Some properties of a chrono-toposequence of soils from granite in new Zealand, 2. forms and amounts of phosphorus

Abstract

The loss of total and organic phosphorus and the transformations of inorganic phosphorus fractions were investigated in a chrono-toposequence of strongly weathered and leached soils formed from granite. Over 80% of the total phosphorus originally present was lost from the system during the period of soil development studied. Non-occluded and occluded phosphorus showed a regular, and residual phosphorus an irregular, overall decline in absolute profile quantity with increasing soil development (i.e. increasing weathering and leaching). The proportion of non-occluded phosphorus in the profile declined asymptotically whereas residual phosphorus increased conversely to non-occluded phosphorus and ranged from 58% to 72% of total inorganic phosphorus in the most strongly developed profiles. Proportions of occluded phosphorus increased with increasing soil development. The relative rates of decline of the inorganic phosphorus fractions and forms were shown to be in the order: acid-extractable CaP > non-occluded P > occluded P > residual P. The final profile in the sequence is considered to represent a terminal steady-state system in which small losses of phosphorus from the system are balanced by gains of phosphorus from the atmosphere. The nature and extent of the vegetation on the sequence profiles was linked with declining acid-extractable CaP and non-occluded phosphorus contents. The tendency towards a heath-type vegetation on the later profiles of the sequence leads to a decline in many properties associated with the organic cycle, including total soil nitrogen, oxidisable carbon, and cation-exchange capacity. Declines in profile weights of several other soil properties were also observed. These included total soil calcium, magnesium, potassium, aluminium, iron, and profile clay content. In many cases the observed declines followed an asymptotic path. The declines were attributed to the completion of weathering of stones and gravels in the later profiles of the sequence whereupon no fresh minerals enter the pedogenetic process.