Phys.org
“In a data analysis of 902 shallow lakes, the research team found no evidence for the existence of two alternative stable states. The authors are critical of lake management measures based on this theory. They recommend that greater emphasis be placed on the reduction of nutrient inputs in the future to ensure the ecological equilibrium of shallow lakes...
But what do these results mean in practice? How can we maintain the ecological equilibrium of shallow lakes? “Biomanipulative measures such as adding piscivorous fish cannot stabilize the shallow lake ecosystem in the long term, because there is no alternative stable state,” says Graeber. “There is only one way to maintain the equilibrium of shallow lakes in a continuous stable state, and there’s no alternative: Nutrient inputs have to be consistently reduced.”
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