Question

ecological impacts
an eastern nc pig farmer has been collecting the pig manure in a shallow
pond. when hurricane matthew came through, it dumped a lot of rain in the
area causing run-off of the manure. manure is waste from animals that is high
in nitrogen and phosphorus and these levels in the local water supply
increased dramatically following this event leading to eutrophication.
eutrophication is when the increased nitrogen in the water supply causes an
increase in algae population growth eventually overpopulating and then
crashing. this boom and bust of the plants in the water hurts the rest of the
ecosystem.
figure 1:
9 multiple choice 1 point
based on the information in figure 1, which nutrient seems to be the cause
of eutrophication?
carbon
oxygen
phosphorous
nitrogen

Explanation:

The provided text defines eutrophication as driven by increased nitrogen leading to algae population booms and crashes. Figure 1 also shows nitrogen levels spiking alongside the progression of eutrophication stages (early indications, algae growth, exceptional plankton blooms), matching the causal link described. Carbon and oxygen are not identified as eutrophication drivers in the context, and phosphorus levels do not show the same strong correlation to the eutrophication progression as nitrogen.

Answer:

Nitrogen