phosphorus cycle

what are major reservoirs of phosphorus minerals

rocks and sediments

phosphorus is ____ when compared to other biogeochemical cycles

very slow

consquence of phosphorus being a limited resource

that growth in ecosystems is often limited by phosphorus availability in soil/water

does phosphorus have a gas phase

no

how is phosphorus naturally released

by weathering of phosphate-containing rocks that then release and dissolve into water

synthetic sources of phosphorus

mining phosphate minerals, phosphate will run off from detergent, cleaners, and fertilizer into nearby water sources

how do plants assimilate phosphorus into them

eating plants/other animals

how is phosphorus returned back into the soil

decomposing animal waste, plant matter, and other biomass

sedimentation

when phosphate forms into solid bits that sinks to bottom of water sources and becomes compressed into rock after long periods of time

geological uplift

tectonic plate collison are forcing up rock layers into mountains that can be weathered

how is eutrophication a positive feedback loop

bacteria that break down dead matieral use all o2 and theres none getting in leading to more deaths and more decompositioin