Phosphorus biogeochemistry across a precipitation gradient in grasslands of central North America

Soil P transformations and distribution studies under water limited conditions that characterize many grasslands may provide further insight into the importance of abiotic and biotic P controls within grass-dominated ecosystems. We assessed transformations between P pools across four sites spanning the shortgrass steppe, mixed grass prairie, and tallgrass prairie along a 400-mm precipitation gradient across the central Great Plains. Pedon total elemental and constituent mass balance analyses reflected a pattern of increased chemical weathering from the more arid shortgrass steppe to the more mesic tallgrass prairie. Soil surface A horizon P accumulation was likely related to increased biocycling and biological mining....

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Journal Citation; Tags: Journal of Arid Environments, grassland ecosystems, phosphorus biogeochemistry, sequential phosphorus extraction, soil weathering