Oct 06 2009
Anthropogenic Effects on Phosphorus Cycle?
I wrote mining as one of the anthropogenic effects on phosphorus? I undersand the damage caused by fertilizer run-off leading to an algae bloom, etc., but if there is no atmospheric phase then how does mining phosphorus damage the environment? Does more phoshorus enter the biosphere taken from the geosphere? This just does not seem as severe as when nitrogen, carbon, and sulfur levels increase in the atmosphere. Could anyone please explain what is so bad about mining phosphorus?
Mining creates tremendous damage to ecosystems (destroys habitat, removes soil to get at mineral, equipment burns fossil fuels, erosion, etc…). We’ll learn much more about this later in the year. Good question!
I think in addition to run off putting too much phosphorous in the water causing algae blooms, it also deals with the issue of limiting factors. Many plants can’t thrive with too much phosphorus in soil. Unless they have a large range of adaptation.
Melissa, I think you mean to say “unless they have a wide range of tolerance” as individual plants don’t adapt/evolve.