Modern agriculture is based on the constant supply of fertilizers. However, one of the main components of this element, Phosphorus is running out, endangering the economic situation of farmers around the world.. Now, with the war in Ukraine causing additional supply cuts, dwindling phosphorus stocks could put the world’s ability to feed itself at risk.
Phosphorus, which is extracted from rocks and often applied abundantly to fields, is used in agriculture to help crops grow. Again, Much of this vital nutrient seeps from the fields into nearby rivers and carries it to the seas, where it is eventually buried in deep ocean sediments.
As resources of easily exploitable phosphorus-rich rock are depleted, the world faces a dizzying shortage of this important fertilizer.
In a new study published Total Environmental ScienceAuthor Andrew Abraham and associate professor of ecoinformatics Chris Doughty, a researcher at Northern Arizona University, have proposed a practical but ancient solution to this global crisis: wildlife.
“In the past, animals such as whales, seabirds, fish and bears played a key role in returning phosphorus from the deep oceans to land.”Abraham pointed. “By doing so, they have collectively retained this nutrient in the biosphere and allowed for a more fertile planet. But today, species extinction, dwindling population abundance, and the construction of fences and dams have further reduced this nutrient transport service by more than 90 percent,” he added. .
Without wildlife to move nutrients around the Earth, phosphorus transport remains almost exclusively in the hands of humans today. However, inefficient use in agriculture leads to significant losses in the oceans, where it is widely dispersed and cannot be recovered with current technologies. So what can be done to replenish human phosphorus losses in the ocean? This study suggests a creative response.
“Through our research, we have been able to show that wild animals have historically carried large amounts of phosphorus on par with other important flows such as dust deposition and wildfires,” Abraham said. Said. “Wildlife can return phosphorus to the soil.By restoring interconnected animal communities, old natural fertilization routes can be revived.helps preserve an irreplaceable item”.
“Animals are like a natural circulatory system for phosphorus,” said co-author Joe Roman, a conservation biologist and researcher at the University of Vermont. “They can transport nutrients through carcasses, urine and manure.“.
Researchers believe that animal services will not only create sources of fertilizer for farmers, but will also help increase the resilience of natural ecosystems for the next century. In the face of climate and ecological collapse, this is crucial to ensure the long-term health of the planet.
Doughty, co-author of the study, believes there may be an opportunity for a commercial phosphorus system with the shared goal of keeping this important nutrient out of the ocean floor.
“If it’s cheap or easy to invest in a biodiversity project that holds significant phosphorus in ecosystems, there may be countries or companies interested in investing in this type of project“, I’m thinking.
Learning from previous essays, the authors base their trading systems on today’s carbon market. Human communities can benefit directly from animal-based composting such as bird manure or indirectly by sponsoring a biodiversity project by continuing to use extracted manure and relying on other countries. keeping phosphorus in the global biosphere.
“Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for both human and natural systems. A defining characteristic of animals is their ability to move by connecting the land and seascapes through which they pass,” said Abraham. “Let’s take back wildlife populations and revive that natural phosphorus bomb “So we can all benefit from a more nutrient-rich world.”
Reference work: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969722021167?via%3Dihub#f0030