Reconstructing limnological and vegetation changes in the Eastern Carpathians (Ukraine) over the past 200 years inferred from sediments of three contrasting alpine lakes

Abstract Lake sediments preserve valuable environmental data. Paleoecological studies of these archives enable the reconstruction of past ecosystem changes and improve our understanding of contemporary and future transformations. While such reconstructions are common in the Western and Southern Carpathians, the Eastern Carpathians remain a knowledge gap, despite their long history of human influence that makes them suitable for studying natural and human-driven environmental changes. To address this gap, we analyzed sediment cores from three alpine lakes in the Ukrainian Eastern Carpathians. Using subfossil chironomids, cladocerans, pollen records, and sedimentation rates, we reconstructed ~ 200 years of lake and catchment history to assess land-use changes driven by socio-economic shifts and natural fluctuations. Aquatic proxies and catchment vegetation remained relatively stable, with slight variations across socio-economic regimes, particularly during the socialist and post-socialist periods. Despite global warming’s documented effects on high-altitude lakes, we found no clear evidence of these impacts, nor of overtourism. We attribute this to the region’s long history of human activities, particularly grazing and deforestation, which may have masked broader environmental changes. Given this extensive human influence, our 200-year study period is likely insufficient to establish true reference conditions, as a predominantly natural state may not have existed for centuries.