The researchers studied how phosphorus behaves in sandy soils in Florida. They found that these soils have a low ability to hold onto phosphorus, which can lead to phosphorus leaching into water. By testing different soil samples, they discovered that the amount of extractable phosphorus in the soil was more important in predicting phosphorus release than the soil's ability to adsorb phosphorus. They also found that various phosphorus fractions in the soil were correlated with the amount of phosphorus released. The release of phosphorus from these sandy soils seems to be controlled by a precipitation-dissolution reaction rather than a sorption-desorption process. Overall, all phosphorus fractions in the sandy soils, except for residual phosphorus, can contribute to phosphorus release.