Geography GCSE
Eutrophication
What Eutrophication means in Geography GCSE, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Eutrophication
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
The process by which a body of water becomes enriched in dissolved nutrients (like nitrates from fertilizers), stimulating the growth of aquatic plant life and algae, which depletes dissolved oxygen.
The process where water bodies receive excess nutrients (often from agricultural fertilisers), causing algal blooms that deplete oxygen and kill marine life.
The process where excess nutrients (from fertilisers) enter water bodies, causing algal blooms that deplete oxygen and kill aquatic life.
Topics that use Eutrophication
- A natural resource is any feature or part of the environment that can be used to meet human needs (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- The patterns of the distribution and consumption of natural resources varies on a global and a national scale (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- The UK's resource consumption and environmental sustainability challenge (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- Abiotic Resource
- Biotic Resource
- Non-Renewable Resource
- Renewable Resource
- Ecological Footprint
- Habitat fragmentation
- Integrated Transport System
- Natural Increase
Using Eutrophication in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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