Critical Olsen P and CaCl2‐P levels as related to soil properties: results from micropot experiments

The usefulness of soil phosphorus (P) tests used in routine soil analyses is limited by the fact that a single measurement cannot encompass all P‐related factors potentially affecting plant performance. In this work, we performed micropot (15 mL) experiments to test the hypothesis that the predictive value of two common soil P tests (Olsen P and CaCl₂‐P) can be improved by considering properties commonly measured in laboratory analyses. Forty‐nine sets of soils ranging widely in properties were used for this purpose, each set consisting of samples with similar properties but differing in P status. Ryegrass and turnip were grown in a chamber for 30 days in two separate experiments and their yields at harvest recorded. The critical Olsen P and CaCl₂‐P levels, which were taken to be those corresponding to 95% asymptotic yield as calculated from data fitted to a Mitscherlich equation, were greater for turnip than for ryegrass, probably as a result of the difference in yield (49 and 160 mg dry matter/micropot on average for ryegrass and turnip, respectively) and hence in P requirements between the two species. Critical Olsen P spanned narrower ranges than critical CaCl₂‐P in both crops and is therefore seemingly the more robust of the two tests. Both critical P values exhibited moderate correlations with soil properties. Thus, critical Olsen P was (a) lower in soils with a medium pH – which is consistent with the fact that the bicarbonate solution method tends to overestimate plant‐available P in strongly acid and calcareous soils; (b) positively correlated with pH and carbonate content in calcareous soils; and (c) uncorrelated with soil properties in noncalcareous soils. On the other hand, critical CaCl₂‐P in some soil groups was negatively correlated with some properties increasing the P buffering capacity of soil (e.g. Fe oxide content). Taken together, our results suggest that routinely measured soil properties help to predict critical Olsen P better than critical CaCl₂‐P.     

不同农业土壤中有效磷的变化与磷平衡的关系

Maintaining soil phosphorus(P) at adequate levels for plant growth requires assessing how the long-term P balance(viz., the difference between P inputs and outputs) results in changes in soil test P. The hypothesis that routinely measured soil properties can help predict the conversion factor of P balance into Olsen P was tested at 39 sites in agricultural areas of the Mediterranean region in Spain. A set of soil samples from each site was analyzed for Olsen P, inorganic P(P extracted using 0.5 mol L~(-1) H_2SO_4), pseudototal P(P extracted using 0.5 mol L~(-1) H_2SO_4 following ignition at 550℃), and organic P(the difference between pseudototal P and inorganic P). Organic and Olsen P were uncorrelated in most of the 39 soil sets, which suggests that organic P content changed little with P inputs and outputs. The slopes of the regression lines of Olsen P against pseudototal and inorganic P, which were used as two different measures of the conversion factor, ranged widely(from 0.03 to 0.25 approximately), with their average values(about 0.10) being similar to those found in long-term experiments conducted in temperate areas. Neither conversion factor was significantly correlated with any routinely measured soil property; however, the conversion factor for inorganic P was significantly lower for calcareous soils than for noncalcareous soils. Our negative results suggest the need to isolate the influence of soil properties from that of management systems and environmental factors relating to P dynamics in future studies.     

Assessing the depletion of soil P following sequential extractions with Mehlich-3 and Olsen solutions

We analyzed in soils with contrasting cultivation histories the depletion of P following sequential extractions with soil testing solutions. Soil samples were collected in three experiments in eastern Canada (L’Acadie, Lévis, and Normandin) and P was sequentially extracted 16 times, once daily, using Mehlich-3 (M3) or Olsen (Ol) solution. The cumulative amount of P extracted was 252 mg P_M3 kg^?1 and 77 mg kg^?1 P_Ol for L’Acadie, 212 mg P_M3 kg^?1 and 66 mg P_Ol kg^?1 for Lévis, and 424 mg P_M3 kg^?1 and 83 mg P_Ol kg^?1 for Normandin. The depletion of P was described by a logarithmic function (Y = a ln (N) + b) for P_M3, and a power function (Y = αN^β) for P_Ol. The inorganic P pool decreased in the three soils. The organic P pool did not decrease possibly because soil testing solutions did not directly extract P from this pool. This study demonstrated that laboratory soil testing analysis using M3 or Ol solution principally target P from the inorganic pool, suggesting that P fertilizer recommendations to mineral soils relying on these methods do not account for the potential of the organic P pool to contribute to soil P availability.     

