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Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Establishment of Microbial Eukaryotic Enrichment Cultures from a Chemically Stratified Antarctic Lake and Assessment of Carbon Fixation Potential
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Alternative equilibria in shallow lakes.

M Scheffer1, S H Hosper, M L Meijer

  • 1M. Scheffer, S. Hosper and M-L. Meijer are at the Institute for Inland Water Management and Waste Water Treatment, PO Box 17, 8200 AA Lelystad, The Netherlands.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|January 18, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Shallow lakes can exist in two states: clear and vegetated, or turbid and algal-dominated. Ecosystem changes, not just nutrient reduction, are key to restoring clear lake water.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Limnology
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • Lake turbidity is typically viewed as directly related to nutrient levels.
  • Recent research indicates shallow lakes can exhibit bi-stability, with two distinct states possible.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the concept of alternative stable states in shallow lakes.
  • To discuss the implications of bi-stability for eutrophic lake restoration.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical expectation of alternative equilibria in shallow lake ecosystems.
  • Review of field evidence supporting bi-stable states.
  • Evaluation of management strategies for lake restoration.

Main Results:

  • Shallow lakes can maintain either a clear, vegetation-dominated state or a turbid, algae-dominated state.
  • Nutrient reduction alone may not restore water clarity in eutrophic lakes.
  • Ecosystem disturbances, such as food web manipulation, can facilitate a shift to a clear state.

Conclusions:

  • The bi-stability of shallow lakes is a critical factor in restoration ecology.
  • Effective restoration requires understanding and potentially manipulating ecosystem dynamics beyond nutrient control.
  • Management strategies should consider inducing ecosystem disturbances to achieve stable clear water conditions.