Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for living cells, and to some extent the abundance and activity of all organisms are regulated by P availability. However, the importance of P in terrestrial ecosystems may be most profound in tropical rain forests, where P supply is often very low. Thus, soil P availability could strongly limit various aspects of ecosystem function in tropical forests, as well as regulate tropical forest responses to anthropogenic perturbation. In this chapter, we describe P cycling in tropical forests growing on highly weathered soil (e.g., Ultisols and Oxisols). We focus on P inputs, transformations, and losses, and highlight aspects of the P cycle that are somewhat unique to this biome. In addition, we consider the implications of tropical P limitation at present and in the context of global change.
CITATION STYLE
Reed, S. C., Townsend, A. R., Taylor, P. G., & Cleveland, C. C. (2011). Phosphorus Cycling in Tropical Forests Growing on Highly Weathered Soils (pp. 339–369). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-15271-9_14
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