Eutrophication can be human-caused or natural.

Untreated sewage effluent and agricultural run-off carrying fertilizers are examples of human-caused eutrophication. Eutrophication generally promotes excessive plant growth and decay, favouring simple algae and plankton over other more complicated plants, and causes a severe reduction in water quality. hosphorus is a necessary nutrient for plants to live, and is the limiting factor for plant growth in many freshwater ecosystems. !he addition of phosphorus increases algal growth, but not all phosphates actually feed algae."#$ !hese algae assimilate the other necessary nutrients needed for plants and animals. %hen algae die they sink to the bottom where they are decomposed and the nutrients contained in organic matter are converted into inorganic form by bacteria. !he decomposition process uses oxygen and deprives the deeper waters of oxygen which can kill fish and other organisms. &lso the necessary nutrients are all at the bottom of the aquatic ecosystem and if they are not brought up closer to the surface, where there is more available light allowing for photosynthesis for aquatic plants, a serious strain is placed on algae populations. Enhanced growth of aquatic vegetation or phytoplankton and algal blooms disrupts normal functioning of the ecosystem, causing a variety of problems such as a lack of oxygen needed for fish and shellfish to survive. !he water becomes cloudy, typically coloured a shade of green, yellow, brown, or red. Eutrophication also decreases the value of rivers, lakes, and estuaries for recreation, fishing, hunting, and aesthetic en'oyment. (ealth problems can occur where eutrophic conditions interfere with drinking water treatment.")$ Eutrophication was recognized as a water pollution problem in European and *orth &merican lakes and reservoirs in the mid-#+th century.",$ -ince then, it has become more widespread. -urveys showed that .,/ of lakes in &sia are eutrophic0 in Europe, .)/0 in *orth &merica, ,1/0 in -outh &merica, ,2/0 and in &frica, #1/.".$

Human activities can accelerate the rate at which nutrients enter ecosystems. Runoff from agriculture and development, pollution from septic systems and sewers, and other human-related activities increase the flow of both inorganic nutrients and organic substances into ecosystems. Elevated levels of atmospheric compounds of nitrogen can increase nitrogen availability. Phosphorus is often regarded as the main culprit in cases of eutrophication in lakes subjected to point source pollution from sewage pipes. !he concentration of algae and the trophic state of lakes correspond well to phosphorus levels in water.

Eutrophication
Eutrophication involves rising plant productivity as a result of the increased availability of nutrients. Excess nutrient pollution in wastewater, runoff from farmland, and atmospheric deposition can trigger harmful eutrophication processes.

Eutrophication on land and in the water

3n terrestrial ecosystems, eutrophication is typically reflected in the accelerated growth of forests. !his increased growth is particularly promoted by the deposition of nitrogen compounds from the air, and increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide. 3n water bodies, eutrophication particularly boosts the growth of planktonic algae. 3ts effects can be seen in reduced water clarity and in the increased occurrence of massive blue-green algal blooms, in winter oxygen depletion, and in dramatic changes in fish stocks. Eutrophication is basically a natural phenomenon. 4ertain lakes or habitats are naturally poorer in nutrients than others, but over time they may become richer in nutrients through natural processes. %here nutrient pollution is widespread, however, eutrophication often becomes a problem. Eutrophication may lead to increases in biodiversity 5 at least locally. 6irds are particularly attracted to lakes and wetlands affected by eutrophication, for example. 6ut where eutrophication becomes predominant, overall diversity is likely to decline, since the species typically associated with nutrient-poor habitats will gradually disappear.

Problems and benefits

Eutrophication is widely seen as a negative trend in lakes and the sea, since it benefits animals and plants normally considered undesirable 5 including smaller cyprinid fishes such as roaches, aquatic plants that can overgrow shores and bays, and toxic blue green algae. 7n the land, increases in the productivity of plants are more welcomed, particularly where crops and commercially managed forests are concerned. !errestrial ecosystems are also normally spared from the more harmful side effects of eutrophication such as oxygen depletion.

The challenge of preventing eutrophication

7nce a process of eutrophication has begun, it may be hard to curb. *utrients accumulate over many years in the water and the soil. Even if the external loads of nutrient pollution entering aquatic ecosystems can be cut, a self-perpetuating process can continue as internal loads of stored nutrients are repeatedly reabsorbed into the water, where they feed the renewed growth of plants. !his is particularly a problem in the 6altic -ea.

6adly affected lakes can be restored to some extent by laboriously removing nutrients from the ecosystem through selective fishing or the removal of excess plant growth. !he nutrient-rich silt on lake-beds may also be dredged or covered over. 8uring the winter, air may also be pumped into lakes to improve the oxygen content of their deeper waters and slow the release of nutrients from bottom sediments. Eutrophication is when the environment becomes enriched with nutrients. !his can be a problem in marine habitats such as lakes as it can cause algal blooms.

9ertilisers are often used in farming, sometimes these fertilisers run-off into nearby water causing an increase in nutrient levels. !his causes phytoplankton to grow and reproduce more rapidly, resulting in algal blooms. !his bloom of algae disrupts normal ecosystem functioning and causes many problems. !he algae may use up all the oxygen in the water, leaving none for other marine life. !his results in the death of many aquatic organisms such as fish, which need the oxygen in the water to live. !he bloom of algae may also block sunlight from photosynthetic marine plants under the water surface. -ome algae even produce toxins that are harmful to higher forms of life. !his can cause problems along the food chain and affect any animal that feeds on them.

