Opportunities For Optimizing The Phosphorus Cycle In The Land-Water Continuum

Abstract:

This paper reflects the ‘big picture’ of the global phosphorus cycle taking a particular focus on the continuum of the transfers between agriculture, soil, water and river catchments. The paper will pinpoint our current understanding of phosphorus biogeochemistry and the mechanisms of its transfer from soil to water with a consideration of travel times and the notion of ‘legacy’ phosphorus. There will be a focused consideration of source, mobilization, delivery and eventual impact on water bodies as a focus for understanding opportunities for mitigating transfers from land to water. New perspectives are emerging on phosphorus forms in soil and water, in particular organic congeners in soil as a potential source of new phosphorus to be used in future agriculture. These organic forms represent a missing piece of the global phosphorus cycle.