不同轮作模式农田磷养分表观平衡及其对土壤Olsen-P含量的影响

通过连续3年监测上海郊区43块定位农田研究,比较了50种作物以及5种不同轮作模式农田的磷养分表观盈余状况及其对土壤Olsen-P含量的影响。结果表明:(1)不同作物农田的磷养分盈余趋势为水生蔬菜类果树类旱作蔬菜≥草皮大田作物;不同轮作模式农田磷养分盈余趋势为菜菜轮作果树单作菜作轮作草皮单作作物轮作;(2)不同作物及轮作农田收获后土壤Olsen-P含量随土壤深度的增加而逐渐降低,磷养分盈余量多的农田土壤Olsen-P含量也高;(3)不同作物以及轮作农田磷养分盈余与收获时土壤表层(0~30cm)的Olsen-P含量呈显著正相关。     

The effect of soil flooding on the transformation of Fe oxides and the adsorption/desorption behavior of phosphate

As repeatedly reported, soil flooding improves the availability of P to rice. This is in contrast with an increased P sorption in paddy soils. The effects of soil flooding on the transformation of Fe oxides and the adsorption/desorption of P of two paddy soils of Zhejiang Province in Southeast‐China were studied in anaerobic incubation experiments (submerging with water in N₂ atmosphere). Soil flooding significantly increased oxalate‐extractable Fe (Fe_ox), mainly at the expense of dithionite‐soluble Fe (Fe_DCB), as well as oxalate‐extractable P (P_ox), but decreased the ratio of P_ox/Fe_ox. Flooding largely increased both, P adsorption and the maximum P adsorption capacity. The majority of newly sorbed P in the soils was P_ox, but also more newly retained P was found to be not extractable by oxalate. Flooding also changed the characteristics of P desorption in the soils. Due to a decrease of the saturation index of the P sorption capacity, P adsorbed by flooded soils was much less desorbable than that from non‐flooded soils. There are obviously significant differences in the nature of both, the Fe_ox and P_ox fractions under non‐flooded and flooded conditions. The degree of the changes in Fe_ox, P_ox, P adsorption and P desorption by flooding depended on the contents of amorphous and total Fe oxides in non‐flooded soils. Our results confirm that the adsorption and desorption behavior of P in paddy soils is largely controlled by the transformation of the Fe oxides. The reasons of the often‐reported improved P availability to rice induced by flooding, in spite of the unfavorable effect on P desorbability, are discussed.     

Determining the optimum range of soil Olsen P for high P use efficiency, crop yield, and soil fertility in three typical cropland soils

Soil Olsen P level has a major influence on crop yield, efficient P utilization, and soil fertility. In this study, the optimum Olsen P range was determined from long-term (1990-2012) field experiments in three typical soil types of China under single cropping of maize or double cropping of maize and wheat. The critical soil Olsen P value for crop yield was evaluated using three different models, and the relationships among P use efficiency (PUE), Olsen P, and total P were analyzed. The agronomic critical soil Olsen P values obtained from the three models for the neutral soil of Gongzhuling and the calcareous soil of Zhengzhou were similar; however, the values from the linear-linear and linear-plateau models for both maize and wheat were substantially lower than those from the Mitscherlich model for the acidic soil of Qiyang. The PUE response change rates (linear equation slopes) under different soil Olsen P levels were small, indicating slight or no changes in the PUE as the soil Olsen P increased in all three soils. A comparison of the Olsen P levels that achieved the maximal PUE with the agronomic critical values derived from the three models indicated that the linear-plateau model exhibited the best performance. The regression equation coefficients of Olsen P response to total P decreased as follows:Zhengzhou (73 mg g^-1) > Qiyang (65 mg g^-1) > Gongzhuling (55 mg g^-1). The Olsen P level increased as the total P increased, which may result in a decrease in PUE. To achieve a relatively high crop yield, PUE, and soil fertility, the optimum Olsen P range should be 13-40, 10-40, and 29-40 mg kg^-1 at Gongzhuling, Zhengzhou, and Qiyang, respectively.     

