| Abstract: | The amounts and distribution of organic phosphorus in profiles from several soil orders commonly occurring in the tropics have been determined. Organic phosphorus was found to decrease with depth, except in a few profiles where the maximum tended to occur in the second horizon. This was attributed to soil erosion due to wind and water, which had carried away most of the original A horizon. Poor vegetative growth and the effect of seasonal burning of the natural grassland were also considered to be contributing factors in the higher amounts of organic phosphorus in the second horizon of some profiles.The distribution of the organic phosphorus in the profiles is considered to be a function of climate, vegetation and the parent material. The C/P ratio differed from order to order and within profiles, suggesting that the humic material could affect the content and nature of the organic P fraction and that it is thus possible that the chemical form of the organic phosphorus is not the same in all of the profiles. |
