Cultural eutrophication found where rivers empty into oceans. Nutrient pollution is a major cause of algal blooming however, the excess nutrients also facilitate the growth of other aquatic plants. Following this, overcrowding occurs and plants compete for sunlight, space, and oxygen. Overgrowth of water plants also blocks sunlight and oxygen for aquatic life in the water, which threatens their survival. Increased competition for the added nutrients can cause potential disruption to entire ecosystems and food webs, as well as a loss of habitat, and biodiversity of species. The Experimental Lakes Area (ELA), Ontario, Canada is a fully equipped, year-round, permanent field station
Epigenetics of plant growth and development premise in plants. In hybrids, lack of proper regulatory action, such as silencing by methylation, leads to uninhibited genes. If the gene is involved in growth, such as photosynthesis, the plant will experience increased vitality (Ni et al. 2008). The results heterosis can be seen in traits such as increased fruit yield, earlier ripening, and heat tolerance. Heterosis has been shown to provide increased general growth and fruit yield in tomato plants (Xiaodong). Epigenetics of plant growth and development Plants depend on epigenetic processes for proper function. Epigenetics has been defined as "the study of changes in gene function that