Soil formation in coastal continental Antarctica (Wilkes Land)

Recent antarctic soil studies suggest that in terrestrial ecosystems of coastal regions soil formation and chemical weathering occur to a greater extent than predicted by former models. This paper summarizes pedogenic findings from the Casey area on the coast of East Antarctica and presents a proposal of soil formation sequences on a large-scale data base. Soil organic matter accumulation and podzolization are important soil forming processes in regions outside the antarctic cold desert of the Ross Sea section. The results suggest some correlations between the soil development and vegetation patterns. Nutrient supply in soil is affected by the high contents and availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium due to an input by seabirds. The US Soil Taxonomy (8th edn.: Gelisol order) and the recently adopted World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB: Cryosol soil group) suggest a different understanding of impact of permafrost on soil formation. According to the WRB and the US Soil Taxonomy, organic permafrost-affected soils are not Cryosols, but Gelisols. Lithic Haplorthels as well as Haploturbels and to some extent Aquaturbels and organic Gelisols are suggested to be representative of the Casey area. In addition Podzols occur to a great extent. However, the recent Keys to Soil Taxonomy do not reflect the podzolization process in an adequate way and a classification is not possible. According to a former version these soils would be Lithic or Pergelic Haplocryods, whereas according to the newly adopted WRB system these soils are Spodic Haplic Cryosols. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.