AP Environmental Science - 1.6 The Phosphorus Cycle

Which is FALSE about the phosphorus cycle?

• It is the fastest of the nutrient cycles

• Rocks & sediments are major reservoirs

• It does not have at atmospheric component

• Phosphorus can be a limiting nutrient in the productivity of an ecosystem

Which of these is FALSE about the phosphorus cycle

• Weathered phosphorus can only end up in aquatic ecosystems

• Synthetic fertilizers can bring extra phosphorus into aquatic ecosystems by runoff

• Phosphates can enter water through your home's wastewater

• Wind & rain can both weather rocks that contain phosphorus

Which of the following is FALSE about the phosphorus cycle?

• Phosphorus must enter the sedimentation phase before it can be reused by plants

• Phosphorus gets assimilated into plants through their roots

• Phosphate doesn't dissolve very well and hence easily forms sediment

• Geologic uplift brings older rock to the surface, allowing phosphorus to get weathered back into the environment.