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Updated: Jan 12, 2026

Measuring Phosphorus Release in Laboratory Microcosms for Water Quality Assessment
Published on: July 22, 2019
Multitrophic biodiversity drives soil phosphorus mobilization in subtropical ecosystems
Xionghui Liao1, Jie Zhao2, Tibor Magura3
1Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, Hunan 410125, China; Huanjiang Agriculture Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang, Guangxi 547100, China.
Soil phosphorus mobilization is influenced by lithology and trophic interactions. Karst regions show greater P mobilization, with warming amplifying effects, but ecosystems are vulnerable to disturbances.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Biogeochemistry
- Soil Science
Background:
- Phosphorus (P) mobilization is constrained by climate, land use, lithology, and trophic cascades.
- Understanding these constraints is crucial for managing P availability in ecosystems.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate how multitrophic biodiversity and interactions affect soil P mobilization during cropland-to-forest succession.
- Compare P mobilization across contrasting lithologies (carbonate vs. siliciclastic) in subtropical China.
Main Methods:
- Established a latitudinal transect across carbonate (karst) and siliciclastic (non-karst) lithologies.
- Analyzed soil P fractions, multitrophic biodiversity, and trophic interactions during land-use change.
Main Results:
- Forest conversion increased labile P in karst regions but decreased labile and stable P in both regions.
- Karst regions exhibited higher multitrophic biodiversity and P mobilization capacity.
- Climate warming amplified trophic cascades affecting P mobilization; karst forests showed P mobilization-uptake coordination.
Conclusions:
- Lithology-mediated P mobilization is linked with trophic interactions, alleviating P limitation in subtropical ecosystems.
- Multitrophic networks support plant P uptake but are vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances in karst ecosystems.
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