Connecting with lakes: A social-ecological perspective on nutrient management in surface water networks

The aim of this thesis is to safeguard and improve the water quality of lake networks through exploring the impacts of different lake management strategies with models. Designing effective management strategies for lake networks is challenging due to possible nonlinear nutrient dynamics driven by ecological feedbacks, as well as the complexity of the networks themselves. Models are useful tools for exploring the mechanics of complex systems. Therefore, we started by modelling the impact of a management strategy in combination with climate change on the ecosystem state of a single lake, after which we developed a lake network model (PCLakeS+) to simulate the ecosystem state of multiple connected lakes. Subsequently, we applied PCLakeS+ to a Dutch lake network. Furthermore, we explored how the current aquatic ecosystem model landscape suits different perspectives of nature and how we can teach the complexities of lake network management to different audiences through a serious game.