Using functional traits to improve the understanding of the relationship between lake management and ecosystem function. A case study on lake Ringsjön in Southern Sweden.

Abstract

Human well-being is dependent on the health of the ecosystem we are provided by. To make the connection between humans and nature clear, the concept of ecosystem services has become mainstream. However, the provisioning of ecosystem services is complex and this makes it difficult to use ecosystem system service approaches to inform management decisions. The use of species traits may be a way forward in understanding the influence of management on ecosystem functioning. In this study a framework of response and effect traits is used to examine the effects of long-term management on the ecosystem functioning of lake Ringsjön in Southern Sweden. Furthermore, a measurement of overlap between response and effect traits in this framework was used to predict the response of ecosystem function to the drivers. The framework showed to be effective in explaining some of the management effects on species composition of Ringsjön. It was found that the management actions taken in Ringsjön resulted in a greater diversity in the functional traits of macrophyte. The measurement of overlap between response and effect traits gave insights on how the change species composition could result in changes in ecosystem function. Overall, this study shows how a framework of functional traits can be applied and give a more detailed understanding of managed freshwater ecosystems.