Abstract:

Ecological and palaeoecological studies were carried out in a series of lakes in the Vestfold Hills (68°38′S, 78°06′E) on eastern Antarctic continent. Dynamics types of the lakes in environmental geomorphology and physic-chemistry, as well as features of biological community structures in different lakes were analyzed. Marine macro- and micro-fossils collected from the terraces and beaches surrounding these lakes and determined in ¹⁴C radiocarbon ages to be the Late Pleistocene, were used as evidences to show the evolutionary processes of the lakes after sea level changes and transgressions since 18 000 a B.P.. Basic modals of evolution for the lakes given in the paper could be regarded as not only explaining the history of environmental and ecological changes in VH lakes, and also reflecting of local environmental evolution in Antarctic region and global climate changes from past to present time.

Key words: sea level change, Antarctic continent, environment of the lakes, ecological evolution