Changes in the chemistry of soil solution and acetic-acid extractable P following different types of freeze/thaw episodes

Freezing significantly influences the amount and chemical form of extractable soil phosphorus and, therefore, has important consequences regarding plant nutrient availability. Much of the current evidence relies on field-based observations and tends to be rather contradictory. The present work reports the specific effects various freezing episodes have on phosphorus availability. Experimental treatments included the freezing rate and the time soil remained frozen together with the number of freeze/thaw cycles. These laboratory incubations used two soils, an iron humus podzol and a peaty podzol, sub-samples of which were equilibrated at three different soil-moisture contents. Concentrations of phosphorus in soil solutions and acetic acid extracts (Ac-P) were measured. Freezing had the greatest effect on the organic (Op) horizon of the peaty podzol, where the amounts of total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) and Ac-P increased from 0.58 to 3.21 and from 11.8 to 19.3 mg P kg^?1, respectively. TDP in soil solution was subdivided into three broad categories, dissolved (molybdate) reactive (MRP), organic (DOP) and condensed (DCP). The rather variable effect that freeze/thaw episodes had on these fractions highlighted the problems associated with attributing the ‘freezing effect’ to any single process.