The Phosphorus Cycle Phosphorus is an essential nutrient

The Phosphorus Cycle!

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plants and animals. • It is a part of DNA/RNA-molecules, molecules that store energy (ATP and ADP) and fats of cell membranes. • P also helps build parts of the human and animal body, like bones and teeth.

• P can be found on earth in water, soil and sediments but cannot be found in the air as a gas. • It is usually a liquid cycling through water, soil and sediments. • In the atmosphere, it can be found as very small dust particles. • moves slowly from deposits on land in sediments, to living organisms, and then much more slowly back into the soil and water sediment.

• The phosphorus cycle is the slowest cycle! • P is mostly found in rock formations and ocean sediments as phosphate salts. • Weathering releases the salts from rocks and dissolve in soil water and are absorbed by plants. • The amount of P in soil is small, so it limits plant growth, which is why humans use phosphate fertilizers on farmlands.

• Phosphates also limit plant-growth in marine ecosystems because they are not very water soluble. • Animals absorb phosphates by eating plants or plant-eating animals. • P travels through plants and animals faster than through rocks and sediments. • When a plant/animal dies, it decays, putting phosphates back in the soil or water basins again • It will end up in rocks again, then after millions of years it will eventually be released again through weathering!

And the cycle continues…. DUN DUNNNNNN…… MUAHAHA! Want to watch a video presentation on the phosphorus cycle?