POSTER: Affects of Land Use on Nutrient Loading in Lake Traffotd
Research Mentor: Dr. Edwin Everham
Additional Authors: 
Abstract:
Nutrient loading refers to the amount of nutrients seeping into our waterways in a given time period. Although nutrient loading is a natural process, it has been amplified by anthropogenic sources of runoff, which cause catastrophic events in the given ecosystem. Common issues associated with high nutrient loading are eutrophication and red tide (John Anderson et al., 2005). Different land uses have been shown to have different levels of overall nutrient loss from their system (Young et al., 1995). For example, agricultural fields will contain a lot more nitrogen and phosphorus in their runoff than preserve land due to the fertilizer used. Lake Trafford has dealt with many instances of eutrophication, which has not only been detrimental to the ecosystem itself, but those that rely on it for their main source of income. The lake has already been dredged once to rid it of the excess nutrients and organic matter. Because of these factors, this experiment looks at how different dominant land use types shift the overall level of nutrients in Lake Trafford through time. The results can help to guide management decisions and show the community how they can mitigate further losses.