GROUP 4

PHOSPHORO
US CYCLE
 CONTENTS

1. What is phosphorous?

2. The quantities of phosphorus in soil

3. The role of phosphorus in animals and plants

4. The steps in phosphorus cycle

5. Importance of phosphorous cycle

6. Human effects
 What is phosphorous?
Phosphorusis a chemicalelementfound on
Earth in numerouscompoundforms such as :

in soil

phosphateio in water

n (PO43-)
in sediment
 The quantities of
phosphorus in soil

are generally small, and this often limits plant

growth
That is why people often apply
phosphate fertilizers on farmland.
Animals absorb phosphates by eating plants or
plant-eating animals.
 The role of phosphorOus in
animals and plants

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for animals

and plants.

It plays a critical role in cell development and is

a key component of molecules that store energy,
such as ATP (adenosine triphosphate), DNA and
lipids (fats and oils). Insufficient phosphorus in
the soil can result in a decreased crop yield.
 STEPS OF
PHOSPHOROUS
CYCLE
1 Phosphorus moves in a cycle
through rocks, water, soil and
sediments and organisms.
3 Plants take up inorganic
phosphate from the soil. The
plants may then be
consumed by animals. Once
in the plant or animal, the
phosphate is incorporated
into organic molecules such
as DNA. When the plant or
animal dies, it decays, and
the organic phosphate is
returned to the soil.
2 Over time, rain
and weathering cause
rocks to release phosphate
ions and other minerals.
This inorganic phosphate is
then distributed in soils and
water.
4 Within the soil, organic
forms of phosphate can be
made available to plants
by bacteria that break down
organic matter to inorganic
forms of phosphorus. This
process is known as
mineralisation.
5 Phosphorus in soil can end up in
waterways and eventually
oceans. Once there, it can be
incorporated into sediments over
time.
The Phosphorous
cycle
 The importance of
Phosphorous Cycle
In nature, phosphorus cycles naturally through the soil, water, plant and animal tissues.
Phosphorous is an essential nutrient for living organisms, and its importance to life on Earth
can be observed most easily in a lake or stream.
When relatively large amounts of phosphorous enter a body of water through natural or
human activities, it often causes an algal bloom, as hundreds of algae cells take advantage
of the injection of nutrients.
Like most nutrient cycles, however, the phosphorous cycle can be thrown off balance.

Human activities like deforestation and over-fertilizing of crop fields can result in too much
phosphorous entering a stream, lake, or ocean.
This results in an algae population explosion that can be harmful to many other aquatic life
forms.
 Human Effects
The mining of phosphate ores for fertilizer
affects the time cycle of the phosphorous cycle

Mining results in the premature release of

phosphate into the cycle which can cause an
abundance of algae to form

Normal levels of phosphorous in surface water is

0.01 to 0.03 mg/L
Q&A
QUESTION 1
What is the characteristics of white
phosphorous?
QUESTION 2
How does the phosphorous enter
plants in the soil?
QUESTION 3
What will happen when large amount of
phosphorous enter a body of water
through natural or human activities?
Thank you