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News Release 10-183

Too Much of a Good Thing: Human Activities Overload Ecosystems with Nitrogen

Resulting ecological damage is serious, but could be reduced by wider use of more sustainable, time-honored practices

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Photo of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala showing algae growth.

At Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, excess nitrogen promotes algae growth, which leads to eutrophication. Over-nourished by excess nutrients including nitrogen, which drains from nearby farms, swirls of blue-free algae form. The eventual decay of the algae robs the water of oxygen, and thereby creates a dead zone where other plants and animals cannot survive.

Credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team


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Cover of the October 8, 2010 issue of Science.

The cover of the October 8, 2010 issue of the journal Science.

Credit: Copyright AAAS 2010


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