Title: Phosphorus release risk on a calcareous purple soil in southwest China

Authors: Mei Li, Yanlin Hou

Addresses: Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, # 9, Block 4, Renminnan RD, P.O. Box 417, Chengdu 610041, China. ' Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing RD, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085, China

Abstract: Growing concerns about water eutrophication made it imperative to control phosphorus (P) losses from agricultural soil to water. A Quantity-Intensity (Q-I) relationship that reflects the potential of soil P release to water was developed on the calcareous purple soil in southwestern China. Results showed that a change point appeared at 30 mg kg⁻¹ for Olsen-P and 22 mg kg⁻¹ for iron-oxide impregnated strips extracted P (FeO-P), respectively, on the curve of CaCl₂-P against soil test P (STP). Above the change point, the P release was much more rapid with the increase of STP. Therefore, a threshold in STP was derived to support P source management practices on the soil.

Keywords: calcareous purple soil; soil phosphorus; change point; release risk; China; water eutrophication; agricultural soils; environmental pollution; water pollution; water quality.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2010.031755

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2010 Vol.40 No.4, pp.351 - 362

Published online: 23 Feb 2010 *

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