Biologically Labile and Refractory Phosphorus Loads from the Agriculturally-Managed Upper Eau Galle River Watershed, Wisconsin

Abstract

Fractionation techniques were used to quantify various biologically labile (i.e., directly available for biological uptake or subject to recycling pathways) and refractory (i.e., biologically unavailable and subject to burial) particulate and soluble phosphorus (P) forms along the longitudinal axis of the agriculturally-managed Upper Eau Galle River watershed in west-central Wisconsin. P loading increased as a function of increasing distance from the river's headwaters. However, areal P export rates were similar longitudinally, indicating a relatively homogeneous land-use mosaic throughout the watershed. P loads were composed of predominantly biologically labile constituents (i.e., 79%), with soluble P forms (i.e., soluble reactive and unreactive P) accounting for 49% and labile particulate P forms (i.e., loosely-bound PP, iron-bound PP, and labile organic/polyphosphate PP) accounting for 30% of the P load. Soluble P forms are either directly available for biological uptake or can be converted to available forms through enzymatic (i.e., alkaline phosphatase) reactions. Deposition and retention of loosely-bound and iron-bound PP in the receiving impoundment, Eau Galle Reservoir, can become an important source of internal P loading via eH and pH chemical reactions. Suspended solids loads also exhibited a high equilibrium P concentration (i.e., EPC > 0.10 mg L⁻¹) that was similar to flow-weighted soluble reactive P concentrations in the river, suggesting equilibrium control of soluble P as loads entered the reservoir. The high EPC and a linear adsorption coefficient approaching 1000 L kg⁻¹ indicated that binding sites of eroded soils in the runoff were enriched with P due to soil nutrient management. Our results indicated that transformations, transport, and fate of biologically labile PP, as well as soluble P, need to be considered in load reduction management to eutrophic receiving waters.

Key Words:

• Adsorption-desorption
• biological phosphorus availability
• equilibrium phosphorus concentration
• labile phosphorus forms
• loading
• phosphorus
• refractory phosphorus forms
• runoff
• watershed