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This paper presents distribution and properties of soils within the Fuglebekken catchment in neighbourhood of the Polish Polar Station in Hornsund, SW Spitsbergen (Svalbard Archipelago). The present study describes 8 representative soil profiles out of 34 profiles studied for the whole catchment. Soils of the Fuglebekken catchment show initial stage of their formation because of very slow rate of chemical and biological weathering in Arctic climate conditions. Uplifted marine terraces of the Fuglebekken catchment are charac− terized by domination of Haplic Cryosols which are related to stony and gravelly parent mate− rial (reworked marine sediments). Such soils constitute of 17% of the studied area. Turbic Cryosols forming characteristic micro−relief occur on flat surfaces and gentle slopes. Such soils (covering 7% of the catchment) are formed from loamy parent material. Along streams Hyperskeletic Cryosols (Reductaquic) and Turbic Histic Cryosols occur. The last two soil units (constituting 11% of the catchment) are mantled by continuous and dense vegetation cover (especially mosses) due to high content of water rich in nutrients flowing from colonies of sea birds located on slopes of Ariekammen and Fugleberget. The studied soils are generally characterized by shallow occurrence of permafrost (i.e. at 30-50 cm), high content of pebbles, sandy or sandy loam texture, and neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. Soils occurring along streams and near colonies of sea birds show higher content of nutrients (N and P) in compari− son with other soils and are covered by more dense vegetation. This indicates important im− pact of bird guano on chemical composition of soil solution and fertility of such soils.

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