Turtles are just one example of aquatic life that requires the resources that rivers provide to exist in such ecosystems. When high nitrogen levels threaten these ecosystems, all animal and plant life can be put in danger.
Alligators are an aquatic predator within the bayou ecosystems that can only exist in these ecosystems. Alligators are a resource of food and tourism, as thousands come to see them in their natural habitat. They are a source of income for local residents in Louisiana, as the shrimping field has been reduced by the hypoxia zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
There are over 500 types of birds and animals that live in the bayous of Louisiana that depend on rivers and their resources. They are secondary consumers that are affected by degraded water quality after the primary consumers in the aquatic ecosystem.
Aquatic plant life pulls nitrogen out of the water to use for its own purposes, which normally improves water quality. When there is excess nitrogen in the water, however, these plants will begin to grow at an alarming rate as they pull more nitrogen. These plants can begin to cover entire rivers, making it difficult for aquatic animal life to exist.
Turtles are just one example of aquatic life that requires the resources that rivers provide to exist in such ecosystems. When high nitrogen levels threaten these ecosystems, all animal and plant life can be put in danger.