a b s t r a c tPlants employ a range of strategies to increase phosphorus (P) availability in soil. Current soil P extraction methods (e.g. Olsen P), however, often fail to capture the potential importance of rhizosphere processes in supplying P to the plant. This has led to criticism of these standard approaches, especially in nonagricultural soils of low P status and when comparing soil types across diverse landscapes. Similarly, more complex soil P extraction protocols (e.g. Hedley sequential fractionation) lack functional significance from a plant ecology perspective. In response to this, we present a novel procedure using a suite of established extraction protocols to explore the concept of a protocol that characterizes P pools available via plant and microbial P acquisition mechanisms. The biologically based P (BBP) extraction was conducted by using four extractions in parallel: (1) 10 mM CaCl 2 (soluble P); (2) 10 mM citric acid (chelate extractable P); (3) phytase and phosphatase solution (enzyme extractable organic P); (4) 1 M HCl (mineral occluded P). To test the protocol, we conducted the analyses on a total of 204 soil samples collected as part of a UK national ecosystem survey (Countryside Survey) in 1998 and repeated again in 2007. In the survey, Olsen P showed a net decline in national soil P levels during this 10 year period. In agreement with these results, soluble P, citrate extractable P and mineral occluded P were all found to decrease over the 10 year study period. In contrast, enzyme extractable organic P increased over the same period likely due to the accumulation of organic P in the mineral soil. The method illustrates a noted shift in P pools over the 10 year period, but no net loss of P from the system. This new method is simple and inexpensive and therefore has the potential to greatly improve our ability to characterise and understand changes in soil P status across complex landscapes.

Ten warm-season and seven cool-season weed species were grown in the glasshouse on Hartsells fine sandy loam taken from field plots that had been in long-term fertility studies. The soil pH was 5.9 and phosphorus (P) levels ranged from 8 to 95 kg/ha and the potassium (K) levels from 40 to 213 kg/ha. Growth response to P and K levels was measured by dry herbage yield. Redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), jimsonweed (Datura stramonium L.), and Florida beggarweed [Desmodium tortuosum (Sw.) DC] were the most responsive warm-season weed species to P, whereas chickweed [Stellaria media (L.) Cyrillo] was the most responsive cool-season weed to P. Extreme P deficiency symptoms were evident on species giving a high response to P. P-deficient plants were severely stunted and exhibited a characteristic reddish-purple color. Showy crotalaria (Crotalaria spectabilis Roth), tall morningglory [Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth], sicklepod (Cassia obtusifolia L.), Carolina geranium (Geranium carolinianum L.), and coffee senna (Cassia occidentalis L.) were the most tolerant to low soil P. Redroot pigweed, jimsonweed, and Florida beggarweed were the most responsive warm-season weeds to K. Wild mustard [Brassica kaber (DC.) L.C. Wheeler var. Pinnatifida (Stokes) L.C. Wheeler] and annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) were the most responsive cool-season weeds to K. Potassium deficiency symptoms were characterized primarily by severe stunting. Buckhorn plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.), Carolina geranium, and curly dock (Rumex crispus L.) were the most tolerant cool-season weeds to low soil K. Generally, weeds were more sensitive to low soil-test P than K.

Ten warm-season and six cool-season weed species were grown in the glasshouse on Hartsells fine sandy loam soil and Lucedale sandy loam soil at pH levels from 4.7 to 6.3. Growth of species varied widely in response to soil pH as measured by herbage yield. Showy crotalaria (Crotalaria spectabilis Roth), coffee senna (Cassia occidentalis L.), and large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.] were highly tolerant to low pH soils. Sicklepod (Cassia obtusifolia L.), annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.), Carolina geranium (Geranium carolinianum L.), and buckhorn plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.), were medium to high in tolerance. Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium L.), tall morningglory [Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth], crowfootgrass [Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Richter], and prickly sida (Sida spinosa L.) were medium to low in tolerance to low soil pH. Growth of Florida beggarweed [Desmodium tortuosum (Sw.) DC], redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), chickweed [Stellaria media (L.) Cyrillo], common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale (Weber), and wild mustard [Brassica kaber (DC.) L.C. Wheeler var. pinnatifida (Stokes) L.C. Wheeler] was severely reduced in soils with low pH.