Note: Intro -- Preface -- References -- Contents -- 1 The Dead Sea and Its Deviation from Natural Conditions -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.1.1 Geological Setting -- 1.1.2 Climate and Hydrology -- 1.2 The Dead Sea Basin Lacustrine History -- 1.3 The Holocene Dead Sea -- 1.3.1 Sediments of the Ze'elim Formation -- 1.3.2 The Holocene Dead Sea Level: Climatic and Human Implications -- 1.4 The Modern Dead Sea -- 1.4.1 Lake Level Records Since the Commencement of Scientific Research -- 1.4.2 Limnology of a Lake with a Negative Water Balance -- 1.4.3 Responses to the Anthropogenic Level Drop -- 1.4.4 The Dead Sea Water Projects - A Future Perspective -- References -- 2 Lake Sevan: Evolution, Biotic Variability and Ecological Degradation -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Geological Evolution of the Sevan Basin -- 2.2.1 Eocene-Oligocene -- 2.2.2 Miocene -- 2.2.3 Pliocene -- 2.2.4 Pleistocene -- 2.3 The Holocene of Lake Sevan -- 2.4 The Inception of Ecological Degradation in Lake Sevan -- 2.4.1 Ecological Parameters -- 2.4.2 Biotas -- 2.5 Ecological Degradation During the Anthropocene -- 2.5.1 Ecological Parameters and Anthropogenic Change -- 2.5.2 Anthropocene Biotas -- 2.6 Ecological Recovery -- 2.7 Conclusions -- References -- 3 Past and Current Changes in the Largest Lake of the World: The Caspian Sea -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Modern Setting -- 3.2.1 Physical Geography -- 3.2.2 Physical Limnology -- 3.3 The Past of the CS and CS Level Changes -- 3.3.1 Geological Background -- 3.3.2 Changes Since the Last Glacial Maximum -- 3.4 The Biota of the Caspian Sea -- 3.4.1 Biodiversity and Endemism -- 3.4.2 Recent Changes in the Caspian Sea Biota -- 3.5 The Changing Physical World -- 3.5.1 Recent Changes to the Lake Surface -- 3.5.2 Pollution of the Caspian Sea -- 3.5.3 Changes to the Coast Line -- 3.6 Discussion -- 3.6.1 Critical Appraisal -- 3.6.2 Threats to the Caspian Sea. , 3.6.3 An Ideal Baseline? -- 3.7 Conclusions -- References -- 4 The Aral Sea: A Story of Devastation and Partial Recovery of a Large Lake -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Basin History -- 4.3 Natural State of the Aral Sea Prior to the Modern Desiccation -- 4.3.1 Geographical Setting of the Aral Sea -- 4.3.2 Hydrology of the Aral Sea Basin -- 4.3.3 Physical Characteristics of the Aral Sea Before the Modern Desiccation -- 4.3.4 Biology of the Aral Sea Prior to the Modern Desiccation -- 4.4 Human Impact on the Aral in the Modern Era (Mainly Post 1960) -- 4.4.1 The Changing Physical Character of the Sea and Surrounding Region -- 4.4.2 Changes in the Biological Character of the Sea -- 4.5 Future of the Aral Sea -- 4.5.1 Further Restoration of the North (Small) Aral -- 4.5.2 Fate of the Large Aral -- 4.6 Conclusions -- References -- 5 Geological History and Present Conditions of Lake Balkhash -- 5.1 Geographical and Hydrological Features of Modern Balkhash -- 5.2 Geological History of the Lake Balkhash Region -- 5.2.1 History of the Ancient and Modern Balkhash Basins Since 300 ka BP -- 5.2.2 Hydrological Stages of Lake Balkhash During the Late Pleistocene and Holocene -- 5.3 Modern Balkhash: Present Hydrological Conditions Under Increasing Climate Warming and Water Subtraction -- 5.4 Modern Balkhash: Lithology of the Sediments and Hydrochemistry of the Water Column -- 5.4.1 Types of Sediments -- 5.4.2 Composition of the Water Column -- 5.5 Modern Balkhash: Biota -- 5.5.1 Biological Productivity -- 5.5.2 Floral and Faunal Species -- 5.5.3 Development of Fishery in Lake Balkhash During the Last 100 Years -- 5.6 Outlook -- References -- 6 Lake Issyk-Kul: Its History and Present State -- 6.1 General Information About Lake Issyk-Kul and Its Basin -- 6.1.1 Geographical Characteristics of the Issyk-Kul Basin -- 6.1.2 Climate. , 6.1.3 Glaciation in the Lake Catchment and River Runoff -- 6.1.4 Landscapes in the Issyk-Kul Catchment, and Terrestrial Flora and Fauna -- 6.2 Lake Issyk-Kul in the Past and Its Current Conditions -- 6.2.1 History of Lake-Level Changes Prior to the Twentieth Century -- 6.2.2 Thermal Regime, Currents and Mixing of Lake Issyk-Kul -- 6.2.3 Hydro-Physics and Hydrochemistry of the Lake -- 6.2.4 Water Balance of Lake Issyk-Kul and Lake-Level Changes Since the Twentieth Century -- 6.2.5 Plankton, Benthos, and Fish of Lake Issyk-Kul -- 6.3 Population, Natural Resources and Environmental Issues of the Issyk-Kul Basin -- 6.3.1 Population in Lake Issyk-Kul's Catchment -- 6.3.2 Natural Resources of the Issyk-Kul Basin -- 6.3.3 Current Environmental Issues of the Issyk-Kul Basin -- References -- 7 Lop Nur in NW China: Its Natural State, and a Long History of Human Impact -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 The Origin of the Lop Nur Depression -- 7.3 The Ancient Pleistocene and Holocene Lake -- 7.4 Early Human Impact on the Hydrology of Lop Nur -- 7.5 The Natural State of Lop Nur Before the Han Dynasty -- 7.6 Reported Fauna and Flora of the Lake Before the Onset of Significant Human Impact -- 7.6.1 Gastropoda -- 7.6.2 Ostracoda -- 7.6.3 Foraminifera -- 7.6.4 Sub- and Emerged Macrophytes -- 7.6.5 Charophyta -- 7.6.6 Inference of lake conditions based on organism remains -- 7.7 Lop Nur Since the Onset of Significant Human Impact -- 7.7.1 Lop Nur During the Period from Han to Qing Dynasties -- 7.7.2 The Shrinkage of Lop Nur and Its Final Desiccation in the Twentieth Century -- 7.8 Fauna and Flora of Lop Nur Since the Han Dynasty -- 7.8.1 Gastropoda -- 7.8.2 Ostracoda -- 7.8.3 Fish -- 7.8.4 Sub- and Emerged Macrophytes -- 7.8.5 Charophyta -- 7.8.6 Diatoms -- 7.9 Impacts on the Catchment Hydrology After Lop Nur's Desiccation -- 7.10 Summary and Conclusions -- References. , 8 Uvs Nuur: A Sentinel for Climate Change in Eastern Central Asia -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 The History of Uvs Nuur Basin -- 8.3 The Late Quaternary Landscape History of Uvs Nuur Basin -- 8.4 Recent Lake Conditions -- 8.4.1 General Conditions of Lakes in the Uvs Nuur Basin -- 8.4.2 Hydrological Conditions of Uvs Nuur -- 8.4.3 Physical Water Properties of the Lakes -- 8.4.4 Chemical Water Properties of the Lakes -- 8.4.5 Lake Biology -- 8.4.6 Rivers of  Uvs Nuur Basin -- 8.5 Relevance of Human Impact -- 8.6 Future Perspective and Challenges -- References -- Index.

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