Soil and Vegetation Patterns Along a Toposequence in a Dolomite Peak-cluster Depression Catchment

AimA deeper understanding of relationships between soil and vegetation is a prerequisite for accelerating karst area vegetation restoration. Remarkable achievements have been made at regional and individual plant scales, but research on the relationship between soil and vegetation is insufficient at the hillslope catena scale in karst areas.MethodsSoils and vegetation were investigated along a toposequence (upper-, middle-, lower-slope, and depression) of a dolomite peak-cluster depression catchment.ResultsA continuous soil catena pattern was developed along the toposequence. From the top to bottom of soil catena, soil thickness, fine soil mass ratio, nutrient stocks, and epikarst thickness gradually increased, while gravel mass ratio, pH, and saturated hydraulic conductivity gradually decreased. However, nutrient contents showed no significant change trends along the soil catena. There was a strong spatial association between soil types and dominant vegetation communities. The associations were as follows: herbs associated with entisols in the upper-slope; herbs and shrubs with inceptisols in the middle-slope; shrubs with semi-alfisols in the lower-slope; and trees with alfisols in the depression. ConclusionsThe dolomite rocks displayed an evenly progressive karstification process. This led to an undeveloped underground karstic network incapable of transporting soil materials into underground. Soil materials still accumulated at different topographic positions surface and formed a continuous catena. Parameters for nutrient stock may be more suitable for assessing soil productivity and to guide vegetation restoration key factors in karst regions than nutrient content parameters.

Cryogenic soils in the Vilyuy River Valley (Yakutia)

The object of this research is the cryogenic soils of the territory located in Central Yakutia, in the middle reach of Vilyuy River nearby Makhatta Tukulan with middle-taiga larch woods landscapes. In July 2021, on the right and left banks of the Vilyuy River, twelve soil sections have been formed, which relate to turf-podzols and turf-sub-units of the illovial-ferruginous, sod and alluvial sod, psammozems and stratozems according to to classification and diagnostics of Russian soils (2004). On the slope of the river valley was also formed the soil catena that included elementary geochemical landscapes of river terraces tops and slopes surfaces, as well as middle and high floodplains on the slopes of thermofusional funnels. Soil sections were also formed in flooded beam bottom and well-drained ravine bottom, on sub-horizontal Makhatta Tukulan surface, bottoms and  slopes of thermo-suffosional funnels. The study involves 46 soil samples for measuring the acidity level (pH), electric conductivity (EC), and concentration of total disolved solids (TDS). The explored soils are characterized with pH ranging from 2.81 to 7.78, with most common fluctuations of 5.5–5.6. TDS rates were often within the limit of 10 mg L-1 and rarely exceeded that threshold, however, there were single valyes higher than 50 mg L-1. Thus, the highest EC values (over 100 μS/cm) were measured in surface and subsurface horizons with high organic matter content, whereas mostly mineral horizons had typical EС values within the limit of 20 μS/cm.

From Chernozem to Luvisol or from Luvisol to Chernozem? A discussion about the relationships and limits of the two types of soils. A case study of the soil catena of Hrušov, Czechia

The patchy character of the distribution of Chernozems and Luvisols formed on loess is often observable on the pedological maps, on a large scale, in Czechia. The focus of the paper is to examine the features of the soil catena of Hrušov (Czechia), which is characterized by the simultaneous presence of Chernozem, Luvisol and Luvic Chernozem – without obvious environmental reasons. A catena of only 330 meters is considered a system of transformation between these soils. Along with field work and the pedological analysis, we used the soil micromorphology method to understand the processes of pedogenesis. We concluded that the presence of considerably different soil types on a small scale is due to intensive agriculture. We found that the present Chernozem is formed on the Luvisol by retrograde soil evolution, which included a shift in the vegetation, erosion, and recarbonation. The evolution of Luvisol in the lower part of the catena has been considerably modified.

Catenas of Grain Size and Chemical Forest Soil Properties in Outer Western Carpathians of the Czech Republic Characterized by Principal Component Analysis

More frequent occurence of hillwashes in altitudinal‑differentiated landscapes causes changes of relationships among terrain, bedrock and soils. The aim of the study was to characterize catenas of the terrain‑bedrock‑soil relationships by PCA of forest soil properties generalized into 2 × 2 km grid in Outer Western Carpathians (OWC) of the Czech Republic. The spatial relationships of the soil catenas with terrain and rocks were verified by ANOVA. Typification of the catenas was carried out by frequencies in the presented terrain and bedrock types according to biogeographical division system. Base saturation, CaO and P2O5 divide forest soils in OWC to ten catenas. The catenas characterized by moderate correspondence of soils and bedrock are concentrated in Outer Depressions, while catenas with moderate correspondence of soils and terrain are concentrated in Flysch Range. The Outer Carpathian Depressions are covered predominantly by floodplains, flat waterlogged, loess‑covered and luvic hillycountries (67% of the grid). The Flysch Range is covered predominantly by proluvial slopes, broken hillcountries and submountain to mountain slopes (65% of the grid). The Floodplains, broken nutrient‑medium hillycountries and mountain slopes have medium to marked soil horizon properties heterogeneity. The flat landforms, proluvial and submountain slopes have moderate soil properties heterogeneity. The statistical significant differences between values of properties at A and B horizons suggest rate of an surface matter translocation effect on the soil catena heterogeneity.