Two concepts in limnology, the occurrence of alternative stable states in lakes with either macrophyte to phytoplankton dominance and subsidy of lake food webs by terrestrial carbon (C), have substantially advanced ecological research, but have not yet been linked. The current increase in organic C fluxes from terrestrial catchments to lake ecosystems, however, requires the investigation of potential effects of this process on the resilience of lakes.

We hypothesize that

Hypothesis 1

terrestrial organic C input subsidizes the food webs of clear lakes more strongly than that of turbid lakes at comparable primary production.

Hypothesis 2

terrestrial C affects the resilience of clear lakes.

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