Land use and soil factors affecting accumulation of phosphorus species in temperate soils

• Published in: Geoderma Vol. 257-258; pp. 29 - 39
• Main Authors: Stutter, Marc I., Shand, Charles A., George, Timothy S., Blackwell, Martin S.A., Dixon, Liz, Bol, Roland, MacKay, Regina L., Richardson, Alan E., Condron, Leo M., Haygarth, Philip M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.11.2015
• Subjects: aluminum; arable soils; Carbon; esters; fertilizer application; grasslands; grazing; inorganic phosphorus; iron; Land use; microbial ecology; orthophosphates; Oxalate extractable Fe, Al; Phosphorus species; polyphosphates; soil organic carbon; soil properties; Soils; spectroscopy; temperate soils; Ortho Pi; P-NaOH–EDTA; WEPo; SOC; Po-citric; P-di; Oxalate extractable Fe, Al; P-IHP; P-phosphon; WEOC; Carbon; Land use; WEPi; Psat; P-mono; Soils; P-polyp-end and P-polyp-mid; Phosphorus species; Mox; 31P NMR; MDP; Pi; Po
• DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.03.020
• ISSN: 0016-7061

Data on the distribution of phosphorus (P) species in soils with differing land uses and properties are essential to understanding environmental P availability and how fertiliser inputs, cropping and grazing affect accumulation of soil inorganic P (Pi) and organic P (Po) forms. We examined thirty-two temperate soils (with soil organic C concentrations 12–449gCkg−1 and total P 295–3435mgPkg−1) for biogeochemical properties of soil C, reactive surfaces and P by common indices and 31P-NMR spectroscopy on NaOH–EDTA extracts for P species. Arable soil P was dominated by inorganic orthophosphate (276–2520mgPkg−1), >monoester P (105–446mgPkg−1). The limited diesters, polyphosphates and microbial P in arable soils suggest that cropping and fertiliser inputs limit ecosystem microbial functions and P diversity. Intensive grassland had inorganic orthophosphate concentrations (233–842mgPkg−1) similar to monoesters (200–658mgPkg−1)>diesters (0–50mgPkg−1) and polyphosphates (1–78mgPkg−1). As grazing became more extensive P in semi-natural systems was dominated by organic P, including monoesters (37–621mgPkg−1) and other diverse forms; principally diester (0–102mgPkg−1) and polyphosphates (0–108mgPkg−1). These were related to SOC, water extractable organic carbon (WEOC) and microbial P, suggesting strong microbially-mediated processes. A number of abiotic and biotic related processes appeared to control accumulation of different soil P species and gave considerable variability in forms and concentrations within land use groups. The implications are that to increase agricultural P efficiencies mechanisms to utilise both soil Pi and Po are needed and that specific management strategies may be required for site-specific circumstances of soil C and reactive properties such as Fe and Al complexes. •We examined phosphorus species abundance in UK soils.•P species abundance was related to soil properties.•We need to consider inorganic and organic P presence and availability.•Organic P complexation increased for soils with greater C.