The main aim of the project is to exchange knowledge between the partners on the possibilities of using results of the research on lakes’ history and contemporary environmental monitoring to plan sustainable development of the ecosystem using the example of Lake Atnsjøen joint polish-norwegian research. The Polish partner and experts will present the possible uses of the paleolimnological methods to determine the level of changes of the lake in time. The Norwegian partner will present the knowledge on the methods of contemporary monitoring of the lake changes.

Paleolimnology is a scientific subdiscipline which deals with reconstructing the paleoenvironments of inland waters and especially changes associated with climatic fluctuations, human impacts (e.g., eutrophication, or acidification). Paleolimnological studies are based on analyses of lake sediment cores, including the physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of sediments, and diverse biological records (e.g., fossil diatoms, cladocera, ostracodes, molluscs, pollen, pigments, or chironomids). In this project for the study we selected Lake Atnsjøen located in the middle part of Norway, which is under monitoring programme conducted by the Norwegian partner, NINA. During an earlier, informal cooperation, we collected lake sediments and made paleolimnological analysis that include: pollen, Cladocera, Chironomidae, diatoms, macrofossil analysis. The age of the sediments was determined by the means of ²¹⁰Pb and radiocarbon ¹⁴C dating. Analysis of the results will allow to assess the effects of climate change and the impact of human activities on the lake and its surrounding.

The effect of our project will be an article published in the international scientific journal, an educational presentation published on the project’s website. The key benefit will be the strengthening of the cooperation.