Why are there so many definitions of eutrophication?

by University of Rennes
July 12, 2024

An article on definitions may seem surprising, but the fact is that definitions of eutrophication have multiplied and diversified since the mid-twentieth century, more than for any other ecological process. This high number of definitions could be explained by the fact that they did not sufficiently describe the causes and/or consequences of this process, and each author needed to specify what ‘he’ meant by eutrophication. Today, global change is bringing eutrophication back into focus, highlighting the need to find a consensus on a common definition, or at least to explain and clarify why there are different meanings of the term “eutrophication”.

Keep reading: https://osur.univ-rennes.fr/en/highlights/why-are-there-so-many-definitions-eutrophication

Read the Ecological Monographs paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecm.1616