Human impact on the phosphorus cycle, Biology

Assignment Help:

Human Impact on the Phosphorus Cycle

Like other biogeochemical cycles, human activities have altered the phosphorus cycle. Human beings mine phosphate rocks and guano deposits to make phosphorus available for production of fertilisers, detergents, animal feed, medicines, pesticide: and numerous other products. This mining exposes phosphate deposits made over millions of years. Phosphates are removed from soil through cropping of vegetation and to replace it phosphate fertilisers have to be added. Because of the abundance of calcium, iron and aluminium in the soil much of the phosphates get immobilised as insoluble salts. Thus more fertilisers have to be added. This results in high concentration of phosphates in agricultural runoffs. Similarly concentration of phosphorus in detergents, wastes of food processing plants, animal feed lot, sewage, etc., add to a considerable quantity of phosphorus poured in natural waters.

This problem becomes acute in urban areas. As said earlier, in aquatic ecosystems the phosphorus is taken up rapidly by the vegetation resulting in a sudden explosive growth of algae. Like nitrogen, this leads to cultural eutrophication of the water body. The producers cloud the water and forms a scum on the surface, blocking sunlight for the submerged plants. This is one example of the result of accumulation of nutrients at one stage of the nutrient cycle. It is important to note that the means of returning phosphorus to the cycle are inadequate to compensate for the loss. Sea birds have traditionally played-an important part in returning phosphorus to the cycle via their droppings (for example guano deposits off the coast of Peru) but apparently not at the rate at which it has occurred in the past. Unfortunately human activities appear to hasten the rate at which phosphorus is lost and thus make the cycle 'less perfect'. You could think our present use of phosphorus which is washed out into the rivers and finally into the oceans as an accelerated 'pouring' of phosphorus from the source to the sink.


Related Discussions:- Human impact on the phosphorus cycle

Can you explain about thoracic aortography, Q. Can you explain about thorac...

Q. Can you explain about thoracic Aortography? Aortic arch angiography has been used to assess aortic valve or aortic root disease. Thoracic aortography is helpful for assessm

Salinity - marine ecosystems, Salinity - Marine Ecosystems Physico-...

Salinity - Marine Ecosystems Physico-chemical factors - Salinity The sea is salty and its salinity is fairly constant, averaging about 3.5 per cent usually written as

Scientific methord, how adoctor dicide a sickness of a patiant

how adoctor dicide a sickness of a patiant

#title a&p, list all of the parts of a generalized cell that might be invol...

list all of the parts of a generalized cell that might be involved support movement coordination respiration digestion transportation excr production making proteins and reproducti

Transport of macromolecules, Nuclear transport is an energy-dependent proce...

Nuclear transport is an energy-dependent process mediated through saturable receptors. Export and Import receptors are by to distinguish and bind to nuclear localization signals or

Transcription of eukaryotic protein coding genes, 1. The transcription and ...

1. The transcription and replication of DNA requires a multitude of protein complexes a. Describe the events that occur during the initiation of transcription of eukaryotic prot

Explain disease dengue, Dengue Dengue fever is a viral disease transmi...

Dengue Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted by mosquito bites that occurs worldwide in tropical and subtropical areas. Major epidemics have occurred in recent years in

What is aquatic biodiversity, Q. What is aquatic biodiversity? Biodiver...

Q. What is aquatic biodiversity? Biodiversity found on Earth today is the result of 3.5 billion years of evolution. Until the emergence of humans, the Earth supported more biod

Skeletal system - cerebro-spinal fluid, Cerebro-spinal Fluid - Formed m...

Cerebro-spinal Fluid - Formed mainly by choroid plexus and ependyma of ventricles. It comes out of medulla oblongeta by foramen of magandie and lushka . Slightly alkalin

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd