Discharged phosphorus can cause eutrophication.

Discharged phosphorus can cause eutrophication.

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Not enough data
• D. Depends on climate

Answer: (B)

Phosphorus discharged into a body of water acts as a nutrient that fuels algal and aquatic plant growth. In many freshwater systems, phosphorus is the limiting nutrient, so its input can lead to rapid algal blooms. When these blooms die and decompose, dissolved oxygen is consumed, causing oxygen depletion and deteriorating water quality, which is the hallmark of eutrophication. Climate can influence how severe the impact is, but the basic cause-and-effect remains: adding phosphorus can drive eutrophication. The other choices don’t fit because the relationship is a well-established ecological process, not a matter of data sufficiency or a dependence on climate alone.

Phosphorus discharged into a body of water acts as a nutrient that fuels algal and aquatic plant growth. In many freshwater systems, phosphorus is the limiting nutrient, so its input can lead to rapid algal blooms. When these blooms die and decompose, dissolved oxygen is consumed, causing oxygen depletion and deteriorating water quality, which is the hallmark of eutrophication. Climate can influence how severe the impact is, but the basic cause-and-effect remains: adding phosphorus can drive eutrophication. The other choices don’t fit because the relationship is a well-established ecological process, not a matter of data sufficiency or a dependence on climate alone.