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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Toward a transdisciplinary and unifying definition of legacy phosphorus
AU - Shober, Amy L.
AU - Simpson, Zachary P.
AU - Jarvie, Helen P.
AU - Macrae, Merrin L.
AU - Kleinman, Peter J. A.
AU - Haygarth, Philip M.
AU - Kulesza, Stephanie
AU - Gatiboni, Luke
AU - Davies, Jenny
PY - 2025/7/1
Y1 - 2025/7/1
N2 - Legacy phosphorus (P) is a concept advanced by Dr. Andrew Sharpley and colleagues that was originally applied to the persistence of anthropogenic signatures in watersheds, and it has since been adopted in a diversity of settings to help guide the science and management of P. Following Sharpley's example to develop consensus‐based science, we considered contrasting perspectives on legacy P and defined legacy P as those stores within the environment that arise from historic human activity excluding “natural” or “background” geogenic sources. Legacy P is not restricted to one system or setting; it may reside in soils, sediments, biota, and water bodies. Legacy P has been estimated by fluxes (inputs minus outputs of P to a system) or, equivalently, by mass stocks (total minus geogenic). Because the origin of P in the environment cannot currently be directly quantified, we recommend that researchers report “total P” to track wider watershed P stocks and fluxes of P that include legacy P. We recognize that the definition of legacy P will continue to evolve as we continue to work toward consensus. Ultimately, the final definition of legacy P has consequences for the implementation and success of regulatory and voluntary strategies for legacy P management in agricultural systems. We support continued progress toward a consensus‐backed, research‐grounded definition for legacy P that is widely applicable yet useful for guiding management and policy.
AB - Legacy phosphorus (P) is a concept advanced by Dr. Andrew Sharpley and colleagues that was originally applied to the persistence of anthropogenic signatures in watersheds, and it has since been adopted in a diversity of settings to help guide the science and management of P. Following Sharpley's example to develop consensus‐based science, we considered contrasting perspectives on legacy P and defined legacy P as those stores within the environment that arise from historic human activity excluding “natural” or “background” geogenic sources. Legacy P is not restricted to one system or setting; it may reside in soils, sediments, biota, and water bodies. Legacy P has been estimated by fluxes (inputs minus outputs of P to a system) or, equivalently, by mass stocks (total minus geogenic). Because the origin of P in the environment cannot currently be directly quantified, we recommend that researchers report “total P” to track wider watershed P stocks and fluxes of P that include legacy P. We recognize that the definition of legacy P will continue to evolve as we continue to work toward consensus. Ultimately, the final definition of legacy P has consequences for the implementation and success of regulatory and voluntary strategies for legacy P management in agricultural systems. We support continued progress toward a consensus‐backed, research‐grounded definition for legacy P that is widely applicable yet useful for guiding management and policy.
U2 - 10.1002/jeq2.20659
DO - 10.1002/jeq2.20659
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 39648601
VL - 54
SP - 882
EP - 892
JO - Journal of Environmental Quality
JF - Journal of Environmental Quality
SN - 0047-2425
IS - 4
ER -