Smol, John P

　　Considerable progress has been made using experimental approaches and spatial surveys to better understand and manage shallow lake ecosystems. Meanwhile, research on the environmental histories of shallow lakes has lagged behind paleolimnological studies conducted on deeper systems, with most studies on shallow systems being completed over the last decade or so. Although shallow lakes may pose additional challenges to paleoenvironmental assessments, these potential shortcomings can often be identified and addressed. Due to their size, shallow lakes may act as amplifiers for a variety of environmental stressors, while dampening others. This overview summarizes a few recent studies assessing the long-term effects of multiple stressors on shallow lake ecosystems, with a particular focus on Arctic and Sub-Arctic ponds. Issues related to climatic change (e.g., the rapid transformation of shallow ponds in polar regions), as well as recent paleolimnological studies using shallow lake sediments to track past flooding frequencies, assessing the effects of seabirds and other biovectors on terrestrial ecosystems, blending archaeology and paleolimnology, and investigating the paths and trajectories of different pollutants (e.g., contaminants from the burgeoning petroleum industry) are highlighted. Some potential avenues for future research are also discussed.

　　（来源：HYDROBIOLOGIA, 2016, 778(1):253-272）