Effects of Fertilizer on Algae Growth

Overview

The purpose of any fertilizer is to encourage plants to grow healthier and faster, and while it may not be intended for algal growth, algae can also benefit from the elements in fertilizer. From aiding in cell division to providing essential nutrients, algae can use fertilizers the same way many other plants do. Unlike those other plants, however, algae can cause substantial harm to a watery ecosystem.

Types

There will always likely be some type of beneficial correlation between fertilizer and algae. Like any plant, some algae will respond to certain types of fertilizers more than others. The opposite is also true. Fertilizers that are high in concentrations of phosphates and nitrates or have equal amounts will all produce different results because they each affect different parts of the plant.

Function

Phosphates and nitrates are often the main ingredients in any fertilizer. In fact, they are often referred to as plant food. The benefits of such nutrients in algae are similar to those in any other type of plant. Thus, as algae reacts to different types of fertilizers, the results are evident in the unfettered growth of algae in a way that was not possible before.

Phosphorous

Phosphorous is one of the critical components in most fertilizers and can also help promote the growth of algae in important ways. Most importantly, phosphorous is vital for cell division and, therefore, overall growth. Like many other plants, algae can take the phosphorous and increase its ability to divide cells and grow rapidly.

Nitrogen

In order for algae or any other plant to grow successfully, the living substance of the plant cells, the protoplasm, must remain healthy. Nitrogen, another common component in fertilizer, is also used as one of the main elements in protoplasm. Further, nitrogen is also essential to some of the proteins in all plants, including algae.

Potential

As phosphorous and nitrogen from fertilizers run off into bodies of water, they are no longer serving their original intent, but are still present. Thus, they become food for other plant life, including algae. With very few elements in place to control the algae, the fertilizer can stimulate larger amounts of algae to grow than most ecosystems can handle.

Significance

The effects of fertilizer on algae growth has the potential to be a very serious problem. In fact, as fertilizers run off from farm fields and even residential areas, the problem of algae in rivers, ponds, and streams is becoming a larger concern. The overgrowth of algae can eventually cause oxygen depletion such as those seen in the dead zone off the Gulf of Mexico's coast.