A 32P isotope kinetic approach was used to describe the chemical status and bioavailability of phosphorusin 32 acidic soils from subtropical China. By determining the residual radioactivity rt, in soil solution atdifferent time, t, after introduction of the isotope in an amount of R into the steady soiLwater system, awell-defined isotope kinetic model was established, and upon this model the decrease rate, n, of log(Tt/R)with respect to logt, the mean sojourn time of phosphate ions in solution, the mean exchange rate and themean flux of phosphate ions between soil solid and solution phases were calculated. Other parameters, suchas the exchangeable P within the first minute of isotope exchange (E1), and P in various compartments thatcould be exchanged with solution phosphate ions at different periods of time, were also obtained. For theseacidic soils, the r1/R had a significant correlation with the contents of clay and free Al203 where r1 is theradioactivity in solution 1 minute after introduction of the isotope into the system. Parameter n also hada significant correlation with clay content and a negative correlation with soil pH. E1 values and Cp, theP concentration in soil solution, also significantly correlated with clay and sesquioxide contents of the soils.These indicated that these isotope kinetic parameters were largely infiuenced by P-fixing components of thesoils. For the soils with strong P-fixing ability the E1 values overestimated labile P pools and hence theircorrelations with A values and plant P uptake were not significant. The other isotope kinetic parameters alsohad no significant correlation with plant P uptake. On the other hand, the conventional chemical-extractedP correlated better with plant P uptake. It was concluded that the isotope kinetic method could assess theP chemical status yet it would be inappropriate in predicting plant available P for soils with a high P-fixingability as the problem of an overestimation of soil labile P in these soils was inevitable. A 32P isotope kinetic approach was used to describe the chemical status and bioavailability of phosphorus in 32 acidic soils from subtropical China. By determining the residual radioactivity rt, in soil solution at different times, t, after introduction of the isotope in an amount of R into the steady soiLwater system, awell-defined isotope kinetic model was established, and upon this model the decrease rate, n, of log (Tt / R) with respect to logt, the mean sojourn time of phosphate ions in solution, the mean exchange rate and themean flux of phosphate ions between soil solid and solution phases were calculated. suchas the exchangeable P within the first minute of isotope exchange (E1), and P in various compartments that could be exchanged with solution phosphate ions at different periods of time, were theseacidic soils, the r1 / R had a significant correlation with the contents of clay and free Al203 where r1 is theradioactivity in solution 1 minute after i ntroduction of the isotope into the system. Parameter n also hada significant correlation with clay content and a negative correlation with soil pH. E1 values ​​and Cp, the P concentration in soil solution, also significantly correlated with clay and sesquioxide contents of the soils. The indication that these isotope kinetic parameters were substantially infiuenced by P-fixing components of the soils. For the soils with strong P-fixing ability the E1 values ​​overestimated labile P pools and hence theircorrelations with A values ​​and plant P uptake were not significant. The other isotope kinetic parameters washad no significant correlation with plant P uptake. On the other hand, the conventional chemical-extractedPedsy better with plant P uptake. It was concluded that the isotope kinetic method could assess theP chemical status yet it would not fit in predicting plant available P for soils with a high P-fixingability as the problem of an overestimation of soil labile P in these soils was inevitable.