ENVIRSC 2EI3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Eutrophication, Phosphorus Cycle, Sulfur Dioxide
6 Feb 2017
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Document Summary
Ecosystems and matter cycling: the biogeochemical cycles. Eutrophication: a natural process of nutrient enrichment. Can be natural, happens in aquatic environments, leads to increased productivity, associated with macronutrients (n, p). The growth of producers in the water is limited by concentration of n and p. algal blooms cause depletion of oxygen at bottom of water due to bacterial decomposition of plants that were not able to get o. We are intervening with the p cycle by mining and digging we are pulling p up that shouldn"t naturally be pulled out of the ground yet. There is a balance flow over time the amount of energy that is entering the system is conserved. The rate at which energy transfers is relatively constant: aquatic dead zones. Bottom waters in coastal areas, where p is being drained from rivers. Where there are a lot of people, there are more aquatic dead zones.
