Some scientists estimate that available phosphorus reserves in the Earth will be completely depleted within approximately 100 years. Discuss the implications of these estimates.

The percentage of phosphorus in an ecosystem that is recycled per year is in most cases very small, and far smaller than the percentage of nitrogen that is recycled. Suggest reasons for this difference.

a. production of fertilizers will decrease/price of fertilizers will rise 

b. less food production / increase in cost of foods 

c. development of alternative methods of agriculture 

d. Phosphate needed by living organisms for nucleic acids/ATP so lack will affect growth negatively

a. largest store of phosphorus «in ecosystems» is in marine sediments and minerals/phosphate rock while nitrogen is in the atmosphere 

b. main source of release of phosphorous is by weathering of rocks «very slow process»/ nitrogen is by bacterial action 

c. high concentrations of nitrogen/low concentration of phosphorous «compounds» in living organism 

d. phosphorus is not a very soluble mineral