Soil phosphorus accumulation changes with decreasing temperature along a 2300 m altitude gradient

•We sampled plants and soils (1-m depths) in grasslands (altitude 1286–3589 m)•We analyzed Hedley P fractions, root and microbial P and phosphatase activity•Total soil inorganic P decreases but total organic P increases with altitude rise•Greater root and microbial accumulation in cold soils increase P shift to organic pool•Climate warming may stimulate P cycling more in cold than in warm grassland soils