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Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science
Global phosphorus shortage will be aggravated by soil erosion
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Conflicts of Interest
Identified Weaknesses
Rating Explanation
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Paper Summary
Paperzilla title
Erosion Makes the P Go Bye-Bye: Soil's Losing its Spark!
The study finds that soil erosion by water significantly contributes to phosphorus loss from agricultural lands globally, potentially exacerbating future phosphorus shortages. Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe show the highest phosphorus depletion rates. Without changes to fertilizer practices and erosion control, global agricultural soils are projected to experience significant phosphorus depletion, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable land management practices.
Possible Conflicts of Interest
None identified
Identified Weaknesses
Omission of other erosion processes
The study acknowledges that RUSLE-based erosion rates only consider rill and inter-rill erosion processes by water, and do not consider erosion processes due to tillage, gullies, or landslides. This omission could lead to an underestimation of actual phosphorus losses, especially in regions where these other erosion processes are significant.
Reliance on modeled data
The study relies on modeled data and global datasets, which may not accurately reflect the complex and heterogeneous nature of soil phosphorus dynamics and erosion processes at local scales.
Simplified sediment delivery rate assumption
The study assumes a uniform sediment delivery rate for all continents, which may not accurately represent the actual transport of eroded phosphorus to rivers and other water bodies.
Rating Explanation
This study addresses a critical issue with global implications and utilizes spatially distributed global datasets to assess phosphorus loss due to soil erosion, offering valuable insights for sustainable land management. The methodology is sound, although limitations related to data sources and model assumptions are acknowledged. The findings contribute significantly to our understanding of phosphorus cycling and the potential impacts of soil erosion on future food security.
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File Information
Original Title:
Global phosphorus shortage will be aggravated by soil erosion
File Name:
s41467-020-18326-7.pdf
[download]
File Size:
2.65 MB
Uploaded:
July 14, 2025 at 10:51 AM
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