It's in the Air: The Ecological Effects of Nitrogen Deposition in Rocky Mountain National Park

Publisher: USGS | Science Center: Fort Collins Science Center (FORT, Ft. Collins) | Format: URL

www.fort.usgs.gov — Encroaching development, overuse, and air- and waterborne contaminants from outside park boundaries are causing noticeable changes to water quality and ecosystem health and functioning. The Front Range metropolitan area from Fort Collins south to Colorado Springs includes 75 percent of Colorado's population and its most productive agricultural More... Encroaching development, overuse, and air- and waterborne contaminants from outside park boundaries are causing noticeable changes to water quality and ecosystem health and functioning. The Front Range metropolitan area from Fort Collins south to Colorado Springs includes 75 percent of Colorado's population and its most productive agricultural lands. It is rich in natural gas resources, supports a thriving agricultural industry, and has a rapidly growing urban population. Nitrogen oxides and ammonia from transportation, construction, energy production, and agriculture combine with air pollutants from outside the region to affect visibility, regional haze, ozone, and especially atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the mountains to the west. Deteriorating air quality in and around the park is a growing concern. Less...