Seasonal phosphatase activity in three characteristic soils of the English uplands polluted by long-term atmospheric nitrogen deposition

Phosphomonoesterase activities were determined monthly during a seasonal cycle in three characteristic soil types of the English uplands that have been subject to long-term atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Activities (μmol para-nitrophenol g−1 soil dry wt. h−1) ranged between 83.9 and 307 in a blanket peat (total carbon 318 mg g−1, pH 3.9), 45.2–86.4 in an acid organic grassland soil (total carbon 354 mg g−1, pH 3.7) and 10.4–21.1 in a calcareous grassland soil (total carbon 140 mg g−1, pH 7.3). These are amongst the highest reported soil phosphomonoesterase activities and confirm the strong biological phosphorus limitation in this environment.