FIGURE 2.

Conceptual model of how storm (a), lake (b), and watershed (c) attributes, and antecedent conditions, combine to alter light and nutrient conditions of lakes (d), with examples of phytoplankton (e) and higher trophic level (f) functional traits which likely play important roles in phytoplankton competition for survival and growth after storm‐induced disturbances, and ultimately ecosystem functions and services (g). However, details on the interactions of higher trophic levels and ecosystem functions and services in relation to storm impacts on phytoplankton is beyond the scope of this paper. Superscript¹ indicates the role antecedent conditions may play in mediating the effects of storms on the lake ecosystem. Responses of lake ecosystem components to direct and indirect storm impacts manifest over variable timescales and lags, as indicated by t ₀ to t ₆, and response trajectories may not be linear; t ₀—immediate impact; t ₁ to t ₆—increasing timescales from hours to possibly decades