The Phosphorus Cycle

Humans Impact on the Phosphorus Cycle

Phosphorus is a key nutrient that is needed for the growth of all living organisms. However, too much phosphorus degrades the water quality and can cause plants to overgrow. When humans use phosphorus rich fertilizer on farms near the Chesapeake Bay, it seeps into the bay and the plants start to overgrow. This is bad for animals like blue crabs, because if a certain plant is growing rapidly, other plants around it cannot get as much sunlight and do not have as much room to grow which reduces the food source for animals like the blue crab.

Many farms use manure as a fertilizer because it is organic and better for the environment overall than the more processed fertilizers, but the manure causes problems too. Manure contains phosphorus and the runoff causes an excess of phosphorus that contaminates the water.

The Phosphorus Cycle

The Phosphorus Cycle is the only cycle that does not occur in the atmosphere. It is the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Phosphorus in the soil helps plants grow and also seeps into the water supply, helping water plants grow. These plants then feed animals which put the phosphorus back into the earth.

Bibliography

http://chemistry.about.com/od/elementfacts/a/phosphorus.htm

http://prezi.com/mbbaj4f6lpck/the-phosphorus-cycle

http://prezi.com/w3perugzkus1/phosphorus-cycle

www.lenntech.com/phosphorus-cycle.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorus_cycle

Rain on Rocks

Rain allows for the phosphorus in the rocks to release through weathering and seep into the soil. The phosphorus in the soil then seeps into the plant life and allows for steady growth.

Humans are the ones to blame for the excessive levels of phosphorus in the water systems. Every cycle requires balance and due to agricultural waste, the phosphorus cycle is becoming unbalanced

3 Phosphorus Cycle Facts

• The phosphorus cycle is the only cycle that doesn't go through the atmosphere.
• Phosphorus is the seventh most common element in the Earth's crust.
• Phosphorus is the eighteenth most common element in seawater.

Ocean Sediments

After the fish put the phosphorus into the water it gets transferred into the ocean sediments. These sediments, over time, make there way up to the soil again through help of tectonic plates.

Animals in the Cycle

Animals ingest plants containing phosphorus and when the plant matter is disposed of in droppings, the phosphorus seeps into the soil. Phosphorus is important in maintaining and supporting the skeleton of the animals, as well as supplying them energy in the form of ATP.

Runoff

Runoff form soil erosion transfers the phosphorus in the soil into the water source. The phosphorus that is transferred into the water allows for water plant growth, which then provides a food source for the marine organisms.

Marine Organisms

Marine Organisms ingest the phosphorus in the water that came from the runoffs. As the animals ingest the phosphorus, they digest it then dispose of it in fecal matter and urine.