The researchers studied how phosphorus behaves in paddy soils in the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Plain. They found that the soils can hold a medium amount of phosphorus, with clay content playing a big role. When phosphorus accumulates in the soil, the amount of water-soluble phosphorus also increases, but this growth slows down over time. Soils with higher phosphorus-holding capacity show less change in water-soluble phosphorus compared to soils with lower capacity. The researchers also discovered that the relationship between phosphorus release and accumulation in the soils can be well described by the degree of phosphorus saturation.