Question

Researchers are investigating the incidence of algal blooms in neighborhood ponds. In summer, they collect water samples from over 100 neighborhood ponds in Dallas, Texas and surrounding cities. They also surveyed residents in each neighborhood to collect data such as average lot size, average home value, average resident income, and lawn care methods. The researchers found that neighborhoods with large lots, high home values, and high income levels were likely to use automatic sprinklers and synthetic fertilizers on their lawns. These same neighborhoods were very likely to have abundant algae in their ponds. Based on this research, which conclusion provides the best explanation for why algae proliferate in neighborhood ponds?

Answer 1

Excessive synthetic fertilizer that washes into ponds may be the reason for which algae become so abundant.

Step-by-step explanation:

Algal blooms that feed on fertilizers can deplete oxygen in water, thereby producing inhospitable ponds. In this regard, it has been shown that the runoff of fertilizers from farms (which are rich in nitrogenous matter) may cause algae to become abundant in coastal environments, depleting oxygen in the water and killing the living organisms that inhabit these areas.