Effectiveness of entropy-based functions in the analysis of ecosystem state and development

• The responses of the examined entropy-based indicators are consistent with those of Odum's classical indicators of maturity.
• The maximisation of storage, both in terms of biomass and information, is confirmed as a general principle of ecosystem development.
• The specific entropy production is confirmed as a creditable orientor, particularly suitable for comparing ecosystems having different carrying capacity.
• The maximisation of entropy production appears as a debatable criterion of development.
• Detritus introduces a distortion in the relationships between exergy and the other entropy-based functions.

Following the advances in the field of the thermodynamics of far-from-equilibrium systems, several ecological orientors (indicators able to describe the stage and orientation of ecosystem development) incorporating entropy terms have been proposed. Although most of the proposed functions have a good theoretical basis and have proved to perform adequately as ecological indicators, their suitability as ecological orientors has yet to receive a full confirmation in real case studies. The aim of the present contribution is to examine how several entropy-based indicators (exergy, structural information, entropy production, specific entropy production and the Eco-exergy index) perform as orientors when applied to a special case of ecological succession, i.e. eutrophication, in a homogeneous set of shallow lakes lying along a trophic gradient, from oligotrophy to hyper-eutrophy. The results show that a coherent pattern of response emerge, which is also consistent with the classical ecological theory. In particular, the maximisation of storage and the minimisation of specific entropy production are confirmed as the most reliable principles of ecosystem development, whereas the maximisation of dissipation (as entropy production) appears as a debatable criterion of development.