Eutrophication 

: nutrient enrichment of ponds + ground water (positive feedback)

Caused by increased levels of nitrogen and phosphorus carried into water bodies

Can cause algal blooms, oxygen starvation + less biodiversity

Process
1) Nutrient load up: nutrients + fertilizers flushed from land into rivers by rainfall
2) Plants flourish: pollutants cause aquatic plant growth of algae and bacteria
3) Algae blooms, oxygen depleted: algae blooms prevents sunlight from reaching
other plants & oxygen depleted causes plants to die
4) Decomposition further deplates oxygen: dead plants are broken down by
bacteria decomposers and use more oxygen in water
5) Death of ecosystem: oxygen levels reach a point where no life is possible and
organisms die

changes resulting from eutrophication

- Turbidity= increased and decreased light reaching submerged plants
- Rate of deposition of sediment increased because of increased vegetation
which lowers speed of water decreasing lifespan of lakes
- NPP increased compared to unpolluted water seen by algal or bacteria blooms
- Dissolved oxygen in water decreased as organisms decomposing increased in
biomass respire and consumes oxygen

Effects of eutrophication
- Economic loss for farmers – they use nitrogen fertilizes because they increase
crop growth and increase income
Removal of nitrogen fertilizers from soil reducing benefits
- Removal of nitrogen fertilizers from soil reduces benefits

- Increased rates of stomach cancer caused by insufficient oxygen

Management strategies
Altering human activities
Public campaigns to encourage people to
- 0 or low phosphorate detergents
- compost fertilizers on laws + garden
reduce nitrate loss
- don’t apply nitrogen when field by a stream or lake
- avoid using nitrogen fertilizers during wet season
regulating + reducing the nutrient source
advantages
- technical feasibility = diverting pollutant water source away from sensitive
ecosystem
- cost = nutrient stripping is cheap + simple to implement
- products= restored wetlands be managed to provide economic products like
fuel
- products= restored wetlands be managed to provide economic products like
fuel