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The concept of a lake's health is somewhat easy to relate to humans, because they have an idea of what is healthy and well-functioning for humans and what is not. Nevertheless, defining a lake's health in the scientific world is not as clear, and is a subject of debate. One suggested concept of lake health includes a range of biological, physical, and aesthetic parameters as well as management, policy, and "value" considerations. To achieve such a complex conception of a lake's health, a multidisciplinary approach is required. Moreover, a combination of methods is needed because a single indicator of lake health is inadequate. Some of these methods measure ecosystem functions (e.g., primary productivity and nutrient cycling); ecosystem structure (e.g., diversity and abundance); internal processes (e.g., water circulation, residence time, temperature, and light); and external inputs (e.g., nutrients, sediment and chemical loads, and rain events). These data, coupled with society's values, are then compared to pre-established management goals, or are used to derive new goals. |
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