Pedogenic Gradients for Iron and Aluminum Accumulation and Phosphorus Depletion in Arctic and Alpine Soils as a Function of Time and Climate

• Published in: Quaternary Research
• Main Authors: Birkeland, Peter W., Burke, Raymond M., Benedict, James B.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1989
• Subjects: Arctic; Baffin Island; New Zealand; Wind River; Baffin
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(89)90075-6; http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:0033589489900756?httpAccept=text/xml; http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:0033589489900756?httpAccept=text/plain; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033589400020056

Abstract Pedogenically significant chemical extracts of iron, aluminum, and phosphorus are related mainly to time in chronosequences from Baffin Island (Canadian Arctic), the alpine Sierra Nevada and Wind River Range (western United States), the alpine Khumbu Glacier area (Himalaya, Nepal), and the alpine Southern Alps (New Zealand). Based on the accumulation index for Fe and Al, and the depletion index for P in each region, the following ranking of chemical pedogenic development is obtained: Southern Alps > Khumbu Glacier area ≅ Wind River Range > Sierra Nevada > coastal Baffin Island > inland Baffin Island. The ranking mainly follows regional climate, with the greatest accumulation and depletion to the warmest and wettest environment, and the least accumulation and depletion in the coldest and driest environment.