Reconsidering the compound effect of geomorphology, vegetation, and climate change on paleopedogenesis in sensitive environments (Northern Apennines, Italy)

Abstract

Complex sequences of paleosols are often formed by the interaction between pedogenesis and geomorphological evolution. Their study, particularly in mountain areas, is useful to reconstruct past environmental conditions as well as climate shifts, and to gather information on the morphodynamical processes affecting the landscape through time. Since the combined role that all different factors can play in the soil formation and evolution through time and space influences the formation and evolution of those complex paleosol sequences, a multidisciplinary study was conducted at the NW slope of Mt. Cusna (Northern Apennines, Italy). This work aims to reconstruct and to evaluate how the interactions between the geomorphological context, the Holocene climate variations, and the modification of the vegetation cover and composition influence the soil development of this area. A combination of routine soil analyses (i.e., grain-size distributions, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, pH, and Fe/Al extractions), soil micromorphology and the Rock-Eval ® pyrolysis allowed to characterize and to correlate the different soil units constituting a toposequence of six soil profiles. The presence of different pedological units that can be correlated along the slope underlines the occurrence of separate events of pedogenesis, spatio-temporally linked to recognizable stability phases at slope scale. These phases of biostasy, characterized by vegetation cover and soil development, alternate to phases of rhexistasy, characterized mainly by slope instability (i.e., aggradation/degradation). In detail, in the Mt. Cusna toposequence three different soil units, linked to three different stability phases, have been identified: the earliest stability phase, characterized by the presence of well-developed Luvisols, *Revision, Unmarked Click here to download Revision, Unmarked: Manuscript_Masseroli_etal_rev.docx the subsequent stability phase typified by less expressed Luvisols, and the ongoing stability phase with Leptosols. This latter pedogenetic phase, in some cases, is superimposed to the previous one, so affecting the exhumed paleosols. In this light, the Mt. Cusna toposequence characterization allowed to enlighten the complexity of soil polygenesis in higher detail than the previous studies, not only reconstructing the past environmental conditions but also inferring the succession of phases of slope stability and phases characterized by erosion and deposition processes.

Soil Trail as a Tool to Promote Cultural and Geoheritage: The Case Study of Mount Cusna Geosite (Northern Italian Apennines)

“…Cusna geosite and surrounding area is the presence of a wide range and constantly updated data of different disciplines. The presence of abundant literature focused on pedology, geomorphology, archeology, climatic and vegetation characterization, and specific laboratory analyses, such as radiocarbon dating, anthracological, and dendrochronological studies, e.g., [26,[29][30][31]36] allowed for the creation of an innovative trail able to enhance the soil as a paleoenvironmental archive and as a meeting point for different disciplines. In literature, geotrails are always created starting from an accurate analysis of the geographical, geological, and geomorphological characteristics.…”

“…In particular, along the Mt. Cusna toposequence (i.e., "a sequence of related soils that differ, one from the other, primarily because of topography as a soil-formation factor", https://www.soils.org/publications/soils-glossary/, accessed on 15 April 2023) (Figure 2f-h) different buried soil units have been identified and classified as Luvisols (Alfisols), formed during two distinct stability phases attributed to the Sub-Boreal and the most recent Atlantic period, characterized by a well or moderately developed brunification with clay illuviation [36]. The slopes of Mt.…”

“…The findings of Mariani et al [39] allowed for the retracement of the effect of the Little Ice Age (LIA) observable in soils and landforms of this part of the Apennines. Masseroli et al [36] provide a detailed reconstruction of how the interactions between the geomorphological context, the Holocene climate variations, and the modification of the vegetation cover and composition influence the soil development of the Mt. Cusna area.…”

“…Sci. 2023, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 5 of 2015 April 2023) (Figure2f-h) different buried soil units have been identified and classified as Luvisols (Alfisols), formed during two distinct stability phases attributed to the Sub-Boreal and the most recent Atlantic period, characterized by a well or moderately developed brunification with clay illuviation[36].…”

Carbon Isotopic Signature and Organic Matter Composition of Cenomanian High-Latitude Paleosols of Southern Patagonia

“…Similarly, the moderate OI values of the Inceptisols (~189) could reflect their formation over relatively coarse-textured sediments (i.e., levees and crevasse splay deposits) under well drained conditions [8], which allowed the rapid oxidation of the OM. These HI and OI values of the Inceptisols indicated that the kerogen essentially derived from land plants deposited under predominantly oxic conditions (Type III) and from refractory OM (Type IV) (e.g., [69]). Although Vertisols and Histosols presented similar HI average values, Vertisols showed a wider range compared to Histosols.…”