L. Beyer et al., SMALL-DISTANCE VARIATION OF CARBON AND NITROGEN STORAGE IN MINERAL ANTARCTIC CRYOSOLS NEAR CASEY STATION (WILKES LAND), Zeitschrift fur Pflanzenernahrung und Bodenkunde, 161(3), 1998, pp. 211-220
In the antarctic summer 1996 top soils and whole profiles were collect
ed systematically near the Australian Casey Station (Wilkes Land).in o
rder to specify the carbon and nitrogen storage in permafrost-affected
mineral soils (Cryosols) of coastal areas of Antarctica. Cryorthents,
Cryaquepts and Haplocryods are the main soil units observed. The orga
nic matter accumulation in mineral soils of the ice-free coastal Antar
ctic region is similar to that of comparable Arctic regions. A Small-d
istance storage variation is mainly due to the patch pattern of topogr
aphy, geomorphology and especially soil geography. Haplocryods are imp
ortant sinks of carbon and nitrogen, whereas the storage in the Cryaqu
epts is of minor importance. In addition, large parts of the landscape
are characterized by Lithic Cryorthents, which store nearly 50% of th
e organic carbon and 40% of the nitrogen. A high variability in the C
and N concentration and storage complicates a calculation of soil C an
d N storage of the total landscape necessary for developing ecosystem
models. However, the survey on landscape level suggests that in 75% of
the landscape sites the soil carbon and nitrogen stock is very simila
r, but a wide-spread podzolization and/or extraordinary organic matter
accumulation increases the stocks to a great extent. For this reason
a storage estimation could be improved by a proper soil survey.