10 Questions
What makes phosphorus the scarcest element recycled in the biosphere?
Its abundance in sedimentary deposits
How is phosphorus released from rock and sedimentary deposits?
By mining activities
What role do microorganisms play in the phosphorus cycle?
They convert insoluble phosphorus compounds to soluble phosphate
Where does much of the phosphorus deposited in the sea end up circulating?
In ocean deeps
How is phosphorus brought back to the land from the sea?
Through fish harvests and guano collection
What limits phosphorus in any given ecological system?
Its scarcity compared to other elements
What is the primary form in which phosphorus exists due to its high reactivity?
Combined with other elements
How do algae and terrestrial green plants utilize soluble phosphate?
For photosynthesis
What leads to a steady loss of phosphorus to the ocean deeps?
Weathering, leaching, and mining activities
What plays a key role in converting insoluble phosphorus compounds to soluble phosphate?
Microorganisms
Study Notes
Phosphorus Cycle
- Phosphorus is the scarcest and most limiting element in ecological systems.
- It is essential to life, involved in energy transfer and genetic information passage in DNA.
- Most phosphorus on Earth is tied up in rock and sedimentary deposits.
Phosphorus Release and Circulation
- Phosphorus is released from rocks and sedimentary deposits through weathering, leaching, and mining.
- It passes through freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems via plants, grazers, predators, and parasites.
- Phosphorus is returned to ecosystems through death and decay.
Ocean Deposition and Return
- Much of the phosphorus is deposited in the sea, in shallow sediments, where it circulates readily.
- Some phosphorus is deposited in ocean deeps, where it rarely returns.
- Phosphorus is brought back to land through fish harvests and guano collection from seabirds.
Biosphere Cycling
- Phosphorus exists in combined form with other elements due to its high reactivity.
- Microorganisms produce acids that form soluble phosphate from insoluble phosphorus compounds.
- Phosphates are utilized by algae and terrestrial green plants, which are consumed by animals.
Phosphorus Availability
- There are seasonal pulses of phosphorus availability.
- There is a steady loss of phosphorus to the ocean deeps.
Explore the circulation of phosphorus in various forms through nature and its importance in energy transfer and DNA. Learn how phosphorus is released from rock and sedimentary deposits through weathering.
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