What Impact Does Eutrophication Have on Riparian Areas?
The presence of some aquatic vegetation is normal in streams and indicates a healthy stream. Algae and aquatic plants provide habitat and food for all stream animals. High levels of nutrients (especially phosphorus and nitrogen) promote an overabundance of algae and floating and rooted aquatic plants. An excessive amount of aquatic vegetation is not beneficial to most stream life. Plant respiration and decomposition of dead plant life consume dissolved oxygen in the water. Eutrophication is the process where aquatic vegetation grows quickly and decomposes, consuming oxygen from the stream. Lack of dissolved oxygen creates stress for all aquatic organisms and can cause fish kills. Elevated levels of nutrient input often results in dense growths of filamentous green algae, i.e., Cladophora spp. These dense growths promote the production of some insect species, and replace diverse populations of attached plant microorganisms. Many herbivorous insects decline greatly in response to dense a
