A modified framework for trophic status assessment of large lake ecosystems using existing water quality datasets: Application to Lake Champlain

This study develops a powerful modification to the framework of trophic status assessment for a specific ecosystem, which is illustrated with a comprehensive analysis of long-term water quality dataset from Lake Champlain (1992-2012). We used this system as a case study to revisit and revise the Carlson's TSI equations (1977) that are commonly employed for trophic status assessment in the water quality literature. Our results highlight the necessity to apply this modified approach to individual lake data sets
for more accurate trophic status or phosphorous risk assessment. We illustrate an example of the nature of this application through an assessment of the spatial distribution tropic status and phosphorous risk in Lake Champlain. This approach can then be applied to both historical and current datasets with powerful potential management and research application for classification of specific lake ecosystems and subsequent identification of particularly threatened systems.