Phosphorus Cycle and Summary Chapter 3 Section 3.4

Phosphorus Cycle Phosphorus forms a part of vital molecules such as DNA and RNA (nucleic acids), but it is not abundant in the biosphere. Inorganic phosphate can be found on land, in the form of phosphate rock and soil minerals (solid) Plants turn phosphate into organic compounds when they absorb it from soil or water. Organic phosphate moves from producers to consumers (along food chains) Inorganic phosphate may wash into the bodies of water, where it dissolves - marine organisms process it and make biological compounds.

What limits nutrient availability? Photosynthetic organisms need these nutrients. Primary productivity- the rate at which photosynthetic organisms create organic material Human activities can limit nutrients available for ecosystems. The interference with the production of the organic compounds, that we need, creates a problem.