Abstract
SEDIMENTS of aquatic systems play a critical part in controlling phosphorus loading to the water column1. Because P loading is an important determinant of productivity in aquatic systems, there has been keen interest in variables that influence P release from sediments. In disagreement with present theories1,2 our data from 23 different aquatic systems indicate that sulphate concentration of waters is an extremely important variable controlling P release from sediments. The increased P release from sediments at higher sulphate concentrations may help to explain why primary production in freshwater systems (with relatively low sulphate concentrations) tends to be P limited3, whereas in many saline systems (with high sulphate concentrations) production is often P sufficient4. Further, our results indicate that anthropogenically induced changes from atmospheric S inputs could, over time, alter the P cycle of aquatic systems.
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Caraco, N., Cole, J. & Likens, G. Evidence for sulphate-controlled phosphorus release from sediments of aquatic systems. Nature 341, 316–318 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/341316a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/341316a0
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