A Discussion Note on Soil Development under the Influence of Terrestrial Vegetation at two Distant Regions of the Maritime Antarctic

• Main Authors: Parnikoza, Ivan, Korsun, Svitlana, Kozeretska, Iryna, Kunakh, Viktor
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research & German Society of Polar Research 2011
• Subjects: Antarctic; Argentine; Argentine Islands; King George Island; Point Thomas; Antarc*; Polar Research; Polarforschung; Tundra
• Online Access: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/30008/; https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/30008/1/55-59.pdf; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.38394; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.38394.d001

Comparative studies of two soils from the maritime Antarctic herb tundra formations (Point Thomas oasis of King George Island and Argentine Islands region) have shown a substantial difference. We did not find any distinct correlation between Antarctic herb tundra formation cover and pH measures or total content of C, N and P in soils from both regions. Soils on the Argentine Islands region were enriched with un-decomposed plant organic matter mixed with rock bed debris and probably belong to Histels, while in the Point Thomas oasis (King George Island) we found apparent Gelisols, with lower organics content. The two sites are compared and the state of the soils in relation to soil development is discussed.