Phosphorous Cycle

Importance of Phospherous

  • Important to human bone health
  • component to nucleic acids - DNA
  • Major plant nutrient in soil

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Cycle

  • only cycle to occur totally on land
  • Found in rocks and released through weathering and leeching
  • Producers pick up Phospherous from soil and are then eaten by consumers
  • Decomposers help return Phospherous back to soil after plant and animals die

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Anthropogenic factors

  • Phospherous rich fertilizers ( run off causes algae blooms, eutrophication by over abundance of nutrience)
  • Animal waste (high in Phospherous and can contaminate water supply)

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