the majority of phosphorus is stored in rocks and minerals on earth.
the majority of phosphorus is stored in rocks and minerals on earth.
where is the majority of phosphorus stored on earth?
rocks and minerals
phosphorus occurs most abundantly in nature as part of the orthophosphate ion (po), consisting of a p atom and 4 oxygen atoms. on land most phosphorus is found in rocks and minerals. phosphorus-rich deposits have generally formed in the ocean or from guano, and over time, geologic processes bring ocean sediments to land. weathering of rocks and minerals release phosphorus in a soluble form where it is taken up by plants, and it is transformed into organic compounds. the plants may then be consumed by herbivores and the phosphorus is either incorporated into their tissues or excreted. after death, the animal or plant decays, and phosphorus is returned to the soil where a large part of the phosphorus is transformed into insoluble compounds. runoff may carry a small part of the phosphorus back to the ocean. generally with time (thousands of years) soils become deficient in phosphorus leading to ecosystem retrogression.
phosphorus cycle
correction and prevention of phosphorus deficiency typically involves increasing the levels of available phosphorus into the soil. planters introduce more phosphorus into the soil with bone meal, rock phosphate, manure, and phosphate-fertilizers. the introduction of these compounds into the soil however does not ensure the alleviation of phosphorus deficiency. there must be phosphorus in the soil, but the phosphorus must also be absorbed by the plant. the uptake of phosphorus is limited by the chemical form in which the phosphorus is available in the soil. a large percentage of phosphorus in soil is present in chemical compounds that plants are incapable of absorbing. phosphorus must be present in soil in specific chemical arrangements to be usable as plant nutrients. facilitation of usable phosphorus in soil can be optimized by maintaining soil within a specified ph range. soil acidity, measured on the ph scale, partially dictates what chemical arrangements that phosphorus forms. between ph 6 and 7, phosphorus makes the fewest bonds which render the nutrient unusable to plants. at this range of acidity the likeliness of phosphorus uptake is increased and the likeliness of phosphorus deficiency is decreased. another component in the prevention and treatment of phosphorus is the plant's disposition to absorb nutrients. plant species and different plants within in the same species react differently to low levels of phosphorus in soil. greater expansion of root systems generally correlate to greater nutrient uptake. plants within a species that have larger roots are genetically advantaged and less prone to phosphorus deficiency. these plants can be cultivated and bred as a long term phosphorus deficiency prevention method. in conjunction to root size, other genetic root adaptations to low phosphorus conditions such as mycorrhizal symbioses have been found to increase nutrient intake. these biological adaptations to roots work to maintain the levels of vital nutrients. in larger commercial agriculture settings, variation of plants to adopt these desirable phosphorus intake adaptations may be a long-term phosphorus deficiency correction method.
phosphorus deficiency