| Title | Soil properties of an Antarctic inland site; implications for ecosystem development |
| Author | Engelen, A.; Convey, P.; Hodgson, D.A.; Worland, M.R.; Ott, S. |
| Author Affil | Engelen, A., Heinrich-Heine- Universität, Institute of Botany, Dusseldorf, Federal Republic of Germany. Other: British Antarctic Survey, United Kingdom |
| Source | Polar Biology, 31(12), p.1453-1460, . Publisher: Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany. ISSN: 0722- 4060 |
| Publication Date | Nov. 2008 |
| Notes | In English. 38 refs. GeoRef Acc. No: 288448. CRREL Acc. No: 63001095 |
| Index Terms | chemical composition; chemical properties; ecology; ecosystems; grain size; physical properties; soils; Alexander Island; Antarctica--Antarctic Peninsula; Antarctic Peninsula; Antarctica; carbon; field capacity; nutrients; organic carbon; pH; polygons |
| Abstract | Inland Antarctic nunataks typically have simple physically weathered soils and limited ecosystem complexity. In this paper we present quantitative measurements of soil physical and chemical properties at one Antarctic nunatak. We measured pH, grain size, field capacity, soil organic carbon, phosphate, nitrate, ammonium and the cations magnesium, calcium and potassium along two transects. The data obtained indicated that very low levels of nutrients were present/available to biota, and that liquid water was absent, at least from the surface depths of soil, except during periods of active snow melt. Consequently, biological activity is severely limited. (modif. j. abstr.) |
| URL | http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s00300-008-0486-0 |
| Publication Type | journal article |
| Record ID | 85178 |