Jian Zhou , Peter R. Leavitt , Yibo Zhang , Boqiang Qin.  Anthropogenic eutrophication of shallow lakes: Is it occasional?. Water Research 221 (2022) 118728.

Abstract: Understanding and managing the susceptibility of lakes to anthropogenic eutrophication has been a primary goal  of limnological research for decades. To achieve United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, scientists have  attempted to understand why shallow lakes appear to be prone to eutrophication and resistant to restoration. A  rich data base of 1151 lakes (each ≥ 0.5 km2 ) located within the Europe and the United States of America offers a  rare opportunity to explore potential answers. Analysis of sites showed that lake depth integrated socioecological systems and reflected potential susceptibility to anthropogenic stressors, as well as lake productivity. In this study, lakes distributed in agricultural plain and densely populated lowland areas were generally  shallow and subjected to intense human activities with high external nutrient inputs. In contrast, deep lakes  frequently occurred in upland regions, dominated by natural landscapes with little anthropogenic nutrient input.  Lake depth appeared to not only reflect external nutrient load to the lake, but also acted as an amplifier that  increased shallow lake susceptibility to anthropogenic disturbance. Our findings suggest that shallow lakes are  more susceptible to human forcing and their eutrophication may be not an occasional occurrence, and that  societal expectations, policy goals, and management plans should reflect this observation.