APES 1.6: Phosphorous Cycle

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