GEOG 2EI3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Ecological Pyramid, Urban Runoff, Eutrophication
2 Oct 2016
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Q: what is eutrophication: natural process of nutrient enrichment. Natural process of nutrient enrichment of water bodies that leads to greater productivity. Nitrogen and phosphorus absorbed by algae -> photosynthesis -> algae dies -> microbes and sediments break them down. Prevents sunlight from penetrating to the bottom of the water. If oxygen doesn"t reach bottom, it makes it difficult for animals and other plants from living in the bottom. Mining using phosphorus to sustain agriculture (fertilizer) more north american problem. Fixing energy from sun into plant biomass and then energy is transformed and captured and moved up to consumers and eventually back to distributers that release these material into the environment and released back in the form of heat. Bodies of water where the bottom has no oxygen nothing living here. Smallest of the great lakes most sensitive to what"s happening on its coast line how we interact with it.