Soil P fractions in a volcanic soil chronosequence of Central Mexico and their relationship to foliar P in pine trees

Phosphorus (P) is a major plant nutrient, however, its availability in volcanic ash soils is presumed to be small, due to its specific sorption on short‐range order minerals. We analyzed distinct P fractions in volcanic ash soils of different age (60 to > 100,000 y BP) under pine forests in Central Mexico to investigate their changes along a chronosequence of Regosols, Andosols, and Lixisols, and to evaluate if P availability limits tree growth at any particular stage. Top soil and subsoil samples were first analyzed by the Tiessen and Moir method, which failed to extract exhaustively “organic” and “occluded P”, and “P associated with apatite”. Therefore, we modified the fractionation scheme by including a “recalcitrant organic P” fraction obtained from the difference between P determined in air‐dried subsamples and subsamples burned at 300°C; P adsorbed to short‐range order minerals was assessed in an extraction with NH₄‐oxalate, and P in primary minerals by subtracting the sum of all other fractions from total P contents determined by XRF. This we did after discovering that primary P occurred in the form of fluorapatite included in plagioclase, volcanic glass or olivine. We also measured P contents in pine needles and related these with the “mobile soil P” fractions. The results show that “organic P” reaches maximum contents in 10,000‐y old soil, as does P associated with short‐range order minerals, while P occluded into crystalline oxides increases constantly over time. After 100,000 y, 31% of total P still remains in the form of primary P in A horizons. “Mobile P” was constant > 40 mg kg^?1 in Regosols and Andosols and related positively with foliar P contents, which were within adequate nutritional ranges. Only in Lixisols small “mobile P” concentrations in soil correspond with inadequate P contents in pine needles.     

Plant‐available soil phosphorus. Part I: the response of winter wheat and spring barley to Olsen P on a silty clay loam

Increasing fertilizer costs have prompted farmers to ask whether soils could be maintained at lower levels of plant‐available phosphorus (Olsen P) than currently recommended without losing yield. To help answer this question, we assessed the response to Olsen P by spring barley grown from 1986 to 1991, followed by winter wheat from 1992 to 2008, on a silty clay loam soil. Each year the curve relating grain yield to Olsen P was fitted statistically to determine the asymptotic yield and the Olsen P associated with 98% of that yield, that is, the critical level of Olsen P. The variance accounted for by the relationship ranged between 83 and 97% in all but two years, suggesting that the availability of soil P was the major soil factor affecting yield and that Olsen P was a reliable measure of plant‐available P in soil. Asymptotic annual yield of spring barley ranged from 2.34 to 7.12 t/ha and of winter wheat from 3.87 to 10.36 t/ha. In part, this range in yields was because of changes in the cultivar grown while the range of yields for any one cultivar was probably due to differences in weather, principally rainfall, between years. Critical Olsen P ranged from 7 to 18 mg/kg for both cereal crops (with one outlier at 26 mg/kg for winter wheat) most probably due to seedbed and soil structure conditions affecting root growth, and thus acquisition of available soil P, and the way these soil factors were affected by weather. Thus, a general recommendation for cereals grown on this silty clay loam, which is comparatively easy to cultivate, would be to maintain Olsen P at about 20 mg/kg in the plough layer to minimize the risk of losing yield in some years. This value, 20 mg/kg, equivalent to 20 mg/L, is the midpoint of P Index 2, the recommended P Index given in the Fertiliser Manual (RB209) (Defra 2010) for soils growing arable crops and grass in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.     

Plant‐available soil phosphorus. Part II: the response of arable crops to Olsen P on a sandy clay loam and a silty clay loam

