Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 9, 2025
06:42
Measuring Phosphorus Release in Laboratory Microcosms for Water Quality Assessment
Published on: July 22, 2019
6.9K
Global phosphorus shortage will be aggravated by soil erosion
Christine Alewell1, Bruno Ringeval2, Cristiano Ballabio3
1Environmental Geosciences, Department of Environmental Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Christine.alewell@unibas.ch.
Nature Communications
|September 12, 2020
Summary
Global soil phosphorus (P) depletion is a major threat to future food security. Soil erosion significantly contributes to P loss, especially in regions with limited fertilizer access or inefficient nutrient management.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Soil Science
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Soil phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural lands poses a significant threat to global food and feed production.
- Current agricultural practices, including high chemical fertilizer input, are leading to widespread P depletion in the world's soils.
- Regions like Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe exhibit the highest P depletion rates due to economic constraints and inefficient nutrient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess global soil phosphorus loss by integrating soil erosion estimates with soil P content data.
- To identify regions most vulnerable to P depletion under current and future scenarios of fertilizer availability.
- To quantify the contribution of water-driven soil erosion to overall phosphorus losses.
Main Methods:
- Spatially distributed global soil erosion estimates (sheet and rill erosion) were combined with global cropland soil P content data.
- Analysis focused on assessing current P depletion rates and projecting future losses under a scenario of mineral P fertilizer shortage.
- Geographical regions were analyzed to pinpoint areas with the highest P depletion rates.
Main Results:
- Global soils are experiencing P depletion despite substantial chemical fertilizer application.
- Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe show the highest rates of soil P depletion.
- Future projections indicate worldwide soil P depletion ranging from 4-19 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ under fertilizer scarcity.
- Water-driven erosion accounts for over 50% of total P losses in these future scenarios.
Conclusions:
- Soil P depletion is a critical global issue impacting agricultural sustainability and food security.
- Soil erosion, particularly water-driven, is a major pathway for P loss, exacerbating depletion.
- Urgent strategies for sustainable P management are necessary, especially in regions with limited fertilizer resources, to mitigate future food production constraints.
Related Concept Videos
01:21The Phosphorus Cycle
43.2K
Unlike carbon, water, and nitrogen, phosphorus is not present in the atmosphere as a gas. Instead, most phosphorus in the ecosystem exists as compounds, such as phosphate ions (PO43-), found in soil, water, sediment and rocks. Phosphorus is often a limiting nutrient (i.e., in short supply). Consequently, phosphorus is added to most agricultural fertilizers, which can cause environmental problems related to runoff in aquatic ecosystems.
43.2K
02:23The Soil Ecosystem
24.2K
Plants obtain inorganic minerals and water from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The composition and quality of soil depend not only on the chemical constituents but also on the presence of living organisms. In general, soils contain three major components:
24.2K
02:41Responses to Drought and Flooding
11.7K
Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.
11.7K
01:06Primary Production
24.8K
The total amount of energy acquired by primary producers in an ecosystem is called gross primary production (GPP). However, of this energy, producers use some for metabolic processes, and some is lost as heat, decreasing the amount of energy available to the next trophic level. The remaining usable amount of energy is called the net primary productivity (NPP). In terrestrial ecosystems, NPP is driven by climate, while light penetration and nutrient availability drive NPP in aquatic ecosystems.
24.8K
01:50Threats to Biodiversity
26.2K
There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
26.2K
02:02Responses to Salt Stress
14.0K
Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.
14.0K