Declining Atmospheric Phosphorus Wet Deposition in China

Abstract Atmospheric phosphorus (P) deposition has become a significant external P source for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, influencing functions such as productivity by altering P bioavailability. However, systematic quantification of atmospheric P deposition in China is still lacking. Based on data from the China Wet Deposition Observation Network (ChinaWD) from 2014 to 2022, we explored the wet deposition fluxes, spatiotemporal patterns, and influencing factors of various atmospheric P components. The annual average wet deposition fluxes of total P (TP), dissolved total P (DTP), and total particulate P (TPP) in China were 0.63 ± 0.44, 0.34 ± 0.19 and 0.29 ± 0.26 kg P ha −1 yr −1 , respectively, with total deposition amounts of 0.60, 0.33 and 0.28 Tg P yr −1 . Over 9 years, TP deposition flux declined at a rate of approximately 0.085 ± 0.022 kg P ha −1 yr −1 per year, potentially reflecting the sustained efforts of China in forest fire prevention and air quality management. This is the first network‐based, long‐term quantification of wet P deposition patterns across China, laying a foundation for assessing its ecological impacts.