What Happens to Phosphorus That Erodes From Rock and Soil

The phosphorus wheel refers to the move of phosphorus within and betwixt the biosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere. The phosphorus cycle matters considering phosphorus is an essential nutrient for sustaining life on World, where information technology plays a central role in the transfer of energy within organisms, the structure of the genetic material, and in the composition of cell membranes, basic and teeth. When other resources such as lite and water are abundant, ecosystem productivity and biomass is often limited past the amount of available phosphorous. This is the primary reason we mine phosphorus, which serves as an essential component of the fertilizer used to enhance soil quality for agricultural activities.

What is the phosphorus cycle?

Phosphorus cycles through both the abiotic and biotic parts of the Earth organization, especially in the biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. Phosphorus is found in the Earth'due south chaff, primarily in sedimentary rocks that contain phosphate (PO₄ ^3-) minerals. Equally these rocks weather and erode, dissolved phosphates enter the soil and travel via rivers to the bounding main. Main producers (photosynthesizing organisms), both on state and in the ocean, blot the phosphate needed to produce organic compounds necessary for the survival and growth of all organisms. The phosphate acquired by organisms is returned to the soil or water through animal excretions (poop) and through the decomposition of expressionless organisms. Humans profoundly influence the phosphorus bicycle through the release of mined phosphates into ecosystems, especially in the grade of fertilizers, but also from detergents and sewage waste. There are no major gaseous forms of phosphorus, so aside from current of air distributing small particles of dust containing phosphorus, only very minor amounts of phosphorus move through the temper.

Pictured here is an algal bloom that occurred in Lake Eerie in 2011 after rains released fertilizers and sewage into the lake which are rich in phosphorus and other nutrients. Credit: NASA via USGS

Phosphorus levels tin can vary significantly in aquatic and terrestrial habitats, and can be affected by various human activities and ecology phenomena, including:

• 

  Phosphate mine in Idaho. These rocks formed effectually 265 million years agone where organic compounds, rich in phosphorous, accumulated in an ancient bounding main. Credit: GAO via USDA

  The rock cycle, specially by rates of weathering and erosion. Unlike rock types have considerably different concentrations of phosphorus. Thus, the type of rock that is weathered plays a major role in determining the concentration of phosphorous (and other nutrients) in soils, freshwater environments, and coastal waters. The phosphorous levels, in plow, influence the biodiversity of plants and animals are present.

• Increased precipitation can increase erosion and thus increase the transport of phosphorous (and other nutrients) into soils, freshwater environments, and coastal waters.
• Deforestation, habitat loss, and erosion can reduce the nutrient levels in soils. The process of mining phosphate and the production of fertilizers also introduces pollutants into the environment, which alters habitats.
• The use of fertilizers for agricultural activities typically increases the amount of chemical nutrients in soil or water, especially phosphorous (and nitrogen). These nutrients increase plant and algae growth. However, increased nutrient is non always a good thing. For example, in aquatic environments nutrient-rich runoff tin cause big numbers of algae to grow. When these algae dice they are consumed by bacteria which tin reduce oxygen levels in the water, killing fish and other species. This process is known as eutrophication.
• Changes in ocean circulation patterns can alter the concentration and distribution of nutrients that are transported offshore. Dissolved chemical nutrients, particularly phosphorus (and nitrogen) are critical for marine organisms, including the growth of plankton and algae which form the base of most ocean food webs. When organisms die they sink to the lesser of the body of water where their nutrients are released as they decay. These nutrients can exist returned to the surface past ascending currents through a process known equally upwelling, which is caused by offshore winds. Regions with coastal upwelling have highly productive ecosystems because of the nutrient rich upwelled water.
• Changes in atmospheric circulation patterns tin alter the concentration and distribution of dust (airborne particles) that comprise phosphorous (and other nutrients) for life on land and in aquatic environments.

Earth arrangement model about the phosphorus wheel

The Earth system model below includes some of the processes and phenomena related to the phosphorus bike.  These processes operate at various rates and on different spatial and temporal scales. For example, geologic processes, such every bit uplift and weathering occur over thousands to millions of years, while human influences on the phosphorus cycle happen over months to years. Can you lot retrieve of additional crusade and issue relationships between the parts of the phosphorus bicycle and other processes in the Earth system?

Explore the Earth System

Click the icons and bolded terms (e.yard. agricultural activities, soil quality, erosion, and nutrient level) on this page to larn more virtually these process and phenomena. Alternatively, explore the Understanding Global Change Infographic and detect new topics that are of interest and/or locally relevant to you.

Links to Learn More than

• USGS: Phosphorus and Water
• USDA: Phosphate Mining in Idaho
• USGS: Phosphorus and Ground Water: Establishing Links Between Agricultural Use and Send to Streams
• PBS NewsHour: Battle over phosphate mining roils pocket-sized Florida town

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Source: https://ugc.berkeley.edu/background-content/phosphorus/

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