The passage describes human impacts on ecosystems and water pollution.
Complete the passage by writing a suitable word or words on each dotted line.
The large-scale removal of forests, known as ................................................................ , reduces the release of water vapour into the atmosphere by the process of ................................................................ . This disruption can alter local rainfall patterns.
Without tree roots to anchor the ground, heavy rain causes soil ................................................................ , which washes minerals into rivers. Farmers also apply chemical ................................................................ to soils, which can wash into aquatic ecosystems via the process of ................................................................ .
The sudden influx of nutrients triggers a rapid growth of surface algae, called an algal ................................................................ . This layer prevents sunlight from reaching aquatic plants below, so they cannot perform ................................................................ and subsequently die.
Decomposers like ................................................................ feed on this dead plant matter. They multiply rapidly and consume the dissolved ................................................................ in the water through aerobic ................................................................ , causing fish and other organisms to suffocate.
