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Total and Labile Phosphorus Concentrations as Influenced by Riparian Buffer Soil Properties
Author(s) -
Young Eric O.,
Ross Donald S.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2015.07.0345
Subject(s) - phosphorus , riparian buffer , buffer (optical fiber) , environmental chemistry , riparian zone , chemistry , environmental science , agronomy , ecology , biology , organic chemistry , habitat , telecommunications , computer science
Riparian buffers can act as a phosphorus (P) source under active stream bank erosion. Using soil and landscape variables (soil series, drainage class, organic matter, and pH) to index P concentrations could improve P loss risk tools for buffers. The objectives of this study were (i) to determine if soil properties could predict total and labile P concentrations within a 10‐ha riparian buffer and (ii) to quantify the degree of spatial dependence of P and related properties. Soil samples were taken in 15‐cm increments to a depth of 60 cm using a grid ( n = 71) from an established riparian buffer along the Rock River in Vermont. Total soil P (TP), plant‐available P determined by Modified Morgan extraction (MM‐P), pH, soil organic matter (SOM), soil texture, and select cations were measured. We found that TP (152–1536 mg P kg −1 ) and MM‐P (0.4–14.6 mg kg −1 ) ranged widely, with distinct differences between soil series. Mean TP and MM‐P were greater in alluvial and glaciolacustrine soils compared with glacial till. Across all samples, MM‐P was weakly related to soil properties; however, total labile P (orthophosphate + organic P measured by ICP) and unreactive labile P (ICP‐P − colorimetric‐P) could both be predicted by SOM ( R 2 = 0.59 and 0.73, respectively). Strong spatial dependence was found for P and related properties as revealed by geospatial analyses. Results show that P availability in the buffer was strongly related to soil genesis and support site‐specific approaches for P loss risk evaluation in buffers. Core Ideas Riparian P loss models use soil P as an input, but extant data are rare. Total and labile P varied significantly among soil series mapped in the buffer. Soil organic matter predicted the amount of total labile and organic P. Results indicate improved soil maps could be used to index soil P at the sites studied.