The increasing cost of fertilizer has prompted farmers to ask whether soils could be maintained at lower levels of plant‐available phosphorus (Olsen P) than currently recommended, without limiting yield. To help answer this question, critical levels of Olsen P have been determined for spring barley, winter wheat, potatoes and sugar beet grown on a sandy clay loam and a poorly structured heavy textured silty clay loam. On each soil, there were plots with a range of well‐established levels of Olsen P and, in one experiment, two levels of soil organic matter (SOM). For each crop and each year, the response curve relating yield to Olsen P was fitted statistically to determine the asymptotic yield and the Olsen P associated with 98% of that yield, that is, the critical Olsen P. Maximum yield of all four crops varied greatly from year to year, in part due to applied nitrogen (N) where it was tested, and in part to seasonal variation in weather, mainly rainfall. The wide range in critical Olsen P, from 8 to 36 mg/kg, between years was most probably as a result of differences in soil conditions that affected root growth and thus acquisition of available soil phosphorus (P). Generally, a larger asymptotic yield was not necessarily associated with a larger critical Olsen P. Spring barley and winter wheat given little N required more Olsen P, 20–34 mg/kg, to achieve the asymptotic yield, compared to 10–17 mg/kg where ample N was given; presumably, more roots were needed to search the soil for the smaller amounts of available N and root growth is affected by the amount of plant‐available soil P. In a field experiment on one soil type, soil with little SOM required 2–3.5 times more Olsen P to produce the same yield as that on soil with more organic matter. Soil organic matter most probably improved soil structure and hence the ability of roots to grow and search for nutrients in field conditions because when these soils were cropped with ryegrass in controlled conditions in the glasshouse, the yields of grass were independent of SOM and there was the same critical Olsen P for both soils. Overall, the data confirm that, for these soil types, the current recommendations for Olsen P for arable crops in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are appropriate.     

Comparisons of soil test phosphorus by Olsen,Bray P1, Mehlich I and Mehlich III methods

Abstract

A study was undertaken to evaluate the agreement among different university laboratories performing the Olsen, Bray P1, and Mehlich I tests for P on a diverse group of noncalcareous agricultural soils and to develop relationships among the Olsen, Bray P1, Mehlich I, and Mehlich III soil tests. For each test, the results from the individual laboratories were highly correlated (r² ≥ 0.90) and in almost all instances the slopes of the equations describing the relationships among laboratories approached one, The results indicate that the Olsen, Bray P1 and Mehlich I soil tests may be performed with a high degree of precision when standard soil test procedures are followed.

Of the three most commonly performed tests in the U.S. (Olsen, Bray P1, and Mehlich I), the Olsen and Mehlich I tests were the most highly correlated (r² = 0.87) although the Mehlich I test removed approximately one and one half times more P than did the Olsen test. Bray P1 and Olsen and Mehlich I P were less highly correlated (r² ≤ 0.72) and the relationships between these variables were influenced by the texture of the soils. The quantity of P removed by the Bray P1 test was on the order of two and three times greater than that removed by the Olsen and Mehlich I tests, respectively. The Bray P1 and Mehlich III soil tests were highly correlated (r² = 0.97) and similar quantities of P were extracted from the soil by the two tests.     

Transformation kinetics of inorganic P forms in relation to calcareous soil properties of western Iran

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of time on chemical forms of P in 10 calcareous soils of western Iran. Phosphorus was added to soils at the rate of 200 mg kg^?1 as KH₂PO₄. The samples were incubated for 1, 7, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 days at 25°C and constant moisture. After incubation, P was fractionated by the sequential extraction procedure: soluble and exchangeable P (NaHCO₃-P) Al + Fe-P (NaOH-P), Ca-P (HCl-P) and residual P (Res-P). The distribution of added P into different fractions consisted of two phases involving initial rapid retention followed by a slow continuous retention. In general, the majority of the P applied entered mostly in the HCl-P and Res-P fractions. After 120 days incubation, the HCl-P fraction remained the most dominant in all soils. A combination of silt and sand content of the soils together explained between 88.5 and 83.3% of the variance inNaHCO₃-P and HCl-P transformation rates, respectively, 76.6 and 72.8% of which is explained by silt alone. CaCl₂-P and electrical conductivity (EC) together accounted for 66.3% of the variation in the rate constant of NaOH-P. The release rate of Res-P was not significantly related to soil properties.     

Determining the longer term decline in plant‐available soil phosphorus from short‐term measured values

Once phosphorus (P) applications stop, it is important to know how long it will take for plant‐available P in soil to decline to a particular level for soils with a history of intensive management. The rate of decline in the absence of applied P can be expressed as a half‐life, that is the time in years for it to halve relative to the lowest level measured in the soil. This knowledge is essential when planning long‐term policies for managing the P status of soils. It is important to farmers who wish to optimize applications of P fertilizers and make better use of accumulated P residues to ensure that plant‐available P does not fall below the critical level for the soil and crop because of the risk of losing yield and the inefficient use of other inputs, especially N fertilizer. Lower levels of plant‐available P are also desirable for environmental and ecological reasons. Allowing plant‐available P to decline to the critical level from unnecessarily high concentrations will reduce the risk from P on eroded soil causing adverse effects of eutrophication in surface water. Low levels of plant‐available P are usually considered necessary for establishing species‐rich grassland. A method for determining the longer term decline in plant‐available soil P from short‐term measured values is presented.     

