Nitrogen Pollution May Change Rocky Mountain National Park

Nitrogen pollution from power plants, cars, and agriculture may change vegetation in alpine communities in Rocky Mountain National Park, according to Science Daily reporting on a new study in the Journal of Environmental Management. The authors measured plant species composition after adding nitrogen to plots in a particular alpine community in the park. According to the authors, the changes they see are subtle, but higher amounts of nitrogen in other regions of the world have been correlated with decreased biodiversity and dead stream organisms. The lead author explained that once these more serious changes occur, they may be impossible to reverse.