Assessment of ecosystem health during the past 40 years for Lake Taihu in the Yangtze River Delta, China

An assessment of the ecosystem health of Lake Taihu in eastern China from 1960 to 2005 was conducted using separate and aggregated chemical and biological indicators. The chemical oxygen demand, the total nitrogen, total inorganic nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations, and the molar ratio of TN to TP (N/P) have all significantly increased (P < 0.05) since 1980. The trophic state index increased from 35.0 in 1960 to > 60.0 in 1990, confirming that Lake Taihu changed from being oligotrophic to being eutrophic. These changes in water quality have led to corresponding changes in species composition and in the densities and biomasses of many aquatic species. Algal blooms have occurred frequently since the late 1980s, leading to the dominance of small zooplankton and benthic invertebrates. About 41 fish, 65 zooplankton and 16 macrophyte species were estimated to have disappeared from the lake since the late 1980s. Buffer capacity increased for phytoplankton and zooplankton but decreased for zoobenthos. These results suggest that the Lake Taihu ecosystem was in better health in 1960, and has deteriorated since 1980.