Editing Eutrophication (section)

=== Natural eutrophication ===
Eutrophication can be a natural process and occurs naturally through the gradual accumulation of sediment and nutrients.  Naturally, eutrophication is usually caused by the natural accumulation of nutrients from dissolved phosphate minerals and dead plant matter in water.<ref name="Sawyer">{{cite journal|title=Basic Concepts of Eutrophication|author=Clair N. Sawyer|journal=Journal (Water Pollution Control Federation)|date=May 1966|volume=38|number=5|pages=737–744|publisher=Wiley|jstor=25035549|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25035549|access-date=February 12, 2021|archive-date=June 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603164556/https://www.jstor.org/stable/25035549|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Addy |first=Kelly |date=1996 |title=Phosphorus and Lake Aging |url=https://web.uri.edu/watershedwatch/files/Phosphorus.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728121848/https://web.uri.edu/watershedwatch/files/Phosphorus.pdf |archive-date=July 28, 2021 |access-date=June 16, 2021 |website=Natural Resources Facts - University of Rhode Island}}</ref>

Natural eutrophication has been well-characterized in lakes. [[paleolimnology|Paleolimnologists]] now recognise that climate change, geology, and other external influences are also critical in regulating the natural productivity of lakes. A few artificial lakes also demonstrate the reverse process ([[meiotrophication]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wetzel|first=Robert G.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/46393244|title=Limnology: lake and river ecosystems|date=2001|publisher=Academic Press|isbn=0-12-744760-1|edition=3rd|location=San Diego|oclc=46393244|access-date=February 8, 2022|archive-date=November 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102154226/https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/46393244|url-status=live}}</ref>), becoming less nutrient rich with time as nutrient poor inputs slowly elute the nutrient richer water mass of the lake.<ref name=":8">Walker, I. R. (2006) "Chironomid overview", pp. 360–366 in S.A. EIias (ed.) ''Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science'', Vol. 1, Elsevier,</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite journal|last1=Whiteside|first1=M. C.|year=1983|title=The mythical concept of eutrophication|journal=Hydrobiologia|volume=103|issue=1 |pages=107–150|doi=10.1007/BF00028437|bibcode=1983HyBio.103..107W |s2cid=19039247}}</ref> This process may be seen in artificial lakes and reservoirs which tend to be highly eutrophic on first filling but may become more oligotrophic with time. The main difference between natural and anthropogenic eutrophication is that the natural process is very slow, occurring on geological time scales.<ref name=":10">Callisto, Marcos; Molozzi, Joseline and Barbosa, José Lucena Etham (2014) "Eutrophication of Lakes" in A. A. Ansari, S. S. Gill (eds.), ''Eutrophication: Causes, Consequences and Control'', Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. {{doi|10.1007/978-94-007-7814-6_5}}. {{ISBN|978-94-007-7814-6}}.</ref>