Environmental evolution and hydrodynamic process of Dongping Lake in Shandong Province, China, over the past 150 years

Sporopollen, when recorded in the sedimentary record, is a characterization factor of vegetation over geological time of an area; the grain-size characteristics are direct reflection of the hydrodynamic conditions. Based on analyses of high-time resolution sporopollen and grain size of a 55-cm-long sediment core of Dongping Lake, it is shown that the sedimentary environment and hydrodynamic processes of Dongping Lake have seen significant changes over the past 150 years. From 1855 to 1865, the lake is in a hydrostatic depositional environment, where submerged plants were in great abundance, emergent and floating-leaved aquatic plants were comparatively fewer, and reworked sporopollen fossils were not observed. These indicate a weak and stable hydrodynamic condition during this stage. However, fluctuation of Mz, amounts of clay and silt were present, which may be due to high volumes of sediments around Dongping Lake basin transported into Dongping Lake via the Yellow River during the early lake-forming stages. From 1865 to 1922, the lake is in a backswamp depositional environment, where aquatic plants are nearly nonexistent, appearing occasionally in some layers with relatively low abundance. Fern spores show a twofold increase in occurrence and reworked sporopollen fossils are frequently identified. All of these indicate a strong hydrodynamic condition and frequent environmental change. Grain-size characteristics also support this interpretation. From 1922 to 1961, aquatic plants appeared at the upper layers of this zone at relatively low amounts, and reworked sporopollen fossils were frequently identified. Grain-size characteristics show an obvious change in grain-size distribution, indicating a strong hydrodynamic condition and unstable depositional environment. These relationships were attributed to a backswamp depositional environment. From 1961 to 2007, Dongping Lake is in a hydrostatic depositional environment, where the hydrodynamic condition is weak and stable. Evidence for this is shown by a remarkable increase in submerged plants, a rapid decrease in fern spores, and occasional appearances of reworked sporopollen fossils in the lower part of the zone. However, grain-size characteristics reveal that fluctuation of Mz, amounts of clay, silt and sand are noticeable and frequent, which may be mainly related to impacts of ever-enhancing human activities in recent years.