European large perialpine lakes under anthropogenic pressures and climate change: present status, research gaps and future challenges

The aim of this review is to introduce and critically comment the main research topics considered in a selection of papers on the European large perialpine lakes (LPL) presented at the XXXIII congress of the International Society of Limnology in 2016. Besides highlighting ongoing research advancements in the LPL, the review provides a critical overview of the scientific information available on the large lake’s ecosystems, identifying a few emerging research topics (e.g., aquatic ‘omics’ and high frequency monitoring). Many limnological investigations are linked to the concept of scientific monitoring, following a “problem solving” approach connected with the management of water resources. Experimental studies and modeling are restricted to specific niches. Overall, the scientific knowledge is quite scattered, showing hot-spots of specialized or integrated research in specific lakes and areas. The advancement of new knowledge in the LPL should rely on a better integration of scientific disciplines using multidisciplinary approaches, and on the continuous adoption of new advanced technologies and tools, contributing, besides basic research, to the next generation monitoring approaches. Finally, the preservation of LPL has to rely on water protection policies addressed towards the sustainable development of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, following the “green” and “blue” infrastructure concepts.