Studied by 1 person
Phosphorus Cycle
movement of atoms and molecules containing phosphorus between sources and sinks
What are the major reservoirs of phosphorus?
rocks and sediments
Is there an atmospheric component in the phosphorus cycle?
No
Is phosphorus easy to transition between ocean to land?
No because it doesn’t interact with the atmosphere
What does a scarcity of phosphorus in terrestrial ecosystems result in?
A limiting factor on biological systems
Is the phosphorus cycle fast or slow compared to carbon/water/nitrogen cycles?
Very slow
Why is the phosphorus cycle so slow?
It must be weathered out of rock and carried into soil or water.
Synthetic sources of phosphorus
fertilizers, detergents, cleaners
How do synthetic phosphates enter waterways?
Runoff from fertilized laws and residential wastewater
How is phosphorus assimilated by plants?
absorbed into roots
How is phosphorus assimilated by animals?
eating plants or other animals
How is phosphorus brought back into soil?
decomposers break down animal waste, plant matter, and biomass
Does phosphate dissolve well?
No, it clumps together and becomes a sediment at the bottom
Geological uplift
tectonic plate collision forcing up rock layers that form mountains, starting the phosphorus cycle over again with weathering rocks
Eutrophication
Too much nitrogen and phosphorus (they’re limiting nutrients) leading to excess algae growth in aquatic biomes.
algae blooms and blocks sunlight, killing plants below
algae dies and is broken down by bacteria, which uses up the oxygen in the water
aquatic animals die from lack of oxygen and bacteria uses up even more oxygen to decompose them
It’s a positive feedback loop