Assessing the effectiveness of manure export plus intensive silage cropping for lowering the Olsen‐P status of P‐enriched grassland

A substantial proportion of farmed grassland soils in Northern Ireland (NI) are overly enriched with P and pose a risk to water quality. To address this problem, manure could be exported rather than recycled to P‐enriched land and the latter intensively cropped with grass silage to deplete soil P. To assess the efficacy of such a strategy, a P‐ and K‐enriched grassland site was intensively cropped over a 6‐yr period with fertilizer N alone supplied to support silage growth. By year 6, soil P had declined from index 5 to index 3, and it was estimated that two more years of this management may bring it into the target index 2 range. Soil K, however, declined rapidly from index 4 to index 1 in just 4 yr, with the result that grass production became limited by K deficiency. It was concluded that nonrecycling of manure to P‐enriched grassland under silage management is probably the most effective strategy for lowering soil P status, but care must be taken to prevent K deficiency occurring.     

Simultaneous extraction of P and K from IOWA soils with bray 1 solution containing NH4Cl

Abstract

The effects of combining the Bray 1 extracting solution with ammonium chloride (NH₄C1) for simultaneous extraction of P and K were studied in several experiments. For pooled data from the experiments in which the Bray 1 solution containing 0.5 mol L^‐1 NH₄C1 was used, the relationship between the amounts of P and K extracted by the combined solution (P_C and K_C)and the amounts extracted separately by Bray 1 (P_R) and 1 N neutral NH₄OAc (K_R) are given by P_C = 2 + 0.906 P_R, r = 0.988 and K_c = 14 + 1.033 K_R, r = 0.944. Variations were observed in different experiments when the concentration of NH₄C1 and the conditions of the experiment were varied.     

Phosphorus Availability in Low-P and Acidic Soils as Affected by Liming and P Addition

Acidic soils typically suffer from high phosphorus (P) retention, a problem that can be dealt with using greater P fertilization, soil liming, or both. The aim of this work was to examine which of these practices bears the more beneficial result for Lolium perenne L. growth. In a pot experiment, five acidic soils were treated as follows: L0P0 (unamended control), L1P0 (liming only), L0P1 (P addition only), and L1P1 (both liming and P addition). We found that P amendment alone was sufficient to increase plant P levels when the initial soil P concentrations were low. Liming without P addition increased plant P satisfactorily only in the high-P soil. We conclude that P addition alone is a better practice than liming alone for improved plant growth conditions in acidic, low-P soils, unless there is relatively high P content in soil, in which case liming alone may be sufficient to increase P availability.     

Relation between soil P test values and mobilization of dissolved and particulate P from the plough layer of typical Danish soils from a long‐term field experiment with applied P fertilizers

Accumulation of phosphorus (P) in agricultural topsoils can contribute to leaching of P which may cause eutrophication of surface waters. An understanding of P mobilization processes in the plough layer is needed to improve agricultural management strategies. We compare leaching of total dissolved and particulate P through the plough layer of a typical Danish sandy loam soil subjected to three different P fertilizer regimes in a long‐term field experiment established in 1975. The leaching experiment used intact soil columns (20 cm diameter, 20 cm high) during unsaturated conditions. The three soils had small to moderate labile P contents, expressed by water‐extractable P (3.6–10.7 mg/kg), Olsen P (11–28 mg/kg) and degree of P saturation (DPS) (25–34%). Mobilization of total dissolved P (TDP) increased significantly (P < 0.05) from the intact soil columns with increasing labile P, whereas the increase in particulate P (PP) with increasing labile P content was modest and statistically insignificant. We found concentrations up to 1.5 mg TP/L for the plough layer of this typical Danish sandy loam soil. This highlights that even a moderate labile P content can be a potential source of TDP from the plough layer, and that a lower concentration margin of optimum agronomic P levels should be considered.     

