Ecology

Eutrophication

Excessive nutrient enrichment of water bodies, typically from agricultural runoff or sewage, causing algal blooms that deplete oxygen and kill aquatic life.

Used in the Books

This term appears in 1 chapter:

Regeneration and Sustainability Nutrient Cycling

"...pheric nitrogen is the ultimate source), and nitrate leaching transports nitrogen out of terrestrial systems into aquatic systems, where it can cause eutrophication. Internal cycling: In mature ecosystems, most nitrogen used by plants comes from decomposition and mineralization of organic matter rather than ..."

Biological Context

Nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers fuel algal growth. When algae die, decomposition consumes oxygen, creating 'dead zones' where fish and other organisms cannot survive. Eutrophication has created hundreds of ocean dead zones and degraded freshwater ecosystems worldwide.

Related Terms

Hypoxia

Tags

pollutionaquaticnutrients