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Effects of heating and autoclaving on sorption and desorption of phosphorus in some forest soils

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Abstract

A number of biological and chemical processes may affect soil phosphorus availability when forest fires occur, partly as a result of heating. We describe here a laboratory experiment to study the effects of soil heating on changes in sorption and desorption of P. Autoclaving was also included as an additional treatment of moist heating under pressure. Five forest soils (two Podzols, one Arenosol, one Luvisol and one Alisol) were heated to 60°C, 120°C and 250°C or autoclaved for 30 min. They were repeatedly extracted with Bray I and analysed for inorganic and organic P fractions. The desorbed P data were fitted to an asymptotic exponential equation to obtain the desorption rate and capacity parameters. Podzol and Arenosol soils showed a quick P desorption after heating, while Luvisol and Alisol soils showed a slow desorption rate. The immediate increase in available P that occurred after heating or autoclaving originated mostly from solubilisation of microbial metabolites and soil organic components. Autoclaving decreased P sorption capacity in all soils, but the effects of heating on P sorption differed among soils. Except for one of the soils, the low P-fixing soils (Podzol and Arenosol) showed a decrease in P sorption when heated to high temperatures, whereas the high P-fixing soils (Luvisol and Alisol) showed little changes after heating. Fire intensity and soil characteristics are important factors determining short-term and long-term soil P dynamics.

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Acknowledgements

This study was conducted at C.S.I.R.O. Division of Forestry, Canberra, Australia. We would like to thank Mr. K.L. Jacobsen, Mr. S.J. Smith, Ms. J.S. Sweeney, Dr. AKMA Hossain and Mr. J.S. Holtzapffel for their help during field and laboratory work and to the Editor-in-Chief and anonymous reviewers for constructive comments on the manuscript. CEAM is supported by the Generalitat Valenciana and Bancaixa.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEAM Fundación Centro de Estudios Ambientales del Mediterráneo, Parc Tecnològic. C/ Charles R. Darwin 14, 46980, Paterna, València, Spain

    I. Serrasolses

  2. Department of Natural Products Plant Biology and Soil Science, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    J. Romanyà

  3. Institute of Silviculture, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 7906, Freiburg, Germany

    P. K. Khanna

  4. CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products, P.O. Box 4008, Canberra, Kingston, ACT, Australia

    P. K. Khanna

  5. Unitat d’Ecologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain

    I. Serrasolses

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  1. I. Serrasolses
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  2. J. Romanyà
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  3. P. K. Khanna
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Correspondence to I. Serrasolses.

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Serrasolses, I., Romanyà, J. & Khanna, P.K. Effects of heating and autoclaving on sorption and desorption of phosphorus in some forest soils. Biol Fertil Soils 44, 1063–1072 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-008-0301-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-008-0301-7

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