© krossbow via FlickrA recent study has found that airborne nitrogen pollution and farm fertilizer is negatively affecting algae in the alpine lakes of Rocky Mountain National Park. And it's worse than we originally thought.
The nitrogen's sources include vehicle exhaust, farm fertilizer, and power plant emissions. The more nitrogen in a lake, the more polluted algae becomes. As the algae becomes less nutritious for fish and other organisms, the less diverse the lake becomes.
The study's lead author, Arizona State University professor James Elser, hopes to continue the study to find how changes in algae populations are affecting the rest of the ecosystem. Previous studies have found nitrogen levels increasing in Rocky Mountain National Park which is causing an increase in sedges rather than flowering plants.
A 2007 plan signed by state and federal officials and Rocky Mountain National Park aims to reduce airborne nitrogen levels over 25 years. At that time, researchers found nitrogen levels were 20 times more than normal. State and federal efforts have reduced pollution from power plants and vehicles and future plans aim to cut emissions by another 100,000 tons of nitrogen oxide per year in Colorado over the next 10-15 years.