Journal article
Leaf-litter application to a sandy soil modifies phosphorus leaching over the wet season of southwestern Australia
Hydrobiologia, Vol.545(1), pp.33-44
2005
Abstract
Nutrient leaching is a critical step in terrestrial litter turnover, and is potentially linked to nutrient cycling in downstream wetlands. Little is known about the leaching behaviour and P loading from terrestrial litter under conditions of winter rainfall in southwestern Australia. In this study, leaf litter of flooded gum (Eucalyptus rudis Endl.), a species common in southwestern Australia, was exposed for leaching under winter rainfall. Litter P was leached primarily during the first few weeks of the wet season, and the ‘first flush’ generating a mean P load of 114.7 mg m−2 from the litter. Thereafter the P leached decreased progressively with the progress of the wet season. Overall, P leaching was correlated with rain intensity, with 84.1% of litter P leached over the wet season May to November. When litter was applied to a bare, sandy soil and then subjected to rain leaching, more P was leached during the ‘first flush’ compared with the data from ‘litter only’ leaching, but a portion of P released from litter and soil appeared to be retained through litter–soil interactions. Litter application to soil surface and via surficial burial reduced leachate P by 25.2–29.5% and 28.6–38.6%, equivalent to a P retention of 75 and 81 mg P m−2, for surface application (10 cm soil) and surficial burial (5 cm soil), respectively. The P retention was attributed to increased microbial immobilisation, supported by increased nutrient flux from litter.
Details
- Title
- Leaf-litter application to a sandy soil modifies phosphorus leaching over the wet season of southwestern Australia
- Authors/Creators
- S. Qiu (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityA. McComb (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityR.W. Bell (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityJ.A. Davis (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
- Publication Details
- Hydrobiologia, Vol.545(1), pp.33-44
- Publisher
- Kluwer Academic Publishers
- Identifiers
- 991005541534207891
- Copyright
- 2005 Springer
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Environmental Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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Source: InCites
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- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.45 Soil Science
- 3.45.112 Soil Carbon Dynamics
- Web Of Science research areas
- Marine & Freshwater Biology
- ESI research areas
- Plant & Animal Science