Distribution of soil taxa in Antarctica: A preliminary analysis

Abstract

Only 0.35% (49,500km2) of Antarctica is ice-free. These areas are scattered around the periphery of the continent and in interior mountain ranges, making soil mapping difficult. Here we compile the results of mapping in five of the nine ice-free areas that account for 79% of the ice-free area on a reconnaissance scale and interpret the distribution of soil subgroups in Soil Taxonomy. Soils of Antarctica are contained in four orders, dominantly Gelisols (84%), 13 suborders, 27 great groups, and 76 subgroups. Forty-five percent of the soils of Antarctica are Orthels, Gelisols that show minimal cryoturbation and occur in dry landscape positions; 38% of the soils are Turbels showing cryoturbation and occurring in more moist landscape positions. Only 16% of the soils of Antarctica lack permafrost in the control section and are classified as Entisols (Gel-great groups), Inceptisols (Gelepts suborder or Gelaquepts), or Histosols (Gel-great groups). These soils occur almost exclusively along the western Antarctic Peninsula and at elevations below 30m in the South Shetland Islands (SSI) and South Orkney Islands (SOI). Typic Anhyorthels are the dominant soil subgroup comprising nearly 15,340km2, or 31% of the soils in Antarctica. These soils occur primarily in central and southern Victoria Land, but also occur in the Thiel and Pensacola Mountains and Shackleton Range, the Prince Charles Mountains, and the mountains of Queen Maud Land. Typic Haploturbels and Typic Anhyturbels occupy 14 and 13% of the soils of ice-free regions of Antarctica, respectively. Most abundant in central Victoria Land, they are common in most mountainous regions of Antarctica. The dominant soil processes of maritime Antarctica are cryoturbation, gleization, melanization, podzolization, paludization, and phosphatization. In coastal East Antarctica, the major soil processes are rubification, salinization, calcification, pervection, and gleization. The predominant soil-forming processes in the Transantarctic Mountains include rubification, salinization, desert pavement formation, and permafrost development. Measures of pedodiversity will be valuable in the selection of protected areas in Antarctica.