Data from: Long-term soil warming decreases microbial phosphorus utilization by increasing abiotic phosphorus sorption and losses

Phosphorus (P) is an essential and often limiting element that could play
a crucial role in terrestrial ecosystem responses to climate warming.
However, it has yet remained unclear how different P cycling processes are
affected by warming. Here we investigated the response of soil P pools and
P cycling processes in a mountain forest after 14 years of soil warming
(+4°C). Long-term warming decreased soil total P pools, likely due to
higher outputs of P from soils by increasing net plant P uptake and
downward transportation of colloidal and particulate P. Warming increased
the sorption strength to more recalcitrant soil P fractions (absorbed to
iron oxyhydroxides and clays), thereby further reducing bioavailable P in
soil solution. As a response, soil microbes enhanced the production of
acid phosphatase, though this was not sufficient to avoid decreases of
soil bioavailable P and microbial biomass P (and biotic phosphate
immobilization). This study therefore highlights how long-term soil
warming triggers changes in biotic and abiotic soil P pools and processes,
which can potentially aggravate the P constraints of the trees and soil
microbes and thereby negatively affect the C sequestration potential of
these forests.