Identifying slope processes over time and their imprint in soils of medium‐high mountains of Central Europe (the Karkonosze Mountains, Poland)

Abstract

Soils in mountainous areas are often polygenetic, developed in slope covers that relate to glacial and periglacial activities of the Pleistocene and Holocene and reflect climatic variations. Landscape development during the Holocene may have been influenced by erosion/solifluction that often started after the Holocene climatic optimum. To trace back soil evolution and its timing, we applied a multi‐methodological approach. This approach helped us to outline scenario of soil transformation. According to our results, some aeolian input must have occurred in the late Pleistocene. During that time and the early Holocene, the soils most likely had features of Cryosols or Leptosols. Physico‐chemical and mineralogical analyses have indicated that the material was denudated (between late Boreal to the Atlantic) from the ridge and upper‐slope positions forming a colluvium at mid‐slope positions. Later, during the Sub‐Boreal, mass wasting of the remains of silt material deposited at the end of the Pleistocene age on the ridge top seems to have occurred. In addition, the cool and moist conditions caused the deposition of a colluvium at the lower‐slope positions. The next phase was characterized by the transformation of Leptosols/Cambisols into Podzols at upper‐slope or shoulder positions and to Albic Cambisols at mid‐slope positions. During the Sub‐Boreal period, Stagnosols started to form at the lower part of the slope catena. Overall, the highest erosion rates were calculated at the upper‐slope position and the lowest rates at mid‐slope sites. Berylium‐10 (10Be) data showed that the Bs, BC/C were covered during the Holocene by a colluvium with a different geological composition which complicated the calculation of erosion or accumulation rates. The interpretation of erosion and accumulation rates in such multi‐layered materials may, therefore, be hampered. However, the multi‐methodological reconstruction we applied shed light on the soil and landscape evolution of the eastern Karkonosze Mountains. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Does calcium carbonate influence clay mineral transformation in soils developed from slope deposits in Southern Poland?

“…However, considering the Fig. 8 (continued) relatively low content of Zf and Hf, which are widely considered as the indices of silt admixture (Galović and Peh 2014;Scheib and Lee 2010;Scheib et al 2014;Waroszewski et al 2018aWaroszewski et al , 2018b, it can only be stated that aeolian admixture was absent or only present in small amounts in the studied soils.…”

Topographic variation in soil erosion and accumulation determined with meteoric 10Be

“…Meteoric 10 Be is delivered to the soil surface by wet or dry deposition, where it infiltrates with rain and adsorbs to soil particle surfaces (Willenbring and von Blanckenburg, ). This nuclide has been used to determine 10 Be residence time (Fifield et al, ), soil age (Egli et al, ; Ebert et al, ), rates of soil production and erosion (Fifield et al, ; Dannhaus et al, ; Waroszewski et al, ), hillslope processes (Jungers et al, ; West et al, , ), sediment transport/tracing (Belmont et al, ) and recording of the magnetic field strength (Frank et al, ).…”

“…[Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] 99 SOIL EROSION AND ACCUMULATION DETERMINED WITH METEORIC 10BE and von Blanckenburg, 2010). This nuclide has been used to determine 10 Be residence time (Fifield et al, 2010), soil age (Egli et al, 2010;Ebert et al, 2012), rates of soil production and erosion (Fifield et al, 2010;Dannhaus et al, 2017;Waroszewski et al, 2018), hillslope processes (Jungers et al, 2009;West et al, 2013West et al, , 2014, sediment transport/tracing (Belmont et al, 2011) and recording of the magnetic field strength (Frank et al, 1997).…”

Rendzinas diversity of the Ojców National Park as an effect of lithological factors

“…Lorz et al (2013) discuss the idea of soil evolution based on downward formation from top to down part of soil profile characteristic of homogenous soil substrate. Nevertheless, soil evolution could be more complex and marked by differences between two horizons or layers in soil profile (Ligêza 2009, Lorz and Phillips 2006, Lorz et al 2010, Waroszewski et al 2013, 2017a, 2017b. Heterogenic soils have a complicated but widely discussed genesis (Schaetzl and Anderson 2005, Waroszewski et al 2015, 2017b.…”

“…Nevertheless, soil evolution could be more complex and marked by differences between two horizons or layers in soil profile (Ligêza 2009, Lorz and Phillips 2006, Lorz et al 2010, Waroszewski et al 2013, 2017a, 2017b. Heterogenic soils have a complicated but widely discussed genesis (Schaetzl and Anderson 2005, Waroszewski et al 2015, 2017b. Polygenetic soil development often includes mass movement, soil reworking and erosion as well as aeolian admixture (Kowalska et al 2016, Schaetzl and Anderson 2005, Waroszewski et al 2013).…”