Phosphorus Sorption by Purple Soils in Relation to Their Properties: Investigation, Characterization, and Explanation

Bo Tan, N. J. Barrow, Longguo Li, Ping Zhou () and Wenhua Zhuang ()
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Bo Tan: State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Water Resource & Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
N. J. Barrow: School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
Longguo Li: State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Water Resource & Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Ping Zhou: Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Ministry of Water Conservancy, Chengdu 610041, China
Wenhua Zhuang: State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Water Resource & Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: Improved soil phosphorus (P) management can be achieved through an understanding of regional soil–P interactions and their relation to soil properties. To this end, soil samples from different use types (paddy soils, dry farmland soils, forest soils, and urban green land soils) were collected from 10 sites across the west to the east of Sichuan Basin, China. These samples were analyzed to determine their P sorption properties and physical and chemical compositions. P sorption was described using a modified Freundlich equation. The results demonstrated a gradient in P sorption within the basin, characterized by higher values in urban areas and a west-to-east decrease trend, along with the null-point values of soil sorption–desorption equilibrium. This variation was linked to the extensive use of P fertilizer, which altered soil particle surface conditions and significantly reduced both the quantity and rate of subsequent fertilizer sorption. Furthermore, P sorption was found to be correlated with the soil clay fraction, amorphous aluminum oxides, and soil organic matter contents. Urban expansion and accelerated erosion of productive agricultural land increase mean soil particle size and may decrease soil P holding and retention capacity. As preliminary deterioration in soil properties was found, conservative soil management is needed to address the potential threats of soil degradation in the central Sichuan Basin.

Keywords: phosphorus; sorption; soil properties; Freundlich model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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