Editing Limnology (section)

===Biological properties===
[[File:Lake George from village beach.jpg|thumb|[[Lake George (lake), New York|Lake George]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States, an [[oligotrophic lake]]]]

====Role in ecology====
Lakes "are relatively easy to sample, because they have clear-cut boundaries (compared to terrestrial ecosystems) and because field experiments are relatively easy to perform.", which make then especially useful for ecologists who try to understand ecological dynamics.<ref>Lampert, W., & Sommer, U. 2007. Limnoecology.</ref>

====Lake trophic classification====
One way to classify lakes (or other bodies of water) is with the [[trophic state index]].<ref name="Wetzel"/> An oligotrophic lake is characterized by relatively low levels of [[primary production]] and low levels of [[nutrient]]s. A eutrophic lake has high levels of primary productivity due to very high nutrient levels. [[Eutrophication]] of a lake can lead to [[algal blooms]]. [[Dystrophic lake|Dystrophic]] lakes have high levels of [[humic matter]] and typically have yellow-brown, tea-coloured waters.<ref name="Wetzel"/>  These categories do not have rigid specifications; the classification system can be seen as more of a spectrum encompassing the various levels of aquatic productivity.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}