BIOL 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Phosphorus Cycle, Sulfur Cycle, Sewage Treatment
9 Oct 2014
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Biol111: ecology and the environment - lecture 10: ecosystems and aquatic. Phosphorus cycle: through water, the earth"s crust and living organisms in the phosphorus cycle. Primary macronutrient of plants but often limiting factor for plant growth. We disrupt the phosphorus cycle by reducing or saturating phosphorus in the environment. Reducing phosphate in tropical soils when cutting down tropical forests. Disrupt aquatic ecosystems with phosphates from runoff of animal waters, fertilizers and discharges from sewage treatment plants. Sulfur cycle: stored in rocks, and is essential for proteins. Disrupted too much it can be converted into sulphuric acid in the atmosphere and produce acid rain/deposition damaging aquatic ecosystem. Add sulphur dioxide to atmosphere by burning coal and oil, and producing metals fro ores. Refine to make gasoline, heating oil and other products. Convert to make metals such as copper, lead and zinc. Field research going into nature and observing what happens.
