1. THE PHOSPHORUS CYCLE Jillian Chambers Mackenzie Gurne Gabby White Bianca Koupparis 1 st hour Oct. 14, 2015

2. The Phosphorus Cycle

3. DESCRIPTION OF PHOSPHORUS CYCLE The phosphorus cycle isn’t involved with the atmosphere because it doesn’t have natural gaseous state. Hydrosphere: phosphorus enriched rocks found in the ocean are broken down and some organisms use the element to grow Lithosphere: Phosphorus is found within rocks and the soil; also found when animals and plants decompose phosphates back into the earth Biosphere: Phosphorus is in plants; then gets eaten by herbivores; which then become consumed by carnivores; and finally gets released back into the soil through waste and decomposition

4. EFFECT ON FOOD WEB Phosphorus on Earth is kept in Phosphate state in soil and rocks Once Phosphorus is absorbed through plants roots it goes to the animals The animals received the Phosphorus in an organic state When the animals die, the Phosphorus is changed back to inorganic state. Phosphates are very important to the formation of ATP biomagnification- when a substance goes upward on the food chain, and starts to gather in higher order trophic levels.

5. EFFECTS ON THE FOOD WEB (CONTINUED) Eutrophication: For plants to begin their photosynthesis process Phosphorus is one nutrient needed It’s usually the nutrient that is lacked though when phosphorus is added to plants a rapid growth can occur in plants(negative effect)

6. EFFECT ON LAND, AIR, AND WATER Phosphorus can’t be found in the air in a gaseous state because it is usually a liquid at standard temperatures and pressures, although sometimes it can be found in small particles. Phosphorus has little to no effect on air. Weathering of rocks releases phosphate salts that dissolve in soil water and are eventually absorbed by plants. The amount of phosphorus in soil is usually small

7. EFFECT ON LAND, AIR, AND WATER (CONTINUED) Phosphorus will end up in sediments or rock formations after the process, lasting there for millions of years. Phosphates are limiting factors for plant-growth in marine ecosystems because they are not very water-soluble. If there is a build-up of phosphate in the lake or surface water of the ecosystem, the aging process of lake or surface water will be accelerated. This aging process can result in large variations in the lake water quality and trophic status.

8. ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACT Agricultural expansion (runoff) Mining phosphorus rich rock o transformed into fertilizers and animal feed which eventually are mixed within the Earth’s soil  runoff leads into lakes, rivers and oceans o technology advanced the process of mining, making it a lot easier and faster to transport it globally  forcing phosphorus to be in foreign places(high concentration), making it a “not-so-natural” cycle o The amount of phosphorus found in aquatic and terrestrial systems has almost quadrupled since the mining process and farming has started (around 3.5 terragrams per year to 13 terragrams per year)

9. ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACT (CONTINUED) Eutrophication: excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land o “Cultural” Eutrophication  became known in the 1950s and ‘60s when laundry detergents obtained an excess amount of phosphorus in them, which resulted in an abundant amount of phosphates flowing into waterways  U.S. is a main contributor of polluting waterways

10. BIBLIOGRAPHY Description of cycle http://www.slideshare.net/imranzardari/phosphorus-cycle-12680015 Effect on food web http://www.boundless.com/microbiology/textbooks/boundless-microbiology-textbook/microbial-ecology-16/nutrient-cycles-195/the-phosphorus-cycle-983-489 www.shmoop.com/ecology/phosphorus-cycle.html http://www.enviroliteracy.org/air-climate-weather/biogeochemical-cycles/phosphorus-cycle/ Effect on land, air, water http://www.water-research.net/index.php/phosphate-in-water http://www.lenntech.com/phosphorus-cycle.htm http://www.lenntech.com/phosphorus-cycle.htm http://www.worldwatch.org/node/516 Anthropogenic impact http://www.worldwatch.org/node/516 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/016953479390158L http://www.worldwatch.org/node/516 BOOK