Modern agriculture relies on a steady supply of fertilizers, and phosphorus is a critical component. As known phosphorus reserves are finite, there is growing concern about the economic impact on farmers worldwide. Recent events have intensified supply disruptions, raising the risk that limited phosphorus could threaten global food security.
Phosphorus, mined from rock and often applied generously to fields, is essential for crop growth. Much of this nutrient can run off into waterways, eventually reaching the sea where it is buried in deep ocean sediments.
As easily mined phosphorus rock becomes scarcer, the world faces a real shortage of this vital fertilizer.
Researchers in environmental science have explored a practical, time-honored approach to this challenge: wildlife.
In historic times, animals such as whales, seabirds, fish and bears helped move phosphorus from the oceans back to land, helping maintain soil fertility and ecosystem health. This natural transport created a public good for farming and nature alike. But today, habitat loss, population declines, and barriers like fences and dams have drastically reduced these nutrient flows, limiting their role by a significant margin.
Without wildlife to shuttle nutrients across ecosystems, phosphorus movement is largely controlled by human activity. Inefficient agricultural practices still cause substantial losses into the oceans, where phosphorus is widely dispersed and not recoverable with current technologies. Solutions suggested by recent work emphasize revitalizing nature’s own nutrient cycles.
Through recent research, it has been shown that wild animals historically carried substantial amounts of phosphorus, comparable to other major natural inputs such as dust deposition and wildfires. Wildlife can help return phosphorus to soils, and restoring interconnected animal communities could revive long-standing natural fertilization pathways, thereby supporting soil health and crop yields.
Wildlife plays a role in transporting nutrients through various pathways, including carcasses, urine and manure, according to experts. This natural flow helps sustain nutrient availability in soils and can bolster ecosystem resilience for future generations. In the face of climate stress and ecological change, maintaining such processes may prove crucial for long-term planetary health.
Experts suggest there may be opportunities to develop commercial phosphorus systems built around biodiversity, with the shared goal of limiting phosphate leakage into ocean sediments. If investments in biodiversity projects prove cost-effective, nations or companies could support programs that retain phosphorus within terrestrial and coastal ecosystems.
Learning from prior analyses, the proposed approach leverages a market-style framework that mirrors today’s carbon trading models. Communities could benefit directly from animal-based composting like bird manure, or indirectly by backing biodiversity initiatives that keep phosphorus circulating within the global biosphere.
Phosphorus remains a key nutrient for human and natural systems. The natural mobility of animals, connecting land and sea through their movements, highlights a powerful, enduring mechanism for nutrient distribution. Restoring wildlife populations could help revive this nutrient cycle and contribute to a richer, more resilient world.
Reference work on this concept emphasizes the potential of biodiversity-based strategies to keep essential nutrients in ecosystems and support sustainable farming practices.
Reference work: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969722021167?via%3Dihub#f0030