Human Impact on the Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Cycles
Danielle Abbadusky
Everest University

Human impact on the cycling matter in ecosystems can change a lot of things. Humans can either help or hurt things. The carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles are the three cycles of matter in ecosystems. What are these cycles? How do humans effect each one of these individual cycles? What are some examples of humans effecting these cycles? What is the carbon cycle? “Sequence of processes through which carbon compounds move from one carbon reservoir or sink (such as forests and oceans) to another (such as atmosphere) and back. Since more carbon dioxide is being released into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels and less
Phosphorus enters the biosphere almost entirely from the soil through absorption by plant roots. Weathering of rocks containing phosphate minerals, chiefly apatite [Ca5(PO4)3OH], results in the relatively small pool of inorganic phosphorus available for organismal use. In most soils the major amount of phosphorus absorbed by plants comes from organic molecules that undergo decomposition releasing phosphorus in plant-available inorganic forms. The release of organically bound nutrients to plant-available forms is termed mineralization, a process important in the release to the soil of sulfur and nitrogen as well as phosphorus. Phosphorus is used by organisms in energy transfers (ATP, NAPD), as a component of nucleic acids (RNA, DNA), and as a structural element of membranes (phospholipids).” (cliffsnotes.com) Humans are significantly interring with the phosphorus cycle by using fertilizers containing phosphorus. Phosphorus is made into everyday things that humans use. It’s in our detergents, animal food, and of course our fertilizers. When our farmers crops are fertilized with phosphorus it significantly helps our crops produce at its fullest. With our farmers using phosphorus as we do for fertilizer this is getting to our oceans and making then greatly over fertilized and is going to