Status of river-connected lakes under the influence of the Three Gorges Dam: research progress and prospect

The construction and operation of the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest dam, has provided important support for national economic development and drinking water safety. However, the dam's construction has had a non-negligible impact on the ecosystem condition of lake wetlands in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, which has become a significant theme in recent scientific researches and policy works. Although previous studies have carried out detailed assessments of the relationship between the Three Gorges Dam and downstream lake wetland ecosystems, there has not been a comprehensive discussion. Based on the bibliometric method and the systematic collation of related research, this paper comprehensively reviewed the research progress and hot topics of the river-connected lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River under the influence of the Three Gorges Project. The results show that the number of related studies continued to grow during the study period, involving multiple research fields. The research hotspots focused on five fields: schistosomiasis, remote sensing monitoring of the landscape, water quality, water level and sediment. The disturbance of the Three Gorges Dam on lake water level, landscape heterogeneity and habitat quality may be the focus of further research. In addition, this study presents challenges and recommendations for future research directions. This paper aims to provide a constructive reference for the management of the Three Gorges Dam and the conservation and restoration of lake wetland ecosystems.