Eutrophication was first evident in lakes and rivers as they became choked with excessive growth of rooted plants and floating algal scums, prompting intense study in the 2:;+<s=+<s and culminating in the scientific basis for banning phosphate detergents >a ma'or source of , the most frequent culprit in eutrophication of lakes? and upgrading sewage treatment to reduce wastewater * and discharges to inland waters. -ymptoms of eutrophication in estuaries and other coastal marine ecosystems >where * is the most frequent contributor to eutrophication? were clearly evident by the 2:1+<s, as human activities doubled the transport of * and tripled the transport of from Earth<s land surface to its oceans. Eutrophication has emerged as a key human stressor on the world<s coastal ecosystems. !he progression of eutrophication events for ponds and lakes can eventually create accumulation of a layers that produces successively shallower depths of surface waters. Eventually the water body can be reduced to a marsh or bog, whose plant community is transformed from an aquatic environment to a recognisable terrestrial ecosystem. %hile this system may first emerge as a plant succession of marsh grasses and related aquatic forbs, the community may evolve to be more of a bog or fen, and finally a vernal pool or meadow. !his progression can clearly spawn radical changes in the entire ecosystem, which began as an aquatic habitat, and has been transformed into a fully terrestrial community, albeit inhabited by a number of mesic plants and water oriented animals such as amphibians.

!here are numerous outcomes to the ecosystems associated with eutrophication environments. @ost of these are viewed as unfavorable to the biota which have historically comprised a given habitat. !he general types of ecological consequences includeA reduction in biodiversity, die-off of certain organisms, reduction in visibility and mobility functions due to biotic overgrowth >which effects can interfere with plant metabolism and with aquatic animal transport?0 reduction in dissolved oxygen and associated fitness reduction in animals dependent upon oxygen levels. 3n the case of utter transformation of lakes to bogs and meadows, the ecological consequences are extreme, and result in replacement of an original ecosystem with an entirely different one0 such progression occurs in the natural world, although human induced additions of * and greatly accelerate the progression as compared to a natural landscape evolution. 3n such accelerated circumstances, organisms may not have the time needed to migrate or adapt to the rapidly altered new environment. @odern high-yield agriculture, golf courses, parks and urban gardeners presently use commercial fertilizers in large quantities -- substances that became cheap to produce in the mid #+th century 5 the era in which * and concentrations began to increase in surface waters carrying agricultural and urban runoff to the sea. !he world<s human population is growing disproportionately in the coastal zone, creating an additional challenge of reducing nutrient inputs from municipal waste, septic systems, and fertilizer runoff from lawns and gardens. ro'ections indicate that the largest future increases in * and delivery to the coastal ocean will occur in eastern and southern &sia where populations and economies are growing most rapidly. !he eutrophication problem illustrates how human activities on land can degrade the quality of coastal waters and habitats, with potentially large economic and ecological costs. roposed solutions to the eutrophication problem are multidimensional and include actions to restore wetlands and buffer zones between farms and surface waters, reduce livestock densities, improve efficiencies of fertilizer applications, treat urban runoff from streets and storm drains, reduce * emissions from vehicles and power plants, and further increase the efficiency of * and removal from municipal wastewater. &s coastal fish and shellfish aquaculture expand, management considerations of this rapidly growing internal source of nutrients will be required as well.

%hat are the sources of nutrients causing eutrophication of lakes and reservoirsB !here are many sources. &ll activities in the entire drainage area of a lake or reservoir are reflected directly or indirectly in the water quality of these water bodies. 8rainage water from agricultural land also contains phosphorus and nitrogen. 3t usually has much more nitrogen because phosphorus is usually bound to soil components. Extensive use of fertilizers results in significant concentrations of nutrients particularly nitrogen, in agricultural runoff. 3f eroded soil reaches the lake, both phosphorus and the nitrogen in the soil contribute to eutrophication. Erosion is often caused by deforestation which also results from unwise planning and management of the resource.

Cain water contains phosphorus and nitrogen from air pollution. &s nitrogen is more mobile in the atmosphere than phosphorus, it is usually over #+ times more concentrated than phosphorus. *itrogen can only be reduced in rain water by extensive controls of the air pollution in the entire region. 7ne can safely say that the main sources of pollution in the atmosphere are from industries and automobile exhaust without proper filtering systems. %hen lakes are used for aquaculture, excess fish food pollutes the water as complete use of the food cannot be achieved > hoto #2?. *itrogen and phosphorus present in the excess food is dissolved or suspended in the water. !he use of lakes for aquaculture therefore needs careful environmental planning and management practices by the owners and workers. !he sediment of a lake -its muddy bottom layer -contains relatively high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus. !hese can be released to water, particularly under conditions of low oxygen concentrations. !he nutrients in the sediment come from the past settling of algae and dead organic matter. !he nutrients released from sediments are referred to as the lakeDs internal loading. !he main effects caused by eutrophication can be summarized as follows ")$A 2. -pecies diversity decreases and the dominant biota changes #. lant and animal biomass increase ). !urbidity increases ,. Cate of sedimentation increases, shortening the lifespan of the lake .. &noxic conditions may develop

3n general, the nutrient elements limiting the primary production in freshwater is phosphorus >mainly phosphate? while that in the marine environments is nitrogen >mainly nitrate?. %hat are the sources of nutrients to aquatic ecosystemsB !here is nutrient supply from

agriculture and husbandry, aquaculture and factories, sewage from towns, river run-off and erosion, atmospheric deposition, nitrogen fixation.