Phosphate stable oxygen isotope variability within a temperate agricultural soil

In this study, we conduct a spatial analysis of soil total phosphorus (TP), acid extractable phosphate (PO 4 ) and the stable oxygen (O) isotope ratio within the PO 4 molecule (δ 18 O PO 4 ) from an intensively managed agricultural grassland site. Total P in the soil was found to range from 736 to 1952 mg P kg − 1 , of which between 12 and 48% was extractable using a 1 M HCl (HCl PO 4 ) solution with the two variables exhibiting a strong positive correlation. The δ 18 O PO 4 of the extracted PO 4 ranged from 17.0 to 21.6‰ with a mean of 18.8‰ (± 0.8). While the spatial variability of Total P has been researched at various scales, this is the first study to assess the variability of soil δ 18 O PO 4 at a field-scale resolution. We investigate whether or not δ 18 O PO 4 variability has any significant relationship with: (i) itself with respect to spatial autocorrelation effects; and (ii) HCl PO 4 , elevation and slope - both globally and locally. Results indicate that δ 18 O PO 4 was not spatially autocorrelated; and that δ 18 O PO 4 was only weakly related to HCl PO 4 , elevation and slope, when considering the study field as a whole. Interestingly, the latter relationships appear to vary in strength locally. In particular, the δ 18 O PO 4 to HCl PO 4 relationship may depend on the underlying soil class and/or on different field managements that had operated across an historical north-south field division of the study field, a division that had been removed four years prior to this study. • We examine the variability of soil P and its δ 18 O PO 4 within a 7.1 ha field. • The acid extractable δ 18 O PO 4 was found to range between 17.0 and 21.6‰. • The δ 18 O PO 4 was not spatially autocorrelated and was randomly distributed. • Variation in δ 18 O PO 4 appears heterogenically related to HCl PO 4 . • This relationship may depend on historical management of the study field.