Large and deep perialpine lakes: a paleolimnological perspective for the advance of ecosystem science

The large perialpine lakes are important component of the Alpine landscape. Due to their piedmont location in the most densely populated and productive region of the Alps, they play a crucial socio-economic role as resource for drinking water, irrigation, industry, tourism, hydroelectric production, and biodiversity conservation. They are exposed to multiple human pressure, and, as their catchment extend to the glacial Alpine range, they are particularly sensitive to global warming effects, to global warming effects. Limnological surveys outlined coherent responses by large perialpine lakes to the massive nutrient enrichment during the 1950s-1970s, while recent trajectories y isare rather heterogeneous. Past and ongoing paleolimnological studies confirmed the coherence of the lakes’ evolution at within a secular perspective, but outlined individual trends as resulting from local management policies, lake morphology, and superimposed effects of climate change. A review of the paleolimnological literature, published from 1975 to April 2017on perialpine lakes of different lake districts north and south of the Alps, was performed aiming at reviewing current knowledge of large and deep perialpine lakes obtained by due to sediment studies, and at summarizing how paleolimnological studies can effectively contribute in defining past ecological status of lakes from several lines of evidence. and in outlining lake sensitivity to current and future human impacts. A further objective of The aim of the review work was present paper is to present how paleolimnological studies can assist limnological research in defining ecological status from several lines of evidence and in outlining lake sensitivity to present and future human impacts. This is particularly important when defining trophic and ecological reference conditions, because inappropriate restoration targets might prove unachievable within the present context of global change.