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Soil chemical properties dynamics in glacial moraines across a chronosequence: Breiðamerkurjokull outwash plane, Iceland

Turner, Chloe Michele
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1525601525183877

Abstract Details

2018, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Environment and Natural Resources.
The glacier foreland is the area of newly-formed landscape in front of a glacier. As the glaciers of Iceland continue to retreat new soil surface is exposed to plant and soil succession. The glacial fore-field of the Breiðamerkurjokull serves as a chronosequence to study the morphological, physical, and chemical changes of the soils. On the moraines, evidence of the influence of seabirds was observed by the formation of hummocks, which were sampled for each age-group. The presence of seabirds is expected to enrich the soil nutrients and enhance the overall soil development. Soil samples were also collected from nearby birch (Betula pubescens) woodlands, representing soils in a potentially future mature soil profile. This analysis focuses on the chemical and nutrient gradients formed along the chronosequence in the glacial moraines, and compared to point-centered influence of seabirds. The soil pH (H2O) ranged from 8.2 to 5.7 in a 127-year old moraine, however remained consistent in the hummocks averaging at 5.8 pH after only 35 years. The SOC and TN generally increased over the moraines chronosequence, both with maximum concentration in the 87-year old moraine, with 1.36% SOC and 0.07% N. The hummocks showed significantly higher values for both SOC and TN with peak concentrations in the 127-year old hummocks at 14.5% SOC and 1.15% N, indicating the presence of seabirds provides enrichment for the soil. The C: N ratio was large in the initial moraines, but narrowed over the chronosequence, averaging at 30:1. The C: N ratio was significantly less in the hummocks averaging at 14:1 for both depths sampled. Analysis of available macro- and micro-nutrients showed various trends of increasing concentrations, decreasing concentration, or no significant trend in the chronosequence. The available Fe decreased with time from 535 µg Fe g-1 in the initial 5 years to 373 µg Fe g-1 in the 127-year old moraine, and the Al concentration increased availability from initial 661 µg Al g-1 to 1026 µg Al g-1 in the 87-year old moraine. The volcanic soils of the region, exhibit distinctive soil properties including, low bulk density, variable charge characteristics, and high phosphate immobilization. The P-retention of the moraines increased over time reaching 26.6% P-retained in the 127-year old moraine, 48.9% P in the 127-year old hummock, and 87.5% P in the woodland area. However, the moraine values showed significant differences for many soil properties, when compared to those for the hummocks. This study supports the hypothesis that point-centered input of seabirds into the soil landscape can locally enhance the chemical properties, nutrient availability and rates of soil formation. The Breiðamerkurjokull chronosequence exhibited a unique case study of various chemical and nutrient properties of the glacial moraines and how they change over time. This study is also leading to conclusions that the bird hummocks and other stable sites (i.e. reference area) are places were soil builds by accumulation instead of traditional weathering processes.
Rattan Lal (Advisor)
Guðrún Gísladóttir (Committee Co-Chair)
Brian Slater (Committee Member)
Scott Demyan (Committee Member)
148 p.
Climate Change; Environmental Science; Geochemistry; Geomorphology; Natural Resource Management; Physical Geography; Soil Sciences
soil development; Iceland; glacial moraines; seabirds; bird hummocks; chronosequence

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Citations

  • Turner, C. M. (2018). Soil chemical properties dynamics in glacial moraines across a chronosequence: Breiðamerkurjokull outwash plane, Iceland [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1525601525183877

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Turner, Chloe. Soil chemical properties dynamics in glacial moraines across a chronosequence: Breiðamerkurjokull outwash plane, Iceland. 2018. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1525601525183877.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Turner, Chloe. "Soil chemical properties dynamics in glacial moraines across a chronosequence: Breiðamerkurjokull outwash plane, Iceland." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1525601525183877

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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