The Phosphorus Cycle
Explore the phosphorus cycle, its stages, and its importance in ecosystems with this comprehensive worksheet for Grade 8 science students.
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The Phosphorus Cycle
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Read each question carefully and provide your best answer. Use complete sentences where appropriate.
1. What is the primary reservoir for phosphorus on Earth?
The atmosphere
Oceans
Rocks and sediments
Living organisms
2. The process by which phosphorus is released from rocks into the soil and water is called .
3. Plants absorb phosphorus from the soil in the form of .
4. Explain why the phosphorus cycle is considered a slow cycle compared to the carbon or nitrogen cycles.
5. Phosphorus is a major component of ATP and DNA.
True
False
Match each term with its correct definition.
6. Runoff
a. The movement of phosphorus from land to water bodies.
7. Eutrophication
b. Excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff.
8. Decomposers
c. Organisms that break down dead organic matter, returning phosphorus to the soil.