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    Excess nitrogen from agricultural runoff is causing large hypoxic zones called "dead zones" in bodies of water like the Gulf of Mexico. The increased nitrogen stimulates algal blooms which die off and deplete oxygen from the water as they decompose, harming marine life populations. The largest dead zone is located in the northern Gulf of Mexico each year due to nitrogen-laden runoff from the Mississippi River watershed, where 65% of the nitrogen comes from agricultural lands lacking trees to absorb the excess. Scientists recommend reducing nitrogen runoff by 50% through modified agricultural practices, ecosystem restoration, reforestation, and flood control to improve conditions in the Gulf.

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    Excess nitrogen from agricultural runoff is causing large hypoxic zones called "dead zones" in bodies of water like the Gulf of Mexico. The increased nitrogen stimulates algal blooms which die off and deplete oxygen from the water as they decompose, harming marine life populations. The largest dead zone is located in the northern Gulf of Mexico each year due to nitrogen-laden runoff from the Mississippi River watershed, where 65% of the nitrogen comes from agricultural lands lacking trees to absorb the excess. Scientists recommend reducing nitrogen runoff by 50% through modified agricultural practices, ecosystem restoration, reforestation, and flood control to improve conditions in the Gulf.

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    39 views2 pages

    Deadzone

    Uploaded by

    api-292680102
    Excess nitrogen from agricultural runoff is causing large hypoxic zones called "dead zones" in bodies of water like the Gulf of Mexico. The increased nitrogen stimulates algal blooms which die off and deplete oxygen from the water as they decompose, harming marine life populations. The largest dead zone is located in the northern Gulf of Mexico each year due to nitrogen-laden runoff from the Mississippi River watershed, where 65% of the nitrogen comes from agricultural lands lacking trees to absorb the excess. Scientists recommend reducing nitrogen runoff by 50% through modified agricultural practices, ecosystem restoration, reforestation, and flood control to improve conditions in the Gulf.

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    DeadZone

    ChemicalsusedonfarmhaveharmedtheGulfofMexico.Increaseinfossilfueluse,
    syntheticnitrogenfertilization,andcropcultivationhavechangedtheglobalnitrogen
    cycle.Accordingtoscientist,theincreasednitrogenratehaveaffectedtheatmosphere,
    lakes,groundwater,soil,andalmostallhydrologiccycle,includingmarinelifes.

    Ofcoursenitrogenisessentialtolife.Itisimportantforgrowthofplants.However,too
    muchofnitrogencanbeharmful.Toomuchnitrogencausesanexcessivesupplyofthe
    growthofMicroscopicalgae.Ifthesealgaesarenotincorporatedintothefoodweb,the
    deadalgaewouldsinktothebottomofthelakeorestuaries.Thedecompositionof
    theseanimalsrequirealotofoxygen,whichdepletestheoxygeninwater.Thusthe
    marinelife'spopulationratewoulddecrease.

    TheDeadZoneiswherethelargestoxygendepletedareais.Itislocatedinthe
    northernGulfofMexicoontheTexas/Louisianacontinentalshelf.TheDeadZone
    happensannuallybythewashinginofnutrientladenthatcomesfromtheMississippi.
    Nutrientstimulatesthemassivegrowthofalgaebloom.TheDeadZoneoccursinthe
    mostproductivefisheries,whichledtoconcernsthattherewillbenofishtocatch.
    Thereisahighmortalityrateoforganismsincludingfishandplants.Alsoitdisruptsthe
    rateoffishspawningandmigration.

    ThecauseoftheDeadZonecomesfromagriculture.About1.6milliontonsofnitrogen
    enterstheGulfannuallyfromMississippiBasin.Itaccountsfor65%ofthenitrogenflux.
    Becausepeopleclearforeststodoagriculture,therearenotreestoabsorbthose
    nitrogenintothem.Treesactasnaturalsinks.

    Scientistsrevealsthata50%reductionofnitrogenflowingintotheGulfwouldhelpthe
    waterplace.Thesemethodsincludemodificationoffarm,repairingecosystem,planting
    forest,andchangesinfloodcontrolofMississippiBasin.Itwilltakemorethantenyears
    tochangethissystem.

    "DeadZone."NationalGeography.14July2009.Web.4Sept.2015.
    <http://education.nationalgeographic.com/encyclopedia/deadzone/>.

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