Humans, directly and indirectly, impact nutrient cycles. In particular, the phosphorous cycle, because it is a long-term geologic cycle, can be severely impacted by human activities that add phosphorous to freshwater systems. Read the information provided by the North American Lakes Management Society.
Based on this information, answer the following questions:
Fish kills are often associated with increased nutrient concentrations (last row of the table presented by the website). Based on the list of attributes, why does this occur?
Many people feel that any addition of phosphorous to freshwater systems will cause a decline in water quality. Is this true or false? Provide information from the table to support your answer.
The authors indicate that the trophic state is not synonymous with water quality. What do they mean by this?
