Phosphorus cycle

Start with a mind map

The mind map called The Phosphorus Cycle is a starting point. It shows how rain helps release phosphates from rocks into soil or water, and how plants absorb them. Follow those connections before moving to the other resources. You can return to the map when you need to check how rocks, soil, water and plants fit into the cycle.

Follow the stages with flashcards

The flashcard deck called The Phosphorus Cycle sets out stages of the cycle. Its cards include the release of phosphate ions from rocks by weathering and their uptake through plant roots. Study the cards after looking at the mind map, using the map to place each stage in context. Another deck with the same title asks questions about stages and what happens to phosphate ions.

Check the processes in a quiz

The quiz called The Phosphorus Cycle includes labeling questions and covers plant absorption, runoff from farming, leaching into water bodies and decomposition of plant and animal matter. Use it after studying the map and cards. Then go back to the resources to look again at any process you found difficult to place or describe. The map and quiz offer different ways to work with the same topic.

Explore more of the topic

Phosphates in soil is a mind map covering drainage, phosphates in rivers, sedimentary rock and weathering. The flashcards in Lecture 9 cover weathering and human impacts, including sewage dumping. The Phosphorus cycle topic is part of the Biogeochemical Cycles unit in Biology and natural sciences. Use these resources to explore different parts of the topic within that unit, then choose another map or deck to study.