Palaeoenvironmental records of Histosol pedogenesis in upland area, Espírito Santo State (SE, Brazil)

Abstract

In addition to being an important reservoir of carbon and water, Histosols are used as archives of palaeoenvironmental changes. This study aimed to reconstruct the evolutionary trajectory of the formation of Histosols in a mountain environment in the State of Espírito Santo, southeastern region of Brazil. This information was used in a multiproxy approach to palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Our analysis of the profile indicated that the Histosol initially formed in a peatland. Multiproxy records indicate significant environmental changes in the formation of the peatland, which constituted the Histosol parent material. Slope position contributed to the formation of a hydromorphic environment, with low oxygen availability that prevent organic matter degradation. Organic deposits was initially caused by the process of terrestrialization at the beginning of the Late Holocene (~2.814 ± 28 cal BP) in a lacustrine environment, rich in Pediastrum and Botryoccocus colonies. This lacustrine environment would have formed when the climate was colder and humid, which favored the establishment of forested vegetation. The paludization process occurred after the lake filled (~771 ± 24 cal BP), with a transition to warmer weather and more open vegetation, similar to that of today. Applying palaeoenvironmental reconstruction techniques with multiple proxies facilitates the investigation of Histosol genesis. This approach allows results to be obtained beyond those classically used in pedology.