Discuss Phosphorous Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discuss Phosphorous Cycle - Essay Example Thus, the phosphates present in the plants through irrigation or through natural absorption of soil water, become part of the constituents of growing plants in the ecosystem. Plants, however, do not remain unused; they are consumed by herbivorous animals, as fodder and by man as herbs and vegetables. As a result, phosphorous, in the form of the phosphates originating in the weathering of rocks, enters into the bodily systems of herbivorous plants and animals, and unites in the process of transformation or metabolism to form other chemical compounds of phosphorous. The process does not end there, as both man and animal pass out waste matter in the form of urine and excreta (Joiner, 75). Man and animals pass these out into or onto soil, or into lavatories (from lavatories, these wastes ultimately arrive in the soil). Alongside these process is the decomposition of dead plant or of animal and human bodies, which releases already absorbed or digested phosphates ( Mariah, 95). Thus, conve rted phosphates enter the soil, and close the cycle there. The above description is basically the process of the phosphorous cycle. ... Sewage farm, for instance, is farm which is irrigated with "sewage irrigation" (i.e. irrigation by sewage liquid), while sewage grass is grass grown on land fertilised by sewage. Thus phosphate waste matter is used to nurture plants, which store them up for animal and man, and for the enriching of farm soils, from which plants take nourishment or off which they may be washed into rivers and streams. Also relevant in the phosphorous cycle is the aquatic system, which includes plants and their environmental streams and rivers. Phosphates (from fertilisers or weathering of rocks, for example) not used by aquatic plants find their way into streams and rivers, and settle at the floor these waters. When these waters are stirred up (perhaps by man or fish), part of these settled sedimentary phosphates may re-enter the phosphorous cycle, through spilling over onto soils.In summary, therefore, the phosphorous cycle involves the transformation of phosphates from some liquid form into some solid form - or vive-versa - through the internal chemical processes of the interaction of the ecosystem constituents. Beginning with assimilation of phosphates into soils through rock weathering, its ends with the assimilation of phosphates back into the soil through the decomposition and excretion of plant, man, and animal. However, while phosphates are advantageous and essential to life and agriculture, they do at times have their adverse effects. A typical instance is its negative effect on fresh water. Typical fresh water is neutral, i.e. it has a PH value of 7; it is colourless, tasteless and odourless; perfectly fit for drinking, for cooking and for washing. But when excessive phosphates are allowed to enter into a reservoir or pool of fresh water

Chinese Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Chinese Society - Essay Example the general citizenry of urban areas and the affect of widespread technological advances, such as online educational opportunities upon the traditional Chinese family. This feeling is entrenched within ancient Confucian culture and has escalated with inception of the one-child policy in 1979. Despite China’s rapid ascent into the global economy, which has resulted in increased exposure into the global cultures, the sexism from ancient times has persevered and increased as is evidenced by the disproportionate male to female births over the past two decades. This policy was intended simply to limit the skyrocketing population of the country but has affected population arrangements, economic growth, resource deployment and the stream of migration throughout China. Marriage and child-bearing ages have risen, the size of families has decreased, male-to-female ratio has increased and urban populations have escalated. Unquestionably, the far-reaching effects of the one child policy cannot be understood by merely measuring population numbers or birth rates. One also must factor quality of life into the equation including living standards, crime and education. Moreover, the sex-imbalance can be represented by the rising sex ratio at birth (Hung 2004). The current trend of noticeable labor migration from rural to urban China is becoming a significant social factor greatly altering the whole of society. Studies conducted in 1995 determined that 70 million people nationwide had abandoned their home town for temporary or continuing employment in larger towns within the region or to urban areas (Shukai, 1996). The mass amounts of people constantly streaming into urban areas have put a strain on the infrastructures of many cities in China. This has become a serious problem because most cities’ governing bodies could, at best, barely support its present population in terms of social amenities. For example, most railway stations in big cities experienced massive