Phosphorus (P) often limits plant growth in subtropical forests. Many studies have focused on plant P responses to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and increasing nitrogen (N) deposition; how- ever, the response of soil P availability to these anthropogenic changes remains unclear. We used open-top chambers to study the changes in soil P fractions in model subtropical forests after 5 years of exposure to elevated CO2 and N addition. Soils studied here were highly weathered and P-deficient. Elevated CO2 increased plant available P in soils as well as P input from litter. The increase in soil P availability was related to the decreased recalcitrant P under elevated CO2. Soil P availability was not reduced by N addition due to the replenishment of P during litter decompo- sition. N addition led to a small increase in the most readily desorbed inorganic P. N addition with elevated CO2 depleted recalcitrant P. Our results suggest that elevated CO2 and N addition could maintain or even increase soil P availability.
đang được dịch, vui lòng đợi..
