Short growing seasons, and snow-based water of these high elevation areas limits the amount of nitrogen that can be effectively used. Those conditions make the area more vulnerable to the effects of acidification and nutrient enrichment from nitrogen deposition. For example, nitrogen in precipitation has increased at many western sites as a result of fertilizer use and feedlots. Although nitrogen is a nutrient needed for plant growth, too much nitrogen disrupts native plant communities that are adapted to low-nitrogen conditions; high nitrogen levels can advance the spread of nonnative species that increase fire frequency. Acidification of high alpine lakes from sulfur and nitrogen deposition can cause the loss of macroinvertebrates and fish. Long-term changes in the composition of algae in several alpine lakes in Yellowstone and Grand Teton are correlated with increased nitrogen.[5]