Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient, which at excessive concentrations can cause eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems. In freshwater wetlands, water quality deteriorates under these conditions, often succumbing to algal or duckweed dominance, over the biodiversity of other aquatic vegetation. Freshwater sediment may act as an internal source of legacy bound P that can induce production of algal and duckweed blooms beyond what may be expected from external loading of P alone. This study assesses the mobility, bioavailability, and origin of phosphorus in wetland ditch systems at the designated site of special scientific interest, West Sedgemoor. Based upon associations with different P species, using principal component analysis, a clear distinction was observed between sites outside and within the West Sedgemoor Nature Reserve (managed by the Royal Society of the Protection of Birds). Sites outside the nature reserve, typically wet and damp grassland used for arable use and grazing, were generally correlated to higher percentages (median 58.5 %) of non-apatite inorganic P (associated with iron and aluminium minerology) and higher total P levels (average 1277 mg/kg), associated with algal and duckweed blooms, in comparison to areas within the nature reserve (median non-apatite inorganic P; 49.9 %) (average total phosphorus; 936.9 mg/kg).

磷 (P) 是一种必需营养素，浓度过高会导致水生生态系统富营养化。在淡水湿地，水质在这些条件下恶化，往往屈服于藻类或浮萍的优势，超过其他水生植被的生物多样性。淡水沉积物可能作为遗留结合磷的内部来源，可以诱导藻类和浮萍大量繁殖，超出单独外部磷负荷的预期。本研究评估了具有特殊科学意义的指定地点 West Sedgemoor 湿地沟渠系统中磷的流动性、生物利用度和来源。基于与不同 P 物种的关联，使用主成分分析，在西塞奇莫尔自然保护区（由英国皇家鸟类保护协会管理）外部和内部的地点之间观察到明显的区别。自然保护区以外的地点，通常是用于耕地和放牧的潮湿草地，通常与较高百分比（中位数 58.5%）的非磷灰石无机磷（与铁和铝矿物学相关）和较高的总磷水平（平均1277 毫克/千克），与藻类和浮萍的繁殖有关，与自然保护区内的区域相比（中位非磷灰石无机磷；49.9%）（平均总磷；936.9 毫克/千克）。