Short comment on chironomid assemblages and stratigraphy of high altitude lakes from Tibet

Abstract

A recent chironomid record of three shallow, high altitude lakes in southern Tibet, as well as a short palaeolimnological history of one lake, are presented. The recent chironomid assemblages consisted of 13 taxa; one of the Orthocladiinae taxa recorded most likely represents a new species. In spite of the low head capsule concentration in the sediment core of Lake Karuugema, probably due to physical disturbance, redistribution and outwash of head capsules, there was a trend from assemblages composed of stenothermal/rheophilic taxa to eurythermal/limnophilic taxa. This shift in assemblage structure suggests that changes in monsoon precipitation and catchment hydrology may have influenced the habitat conditions of the chironomids.