Summary
This field-based study investigated phosphate stable oxygen isotope variability within a temperate agricultural soil, exploring how spatial patterns in isotopic composition may reflect underlying soil properties and legacy effects of historical management. The research suggests that isotopic signatures could be influenced by soil class and/or different field managements that had previously operated across a north-south field division, removed four years prior to sampling. This work contributes to understanding how stable isotope approaches can reveal soil management history and heterogeneity in agricultural systems.
UK applicability
The findings are directly applicable to UK agricultural soils, as the study was conducted in a temperate agricultural context with long-term management histories typical of British farmed landscapes. The results could inform soil monitoring and legacy effect assessment in UK farming systems where historical field divisions and management changes persist in soil properties.
Key measures
Phosphate stable oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O); soil class; spatial variability across historically managed field divisions
Outcomes reported
The study examined spatial variability in phosphate stable oxygen isotope ratios within a temperate agricultural soil, potentially linked to underlying soil class differences and historical field management practices. The research investigated whether isotopic signatures retained evidence of past management divisions in the field.
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