A novel biologically-based approach to evaluating soil phosphorus availability across complex landscapes

DeLuca, Thomas H.; Glanville, Helen C.; Harris, Matthew; Emmett, Bridget A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2713-4389; Pingree, Melissa R.A.; de Sosa, Laura L.; Cerdá-Moreno, Cristina; Jones, Davey L.. 2015 A novel biologically-based approach to evaluating soil phosphorus availability across complex landscapes. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 88. 110-119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.05.016

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.05.016

Abstract/Summary

Plants employ a range of strategies to increase phosphorus (P) availability in soil. Current soil P extraction methods (e.g. Olsen P), however, often fail to capture the potential importance of rhizosphere processes in supplying P to the plant. This has led to criticism of these standard approaches, especially in non-agricultural soils of low P status and when comparing soil types across diverse landscapes. Similarly, more complex soil P extraction protocols (e.g. Hedley sequential fractionation) lack functional significance from a plant ecology perspective. In response to this, we present a novel procedure using a suite of established extraction protocols to explore the concept of a protocol that characterizes P pools available via plant and microbial P acquisition mechanisms. The biologically based P (BBP) extraction was conducted by using four extractions in parallel: (1) 10 mM CaCl2 (soluble P); (2) 10 mM citric acid (chelate extractable P); (3) phytase and phosphatase solution (enzyme extractable organic P); (4) 1 M HCl (mineral occluded P). To test the protocol, we conducted the analyses on a total of 204 soil samples collected as part of a UK national ecosystem survey (Countryside Survey) in 1998 and repeated again in 2007. In the survey, Olsen P showed a net decline in national soil P levels during this 10 year period. In agreement with these results, soluble P, citrate extractable P and mineral occluded P were all found to decrease over the 10 year study period. In contrast, enzyme extractable organic P increased over the same period likely due to the accumulation of organic P in the mineral soil. The method illustrates a noted shift in P pools over the 10 year period, but no net loss of P from the system. This new method is simple and inexpensive and therefore has the potential to greatly improve our ability to characterise and understand changes in soil P status across complex landscapes.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.05.016
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Emmett
ISSN:	0038-0717
Additional Keywords:	bioavailability, ecosystem assessment, nutrient index, phosphate, soil quality indicator
NORA Subject Terms:	Agriculture and Soil Science
Date made live:	17 Feb 2016 16:32 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/512998

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.05.016

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Emmett

ISSN:

0038-0717

Additional Keywords:

bioavailability, ecosystem assessment, nutrient index, phosphate, soil quality indicator

NORA Subject Terms:

Agriculture and Soil Science