Phosphorus Cycle Essay

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According to the book Environment, ninth edition – on the chapter fourth The Cycling of Materials within Ecosystems – humans affect the phosphorus cycle by accelerating the long-term loss of phosphorus from the land. For example, when people consume beef from the cattle, more of the phosphate ends up in human wastes that are flushed down toilets into sewer systems. Because sewage treatment rarely removes them, phosphates cause water-quality problems in rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. In addition, phosphorus is a limiting nutrient to plants and algae in certain aquatic ecosystems. Thus, excess phosphorus from fertilizer or sewage can contribute to the enrichment of the water and lead to undesirable changes. Consequently, in 1995 a study cited by …show more content…
Tourism and real state businesses, as well as the Everglade’s ecosystem, depend on the quality of water. On the other hand, Big Sugar farms hundreds of thousands of acres around the lake, using it in the wet season as a cesspool. The sugar conglomerate, consistently, pumps water out its fields back into the lake and with the runoff released hundreds of tons of phosphorus and other pollutants downstream – to the Everglades, and Florida coasts – ruining the estuary ecosystems. Scientists, fishermen, and environmentalists have arisen awareness among the population and the local government agencies regarding this practice in order to pass a bill to regulate the concentration of phosphorus to what is considered healthy for a pristine Everglade. The legislation, a top priority of state Senate President Joe Negron, would provide additional funding and accelerate the timeline to establish a water storage reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee with the goal of reducing harmful releases to coastal

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