Decoupling of soil nutrient cycles as a function of aridity in global drylands.

The biogeochemical cycles of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are interlinked by primary production, respiration and decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. It has been suggested that the C, N and P cycles could become uncoupled under rapid climate change because of the different degrees of control exerted on the supply of these elements by biological and geochemical processes. Climatic controls on biogeochemical cycles are particularly relevant in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid ecosystems (drylands) because their biological activity is mainly driven by water availability. The increase in aridity predicted for the twenty-first century in many drylands worldwide may therefore threaten the balance between these cycles, differentially affecting the availability of essential nutrients. Here we evaluate how aridity affects the balance between C, N and P in soils collected from 224 dryland sites from all continents except Antarctica. We find a negative effect of aridity on the concentration of soil organic C and total N, but a positive effect on the concentration of inorganic P. Aridity is negatively related to plant cover, which may favour the dominance of physical processes such as rock weathering, a major source of P to ecosystems, over biological processes that provide more C and N, such as litter decomposition. Our findings suggest that any predicted increase in aridity with climate change will probably reduce the concentrations of N and C in global drylands, but increase that of P. These changes would uncouple the C, N and P cycles in drylands and could negatively affect the provision of key services provided by these ecosystems.

Dinámica del fósforo y reducción del aluminio intercambiable en un ultisol sometido a menejo conservacionista / Phosphorus dynamics and exchangeable aluminium reduction in a haplustults on the conservationist handling

En un suelo ácido Typic haplustults de muy baja capacidad productiva agrícola se evaluó el efecto de prácticas conservacionistas, tales como labranza mínima, cultivares tolerantes a la acidez, rotación de cultivo, y combinación de abonos orgánicos e inorgánicos, sobre la dinámica del P disponible y la sustentabilidad de un sistema de rotación cereal-leguminosa. Los tratamientos fueron abonos orgánicos: restos de cosecha de sorgo (RG), Indigosphera lespedicioides (RN) y Crotalaria juncea (RL), y fueron comparados con testigo sin residuo (SR). En cada parcela de abono orgánico se fertilizó con fuentes inorgánicas: T1 (N+0P+K), T2 (N+P-RFR+K), T3 (N+P-RFRA+K) y T4 (N+P-FDA+K), donde RFR: roca fosfórica de Riecito, RFRPA: roca fosfórica de Riecito parcialmente acidulada y FDA: fosfato diamónico. En un cultivo de Sorghum bicolor se aplicó 100, 80 y 60kg·ha-1 de N, P y K, respectivamente, y en uno de Cajanus cajan, 15, 60, 45, 5,7 y 0,2kg·ha-1de N, P, K, S y Mo, respectivamente. Tras 2 años de manejo conservacionista se evidencian incrementos en la disponibilidad del P y disminución en Al+3. El P disponible osciló entre 10 y 40mg·kg-1, siendo significativamente mayor donde se aplicó RN y RL con cualquier fuente de P. El Al intercambiable (Al+3) disminuyó en el subsuelo (<0,7cmol·kg-1) con P-FDA. Con FDA hubo movilización de P hasta los 40cm de profundidad, donde el porcentaje de saturación con aluminio es alto