Factors influencing temporal changes in chemical composition of biogenic deposits in the middle Tążyna River Valley (Kuyavian Lakeland, central Poland)

Abstract

The present paper discusses the influence of geochemical properties on biogenic deposits in the Wilkostowo mire near Toruń, central Poland. The analysed core has allowed the documentation of environmental changes between the older part of the Atlantic Period and the present day (probably interrupted at the turn of the Meso-and Neoholocene). In order to reconstruct the main stages in the sedimentation of biogenic deposits, we have used stratigraphic variability of selected litho-geochemical elements (organic matter, calcium carbonate, biogenic and terrigenous silica, macro-and micro-elements: Na, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr and Ni). The main litho-geochemical component is CaCO 3 ; its content ranges from 4.1 per cent to 92 per cent. The variability of CaCO 3 content reflects mainly changes in hydrological and geomorphological conditions within the catchment area. The effects of prehistoric anthropogenic activities in the catchment of the River Tążyna, e.g., the use of saline water for economic purposes, are recorded in a change from calcareous gyttja into detritus-calcareous gyttja sedimentation and an increased content of lithophilous elements (Na, K, Mg and Ni) in the sediments. Principal component analysis (PCA) has enabled the distinction the most important factors that affected the chemical composition of sediments at the Wilkostowo site, i.e., mechanical and chemical denudation processes in the catchment, changes in redox conditions, bioaccumulation of selected elements and human activity. Sediments of the Wilkostowo mire are located in the direct vicinity of an archaeological site, where traces of intensive settlement dating back to the Neolithic have been documented. The settlement phase is recorded both in lithology and geochemical properties of biogenic deposits which fill the reservoir formed at the bottom of the Parchania Canal Valley.

Evolution of shallow post-bog soils developed on Holocene carbonate sediments in NW Poland

“…2) In the organic soils content of P and K is related with organic matter and mineral composition of minerals. Generally content of these elements increased with progress of mursh-forming process and degree of organic matter decomposition (Dobrowolski et al, 2010;Okupny et al, 2016). Studied organogenic soils developed on carbonate sediments are characterised low P and K content due to the properties of the organogenic layers and the subsoil containing small amounts of minerals that are their main source.…”

“…This element, similarly to Ca and Mg, is easily leached from rocks that build the catchment and it gets into the lakes with flowing water creating limnic deposits or entering their composition (Kelts and Hsü, 1978). The content of Mg and Na in the carbonate sediments should be mainly associated with allogenic mineral material (Dobrowolski et al, 2010;Okupny et al, 2016). Among the analysed macronutrients, statistical analysis showed that significant differences occur in the case of C, N and Mg contents between peat and mursh layers and other inorganic soils.…”

“…Factorial analysis indicates the relationship of K content in groundwater, in plants (Tab. S2) and in the percentage of Ncf in soils, which is the main source of this element in the natural environment of post-bog soils on Holocene carbonate limnic deposits (Meller, 2006;Dobrowolski et al, 2010;Okupny et al, 2016). As Könönen et al (2015) indicate, K in organic soils cannot compete for cation exchange sites with ions that have stronger electric charges (H, Ca, Mg) and can be easily leached or retained in the biological cycle by vegetation.…”

Changes in habitat conditions in a Late Glacial fluviogenic lake in response to climatic fluctuations (Warta River valley, central Poland)

“…Cal car e ous de pos its, con sid ered as in di cat ing a hy dro log i cal re gime de ter mined by the catch ment li thol ogy, per ma frost with drawal and plant colonis ation (GoŸdzik and Konecka-Bet ley, 1992a;Forysiak et al, 2010;Kordowski et al, 2014a) are ex cep tional in this re spect. In the Pol ish Low land, sed i men ta tion of cal car e ous gyttja was caused by the li thol ogy and avail abil ity of cal car e ous ma te rial (Ca 2+ and HCO 3 ions) in the catch ment, deep en ing of de pressions oc cu pied by per ma nent wa ter bod ies, and hab i tat con ditions such as physicochemical prop er ties of the lake wa ter (Mazurek, 1990;Borówka, 1992;Apolinarska et al, 2012;Okupny et al, 2016c;Makohonienko et al, 2023). Apart from cal car e ous sed i men ta tion, an im por tant group of lac us trine depos its found in the basal parts of nu mer ous mire sec tions are de tri tal gyttja and de tri tal-clayey gyttja (¯urek and Okupny, 2015).…”

Lithology and geochemistry of the Late Glacial and Holocene sediments from Gostyń Lake (Western Pomerania, Myślibórz Lakeland)

“…Environmental reconstructions based on lake and peatland records often register changes on a regional scale, but local changes are driven by geological structure and lithology in the catchment, the morphology of the basin, the source of supply, and the catchment of surface and ground waters (Wojciechowski 2000;Błaszkiewicz 2007;Płóciennik et al 2015;Dietze et al 2016;Okupny et al 2016). Lake basins and peat bogs are important archives also of natural past geological and hydroclimatic evolution in the West Pomeranian Lake District (Jasnowski 1962;Borówka 1992;Latałowa 1992Latałowa , 1999aMalkiewicz, Tomaszewska 2009;Madeja 2012;Bloom 2015;Lamentowicz et al 2015).…”