Increasing phosphorus availability and dynamics enhance soil organic carbon and its sub-pools sequestration as consequence of phosphorus inputs
摘要
P inputs increased global soil TP, AP, and SOC by 41%, 114%, and 11%, respectively. SOC increase was more pronounced in farmlands, which was closely tied to P input level. Soil labile and stable C forms declined when P input exceeded a critical threshold. Benefit of P input on SOC and its sub-pools were strongly correlated with soil P status.
Understanding the effects of phosphorus (P) inputs on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and their links with soil P dynamics is crucial for stabilizing food production and achieving the goal of C neutrality. To explore this, a global meta-analysis and a multi-year field experiment were conducted synchronously. The global dataset encompassing 352 paired observations indicated that P inputs significantly increased soil total P, available P, and SOC contents by 40.6%, 114.7%, and 10.6%, respectively, compared with the control. Increase of SOC was more pronounced in farmlands than in grasslands and forests, with the effects closely tied to P input levels. Meanwhile, field-based study showed that P inputs significantly increased paddy SOC accumulation, while excessive input weakened the benefit. Increased SOC accumulation was accompanied by an increase in most its sub-pools such as particulate organic C and microbial biomass C. These sub-pools notably declined when P input exceeded a critical threshold. The benefits in SOC and its sub-pools were strongly correlated with shifts in soil P availability, microbial biomass P, and phosphatase activity. These findings highlight the significance of P availability and dynamics in SOC accumulation and emphasize the need to define optimal P input thresholds to enhance SOC sequestration.