Features of formation and morphological structure of tundra soils of the Barents Sea islands
D.A. KAVERIN1, D.D. KHLOPTSOVA2, T.A. GRACHEVA3, R.D. KOROBITSYNA4, E.Yu. YAKOVLEV4
1Institute of Biology of the Komi Scientific Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Separate Division of the Federal Research Center “Komi Scientific Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, Syktyvkar, Russia
2Institute of Earth Sciences, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
3Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
4N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Arkhangelsk, Russia
Keywords: arctic tundras, soil morphology, soil classification, permafrost, ground penetrating radar sounding
Abstract
The soils of high-arctic and typical tundras of the Barents Sea islands (Mabel Island of the Franz Josef Land Archipelago, Severny Island of the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, Kolguev Island) were studied. The article considers the features of formation and morphological structure of soils in the concept of tundra soil formation. The taxonomic position of soils was determined within the framework of substantive-genetic classification systems. A comparative analysis of zonal and landscape conditions of soil formation was carried out. It has been concluded that the harsh climatic conditions and fragmentary nature of the soil cover of high-arctic tundras determine the formation of thin profiles with weak morphological manifestation of soil horizons. It has been revealed that in typical tundras of the island landscapes, full-profile zonal tundra soils are formed under natural vegetation. Moreover, the specifics of soil formation at the landscape level are determined by the composition and structure of parent and underlying rocks. The influence of landscape conditions is most pronounced on mountain islands, where shallow rocky soils have formed. In high-arctic tundras, cryogenic psammozems and lithozems develop on various rock types, while typical tundras produce gley and peaty cryogenic soils. It has been shown that the high rockiness of soils and underlying rocks contributes to an increase in the depth of seasonal thawing. The occurrence of permafrost in the depth of underlying dense rocks limits the possibilities of its manual probing, making ground penetrating radar methods the main ones in studying the depth of soil thawing. Differences in the genesis and morphological structure of soils of high-arctic and typical tundras are due to the significant latitudinal extent and great diversity of landscapes in the island Arctic.
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