Eutrophication Essay | Life Science Grade 12

Eutrophication Essay
Eutrophication is one of most important water quality problem South Africa. Describe Eutrophication, what causes it and how it affects water quality


Eutrophication

❖ Is the process which start with the addition of excess nutrients to water(river, lakes, ponds) and ends with the collapse of the aquatic ecosystem


Causes of Eutrophication
❖ Sewers, abattoirs, farm animals
❖ And run-off of fertilizers from crops to rivers

❖ Resulting in addition of excess nutrients phosphate into rivers


The effects of Eutrophication
❖ The increase OE nutrients in water
❖ Causes pants such as alga

❖ To flourish to such an extend all water becomes covered

❖ Light an no longer penetrate below water surface

❖ Which cause deeper dwelling of aquatic life to die

❖ Resulting in no release of oxygen during photosynthesis

❖ Oxygen supply for aquatic animals decline
❖ Leading to death of aquatic life
❖ Decomposition of dead plants and animals
❖ Introduces further usage of oxygen
❖ With methane being released
❖ Giving dams a strong smell of purification
❖ Resulting to unhealthy dams to ecosystem

 And collapse of its aquatic food webs and pyramids

Thread To Biodiversity
The greatest thread to biodiversity is the destruction of habitats.
Describe how the various human activities may lead to habitat loss.
Urbanization
 Land is cleared for housing, industries and roads
 Leading to habitat fragmentation
 Causing some populations to become extinct
Deformation
 The demands for wood products caused clearance of many plants
 Destroying the ecosystem of some populations
 Leading to extinction of some populations
Destruction of wetlands and grasslands
 Areas are cleared for human inhabatiions
 Reducing biodiversity of organisms
 That depend on these lands
Golf estates
 Requires plenty of water to vast clearance of vegetation
 So that only few species exist.
Mining
 Results in degradation of water and the PH of the environment
 Causes soil erosion
 No species can exist t mine areas
Poor farming methods
 Monoculture allow few of species to survive
 Losing large amount of plants and animals
 Due to non crop varying
Overgrazing
 Lead to loss of topsoil
 Decreasing soil fertility
Use of pesticides
 Kills secondary consumers
 Leading to extinction of some populations

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