title: Reducing Phosphorus to Curb Lake Eutrophication is a Success.
abstract: As human populations increase and land-use intensifies, toxic and unsightly nuisance blooms of algae are becoming larger and more frequent in freshwater lakes. In most cases, the blooms are predominantly blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria), which are favored by low ratios of nitrogen to phosphorus. In the past half century, aquatic scientists have devoted much effort to understanding the causes of such blooms and how they can be prevented or reduced. Here we review the evidence, finding that numerous long-term studies of lake ecosystems in Europe and North America show that controlling algal blooms and other symptoms of eutrophication depends on reducing inputs of a single nutrient: phosphorus. In contrast, small-scale experiments of short duration, where nutrients are added rather than removed, often give spurious and confusing results that bear little relevance to solving the problem of cyanobacteria blooms in lakes.
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta , Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada.
authors: David W
authors: DW
authors: Schindler
authors: Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States.
authors: Stephen R
authors: SR
authors: Carpenter
authors: Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Tufts University , Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States.
authors: Steven C
authors: SC
authors: Chapra
authors: Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota-Duluth , Duluth, Minnesota 55812, United States.
authors: Robert E
authors: RE
authors: Hecky
authors: Department of Biology, University of Ottawa , 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa Ontario K1N 6N5 Canada, Canada.
authors: Diane M
authors: DM
authors: Orihel
mesh_terms: D000458:Cyanobacteria; D005068:Eutrophication; D060106:Lakes; D009584:Nitrogen; D010758:Phosphorus
chemical_list: D010758:Phosphorus; D009584:Nitrogen