Fate and availability of dust-borne phosphorus in a sub-humid temperate forest

Abstract Aeolian dust deposition is an important phosphorus (P) input to terrestrial ecosystems, but it lacks evidence of how dust inputs supply available P and affect P geochemistry and dynamics in soils of sub-humid ecosystems. We determined soil P speciation using P K-edge X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy and P availability using modified Hedley sequential chemical extractions in a weakly acidic soil profile (2.5 m thick) in a sub-humid temperate forest ecosystem. The soil profile receives substantial dust inputs that account for 34.8% - 53.5% of the soil mass at depths based on a Sr isotope analysis. The acidic topsoils (5