Comparative risk assessment of phosphorus loss from “deep phosphorus stocks” in floodplain subsoils to surface waters

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) loss from soil may trigger freshwater eutrophication and endanger supply with drinking water regionally. The present paper aims at encouraging discussion and development of sophisticated strategies for risk assessment of P loss from soils of riparian buffer zones (RBZ) as a prerequisite for targeted and effective mitigation of such P losses and their effects on freshwater eutrophication. We use data from a case study on RBZ soils in Germany to compare the performance of different environmental indicators of a risk for P loss from soil. Our data suggest that RBZ soils are temporarily sinks or sources for P. The spatial hotspots of P loss are the topsoils and the deep P stocks (labile P enriched in RBZ subsoils below on average 87.5 cm depth). We discuss four aspects to be considered conceptually and methodologically in the assessment of a risk for P loss from RBZ soils: (1) spatial heterogeneity and spatial bias; (2) temporal heterogeneity and temporal bias; (3) conceptual bias caused by different dynamics of individual P fractions; and (4) adequacy of threshold values. To minimize bias, we propose to assess risk for P loss from RBZ soils using a geospatial, temporally resolved sampling strategy, site-specific or regional threshold values, and a P fractionation approach. For this purpose, we introduce PdHCl as a risk indicator, which is not susceptible to very short-term dynamics (in contrast to water-soluble P).