Phosphorus Cycle Outputs

Phosphorus can leave a system in three different ways:

Harvest

Part of the phosphorus can leave the soil due to the harvesting of crops that have been planted. Photosynthetic organisms take up phosphorus from the soil and accumulate it in their tissues, so when they are collected the phosphorus leaves the soil with them.

Leaching

After raining or irrigation, water can flow through the soil and dissolve part of the nutrients contained in it. Some of his water can sometimes leave the soil towards other systems. If this destination system is an enclosed body of water (such as a lake) it can cause an increase of nutrients and ultimately cause eutrophication.

Runoff and Erosion

After raining or irrigation, part of the water may flow on top of the soil surface and take away part of the nutrients through the dissolution of the nutrients. This is known as runoff.

Erosion refers to the process by which environmental variables (such as wind) may drag particles of soil (containing phosphorus) and transport them out of the original system.