Global Soil Phosphorus Database from Hedley Fractionation Studies, 1985-2010

A compilation of soil phosphorus concentrations from peer-reviewed literature using the Hedley fractionation method. The database contains 178 measurements of different phosphorus forms from natural, unfertilized soils, compiled by Yang and Post (2011) and Cross and Schlesinger (1995). Data includes soil order, pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, and geographic coordinates for studies published from 1985 through 2010.

Use Cases

• Modeling global phosphorus cycling based on compiled soil phosphorus fractions.
• Analyzing relationships between soil phosphorus forms and soil pH or organic carbon content.
• Mapping the geographic distribution of different soil phosphorus pools based on latitude and longitude.
• Studying phosphorus availability in natural ecosystems based on labile inorganic and organic P data.

Strengths

• Compiles 178 measurements from two major literature surveys (Cross and Schlesinger, 1995; Yang and Post, 2011).
• Includes multiple phosphorus forms: labile inorganic P, organic P, occluded P, secondary mineral P, apatite P, and total P.
• Provides associated metadata like soil order, pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, and geographic coordinates.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data is restricted to natural, unfertilized soils, limiting applicability to agricultural systems.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Compiled from peer-reviewed literature citing the Hedley fractionation method.

Time Range

1985 through 2010

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 19:43:06.672949; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global (based on compiled study locations)