Cypermethrin persistence and soil properties as affected by long-term fertilizer management

Abstract

Little is known about the effects of long-term fertilization on pesticide persistence. A long-term field experiment was thus conducted to study the influence of fertilization on soil physicochemical properties, microbial biomass carbon, microbial quotient, enzyme activities, and cypermethrin dissipation. Five fertilization treatments were arranged: organic manure (OM), NPK fertilizer, PK fertilizer, NK fertilizer, and no fertilizer (control). Soil organic C, N, P contents and enzymatic activities were higher in soils with balanced fertilization as opposed to those with unbalanced fertilization, especially fertilization with organic manure. The longest half-life of cypermethrin was in the NK treatment (15.1 d), the least in the PK treatment (9.6 d). Pesticide dissipation in non-sterilized and sterilized soils showed that changes of cypermethrin persistence were caused by biodegradation. Soil N/P ratio (ratio of soil-available N to available P) and available N content positively correlated with half-life (p<0.05), and could limit cypermethrin dissipation greatly. These results indicate that in agricultural practice, oversupplying N should not be advocated. P application may be an efficient way to decrease N/P ratio and enhance cypermethrin dissipation in soil with high available N content. Based on a comprehensive consideration of soil fertility, crop yield, and environment, a mixed application of organic manure and inorganic fertilizers is recommended in the region, although balanced fertilization results in slower cypermethrin dissipation than does N-deficiency treatment.     

Recovery of phosphorus fertilizer in potato as affected by application strategy and soil type

Phosphorus (P) fertilizers are usually supplied prior to or at planting of potato even though most P is taken up 40 to 80 d after emergence. This may lead to inefficient P use as a result of P leaching or fixation in the soil. This study evaluates the effects of split P application at multiple times during the growth period according to the plant's need for P. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Ditta) was grown in pots in climate chambers, and radioactive ³²P isotope was used to distinguish between the fertilizer and soil‐derived P sources. Two soils were tested in combination with five application rates of P, and the plants were harvested at four dates. The results show that the recovery of P fertilizer can be significantly enhanced if the P supply is split. The result also showed that the proportion of soil‐derived P, accumulated in the plant, was significantly reduced both when more fertilizer P was applied to the soil and when P supply was split into several applications. The positive effects of multiple P applications on the P recovery were greatest in the soil with low P status and low buffer capacity.     

Microbial processes controlling P availability in forest spodosols as affected by soil depth and soil properties

Because carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration is rising, increases in plant biomass and productivity of terrestrial ecosystems are expected. However, phosphorus (P) unavailability may disable any potential enhanced growth of plants in forest ecosystems. In response to P scarcity under elevated CO₂, trees may mine deeper the soil to take up more nutrients. In this scope, the ability of deep horizons of forest soils to supply available P to the trees has to be evaluated. The main objective of the present study was to quantify the relative contribution of topsoil horizons and deep horizons to P availability through processes governed by the activity of soil micro-organisms. Since soil properties vary with soil depth, one can therefore assume that the role of microbial processes governing P availability differs between soil layers. More specifically, our initial hypothesis was that deeper soil horizons could substantially contribute to total plant available P in forested ecosystems and that such contribution of deep horizons differs among sites (due to contrasting soil properties). To test this hypothesis, we quantified microbial P and mineralization of P in ‘dead’ soil organic matter to a depth of 120 cm in forest soils contrasting in soil organic matter, soil moisture and aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) oxides. We also quantified microbiological activity and acid phosphomonoesterase activity. Results showed that the role of microbial processes generally decreases with increasing soil depth. However, the relative contribution of surface (litter and 0–30 cm) and deep (30–120 cm) soil layers to the stocks of available P through microbial processes (51–62 kg P ha^?1) are affected by several soil properties, and the contribution of deep soil layers to these stocks vary between sites (from 29 to 59%). This shows that subsoils should be taken into account when studying the microbial processes governing P availability in forest ecosystems. For the studied soils, microbial P and mineralization of P in ‘dead’ soil organic matter particularly depended on soil organic matter content, soil moisture and, to a minor extent, Al oxides. High Al oxide contents in some sites or in deep soil layers probably result in the stabilization of soil organic compounds thus reducing microbiological activity and mineralization rates. The mineralization process in the litter also appeared to be P-limited and depended on the C:P ratio of soil organic matter. Thus, this study highlighted the effects of soil depth and soil properties on the microbial processes governing P availability in the forest spodosols.