Effects of eutrophication

The deposition of nitrogen compounds favours forest growth, but at the same time leads to the chemical disruption of a long list of ecosystems on land and in the sea, and results in the impoverishment of biodiversity.

In fresh water environments, eutrophication is almost always caused by phosphates, since phosphorus is the substance that usually limits biological growth in fresh water.

On land and in the sea, however, it is nitrogen that is the limiting factor in the majority of cases. The deposition of nitrogen - originating from emissions of nitrogen oxides and ammonia - therefore acts as a fertilizer in nature.

While this favours some species of plants that can easily make use of the extra nitrogen, it does so at the expense of others. It also affects the growth of mycorrhizal fungi.

The impoverishment of ecosystems that results from the deposition of nitrogen is a real and very serious problem in large parts of Europe. The increased growth rate that results from nitrogen deposition also increases biological acidification.