Eutrophication

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Eutrophication

Eutrophication (pronounced: yoo-troh-fi-KAY-shun) is a process that occurs in aquatic ecosystems when excessive nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, stimulate the growth of aquatic plant life, usually resulting in the depletion of dissolved oxygen. This process can lead to significant changes in the ecosystem, including the death of many aquatic organisms.

Etymology

The term "eutrophication" comes from the Greek words "eu" meaning "well" or "good", and "trophe" meaning "nourishment". It was first used in the mid-20th century to describe the process of nutrient enrichment in lakes and other bodies of water.

Related Terms

  • Algal bloom: A rapid increase in the population of algae in an aquatic system, often a result of eutrophication.
  • Hypoxia (environmental): A condition in which the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water column decreases to a level that can no longer support living aquatic organisms.
  • Nutrient pollution: The process where too many nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus, are added to bodies of water and can act as a catalyst for eutrophication.
  • Cultural eutrophication: Eutrophication process that is sped up by human activities, such as agriculture and urban runoff, which increase the amount of nutrients entering the ecosystem.

See Also

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