What is the difference between long term and short term phosphorus cycle?

Answer 1

Long term cycle: phosphorus is found in bedrock in the form of phosphate ions combined with a variety of elements. Phosphates are soluble in water and so can be dissolved out of rock. While dissolved, phosphates can be absorbed by photosynthetic organisms and passed into food chains.

Short term cycle: wastes from living things are recycled by decomposers, which break down wastes and dead tissues and release the phosphates. This cycle is much more rapid.

Answer 2

The short-term phosphorus cycle involves the rapid movement of phosphorus between living organisms and the environment, where it cycles quickly through processes like uptake, release, and recycling. In contrast, the long-term phosphorus cycle involves the slow movement of phosphorus through geological processes like rock weathering, sedimentation, and uplift, which regulate the availability of phosphorus over millions of years.