# Changes in Meteorological Elements and Its Impacts on Yunnan Plateau Lakes
## 4 Discussion
### Possible Impacts of Climate Change on Highland Lakes in Yunnan  
Climate is the main factor driving the physical, chemical, and biological processes of lakes, and in response to changes in climate, these processes undergo complex interactions [33]. With respect to the lakes of the Yunnan Plateau, the change trends are not simply confined to the common characteristics of rising air temperature and declining wind speed seen on a global scale, but also show distinct regional characteristics, with the most evident being the rising trend of air temperature and general decline in precipitation during winter, which are superimposed upon the morphological characteristics of the lakes on the Yunnan Plateau. It is predicted that ongoing climate change could have profound and complex impacts on Yunnan Plateau lakes in three main respects, namely, exacerbating water shortages, causing increases in algal biomass and growth periods, and promoting an increase in the thermal stability of deep-water lakes. Given the fault subsidence characteristics of the plateau region, the runoff ratio of the Yunnan Plateau lakes is small, and the water resources of the lakes are limited [34]. Our findings in this study indicate that during the past 40 years, these lakes have shown a trend of increasing air temperature and solar radiation and reductions in relative humidity, which will lead to increases in the rate of surface water evaporation. These effect will be compounded by the general downward trend in precipitation in the Yunnan Plateau region, which will lead to reductions in both runoff into the lakes and direct precipitation onto the lake surfaces. Consequently, climate change may lead to an increase in evaporation and a reduced inflow of water into lakes on the Yunnan Plateau, which will further exacerbate the shortage of water resources in the lakes, potentially resulting in a reduction in waterlevels and a shrinkage in lake area. Indeed, analyses conducted by [PERSON] et al. [35] have indicated that water levels among the Yunnan Plateau lakes have been gradually lowering during the past 30 years. If such climate-induced changes continue in the future, this will put pressure on the water resources of the Yunnan plateau lakes, and may even promote marked ecosystem changes due to the continual reductions in water levels and area. Further important direct effects of climate change on lake ecosystems are an increase in algal biomass and changes in algal community structure [36]. In this regard, [PERSON] et al. [37] have established that climate warming is an important factor contributing to increases in the summer biomass of lakes on a global scale. Given differences in the adaptability of different algal populations to temperature, it is predicted that higher temperatures will be more conducive to the growth, and thus competitive ability, of cyanobacteria and other thermophilic algae, thereby leading to an increase in algal biomass and a shift in the composition of algal populations to those dominated by cyanobacteria [38]. Increases in temperature will also accelerate the rate of organic matter mineralization in lake sediments, particularly those in severely eutrophicated shallow lakes, which may promote the release of nitrogen and phosphorus from sediments into lake waters, thereby increasing nutrient contents in the water column and thus creating conditions that are more conducive to algal growth [39]. In addition, given that algae are an important source of organic matter accumulation in the sediments of eutrophic shallow lakes [40], the two aforementioned effects will contribute to generating a mutually reinforcing positive feedback, which will further accelerate the eutrophication of lakes. Climatically, the plateau lakes in Yunnan are exposed to high temperatures and strong radiation, with average summer and autumn air temperatures of 20.1 and 15.58 \({}^{\circ}\)C, respectively, and corresponding values of 17.17 and 12.39 \({}^{\circ}\)C for the lakes in northwest Yunnan.