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Phosphorus plays a very important role in plants and animals alike. Phosphorus contributes to the structure of DNA and the process in which energy is transformed, thus is it very important to have a healthy amount present in an environment. Having too little phosphorus in an environment can harm the growth and health of plants. On the other hand it is possible to have too much phosphorus present, excess phosphorus can be washed into neighboring environments and cause algae blooms. Algae blooms are harmful because they block sunlight and oxygen from reaching plants and animals below the surface of the water.

It is not only important to know about the role of phosphorus, but it is also vital to understand the process in which phosphorus is cycled through the earth. The phosphorus cycle is in charge of converting the chemical into its organic and non-organic state. Plants can only absorb phosphorus in its non-organic state. Phosphorus is initially released into the earth via gradual weathering of rocks over time, this state of phosphorus is considered non-organic. The non-organic form of the chemical is absorbed into plants, plants will then use the phosphorus to form their DNA structure and convert energy. Once the plant dies, or the plant is eaten by an animal which dies, the organic material of the organism is decayed by microorganisms and the phosphorus is reverted back to its non-organic state. Now the phosphorus in its non-organic form and ready for the plants to reabsorb it.  

 

Over the past 15 years women in the E.S.S.R.E program have been surveying the soil of the Roland Park Country School backwoods. Through these years it has been noticed that site 4 has had a steady increase of phosphorus. Our team was very interested in this mysterious pattern and conducted a field experiment in attempt to determine the cause of this increase. We hypothesized, that due to a steady decrease in rainfall over the past 15 years, the phosphorus and organic material was not being washed down and passed by a broken dam thus there is a large accumulation of phosphorus and decaying material close to the dam.