Silicate chemical weathering disrupts the global patterns of phosphorus limitation

Chaojun Li, Xi Lu, Jingan Chen, Qiu Tan, Guangjie Luo, Luhua Wu, Fei Chen, Chen Ran, Sirui Zhang, Lian Xiong, Chaochao Du, Fengjiao Song, Biqin Xiao, Zilin Li, Yingying Xue, Mingkang Long and Xiaoyong Bai ()
Additional contact information
Chaojun Li: Guizhou University
Xi Lu: Tsinghua University, State Key Laboratory of Regional Environment and Sustainability, School of Environment
Jingan Chen: Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry
Qiu Tan: Guizhou Normal University, School of Geography and Environmental Sciences
Guangjie Luo: Guizhou Education University, Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic State Monitoring of Watershed
Luhua Wu: Tongren University, School of Economics and Management
Fei Chen: Guizhou University
Chen Ran: Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry
Sirui Zhang: Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry
Lian Xiong: Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry
Chaochao Du: Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry
Fengjiao Song: Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry
Biqin Xiao: Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry
Zilin Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry
Yingying Xue: Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry
Mingkang Long: Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry
Xiaoyong Bai: Guizhou University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Global change is accelerating the chemical weathering of silicate rocks and the associated phosphorus release. However, the effects of phosphorus release on the global patterns of plant phosphorus limitation remain unclear. Here, we show that approximately 47% of the exposed areas in global silicate rocks are subject to phosphorus limitation of vegetation growth, as estimated using the ratio of leaf nitrogen to phosphorus resorption efficiency. Phosphorus-limited areas are projected to expand markedly with global warming, and the proportion may reach 54 − 59% according to two model scenarios (the shared socioeconomic pathways SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). Nevertheless, phosphorus release from accelerated chemical weathering of silicate rocks mitigates this limitation, with a relative contribution of approximately 15.5%. This work highlights the implications of accelerated chemical weathering of silicate rocks and its resulting phosphorus release for the global patterns of phosphorus limitation, providing a scientific foundation for phosphorus management strategies.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-65773-1 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-65773-1

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65773-1

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().