title: Spatio-temporal regularities of sediment formation in Estonian small lakes
reg no: ETF5584
project type: Estonian Science Foundation research grant
subject: 1.10-1.16. Bio-Geo Sciences
status: accepted
institution: Institute of Ecology at Tallinn University of Educational Sciences
head of project: Jaan-Mati Punning
duration: 01.01.2003 - 31.12.2006
description: The goal of the project is integrated study of the upper layer of bottom deposits, as well as lacustrine deposits accumulated during the whole Holocene in some small lakes of Estonia in order to describe the spatio-temporal regularities of sedimentation. Presumably relationships can be identified between the lithological composition and grain-size distribution of deposits and characteristic parameters of a lake (bottom topography, intensity of erosion, accumulation zones, cycling of matter and trophic type). On the grounds of the analysis of upper deposits, integrated analysis of sediment samples collected from the key drillholes of studied lakes will be carried out. These results will serve as the basis for reconstruction of main features of basin development, firstly water level fluctuations and the influence of the latter on lake's ecosystem. The results will be published and the relationships obtained will be used in paleolimnological studies, as well as in composing development scenarios for lakes in the case of possible climate changes. The results will be used also in PhD and MSc theses.
The study is interdisciplinary, comprising features of geography, geology, and ecology.

project group
no name institution position  
1.Ene KadastikTPU IEresearcher 
2.Tiiu KoffTPU IEsen researcher 
3.Jaan-Mati PunningInstitute of Ecology at Tallinn University of Educational Sciencesdir, sen. res. 
4.Liisa PuuseppTallinn University of Educational SciencesMSc student 
5.Maire SaksonGeol Surveyresearcher 
6.Jaanus TerasmaaTPU IEresearcher, PhD student