a dynamics in Chinese lakes and highlighted the spatial heterogeneity of ecological and geographical influences on Chl-a concentrations.https://doi.org/10.1515/geo-2025-0819lakegoogle earth enginelandsatsentineleutrophicationchlorophyll-a |
| spellingShingle | Liu Chang Zhu Fangfang Yan Xingguang Ma Xiaoliang Yang Di Smith Andrew Robert Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of Chl-a in Chinese lakes between 1986 and 2023 Open Geosciences lake google earth engine landsat sentinel eutrophication chlorophyll-a |
| title | Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of Chl-a in Chinese lakes between 1986 and 2023 |
| title_full | Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of Chl-a in Chinese lakes between 1986 and 2023 |
| title_fullStr | Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of Chl-a in Chinese lakes between 1986 and 2023 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of Chl-a in Chinese lakes between 1986 and 2023 |
| title_short | Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of Chl-a in Chinese lakes between 1986 and 2023 |
| title_sort | spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of chl a in chinese lakes between 1986 and 2023 |
| topic | lake google earth engine landsat sentinel eutrophication chlorophyll-a |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1515/geo-2025-0819 |
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