Phosphorus Cycle Flashcards
1
Q
Phosphorus (phosphate) Cycle
A
biogeochemical cycle describing the transformation and translocation of phosphorus in soil, water, and living and dead organic material
2
Q
Step 1
A
phosphorus gets extracted from mines or erodes from rocks
3
Q
Step 2
A
either goes into streams and rivers as runoff or gets used in fertilizer, enabling plant uptake and growth
4
Q
Step 3
A
runoff enters water, becoming dissolved phosphates
5
Q
Step 4
A
uptake by plants or algae and other photosynthetic organisms
6
Q
Step 5
A
uptake by aquatic and marine animals (incapable of photosynthesis)
7
Q
Step 6
A
organic decomposition (waste or death), leads back to dissolved phosphates