Abstract
Revealing the pedogenesis of soil on carbonate rocks is a key step in determining the boundaries of soil types along a climosequence. However, related research is lacking for a subtropical mountain. In this study, eight pedons were sampled across an elevation gradient (789–2322 m) having large variation in mean annual precipitation (MAP) (1189–1764 mm) and mean annual temperature (MAT) (5.7–14.9 °C). General processes were performed, including physical, chemical, and morphological characterizations, X-ray diffraction (XRD), total elements’ content, and soil classification of the carbonate rock. In the climo-toposequence, the illite had been transformed into illite-smectite below 1300–1500 m of elevation, 1300–1370 mm of MAP, and above 10.5–11.5 °C of MAT, and into vermiculite above this climate. These findings indicated that the effects of temperature on soil mineral transformation had weakened with the gradual increases in elevation. The pedon at 861 m of elevation, 1206 mm of MAP, and 14.5 °C of MAT, which accounted for the argic horizons, was divided into Argosols after human activities. The finding revealed that changes from forest to cultivated land could potentially accelerate the formation of argic horizons, and it provided a theoretical basis for global carbonate rocks’ weathering conditions and ecological problems in subtropical mountains. When the soils reached approximately 1100–1200 m of elevation, 1250–1300 mm of MAP, and 11.5–13.5 °C of MAT, the argic horizons of the soil could be accounted for, as evolved from the Cambosols in Chinese Soil Taxonomy (CST) (Inceptisols in Soil Taxonomy (ST), Cambisols in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB)) to the Argosols in CST (Alfisols in ST, Luvisols or Alisols in WRB) under natural vegetation. Therefore, it was indicated that the soil types changed significantly in the CST, ST, and WRB with increases of MAP and decreases of MAT, which provides a reference for determining the boundaries of the soil types along a climosequence in subtropical mountains.
Highlights
IntroductionCarbonate rocks’ formations occupy substantial amounts of land area (approximately 12%), which substantiates their importance in global weathering and biogeochemical cycling processes [1]
On a global scale, carbonate rocks’ formations occupy substantial amounts of land area, which substantiates their importance in global weathering and biogeochemical cycling processes [1]
In the current research investigation, the quantification of the pedogenesis of soil derived from carbonate rocks along a climosequence in the Ta-pa Mountains indicated that, under the subtropical mountain climatic conditions, the illite had been transformed into illite-smectite below 1300–1500 m of elevation, 1300–1370 mm of mean annual precipitation (MAP), and above 10.5–11.5 ◦C of mean annual temperature (MAT), and to vermiculite above this climate
Summary
Carbonate rocks’ formations occupy substantial amounts of land area (approximately 12%), which substantiates their importance in global weathering and biogeochemical cycling processes [1]. In China, carbonate rocks have an estimated distribution area greater than 3.44 × 106 km, accounting for approximately one-third of the total land area. The total exposed area of carbonate rocks is estimated at greater than 9 × 105 km, which is close to one-tenth of the total land area [2]. Due to the strong chemical weathering of carbonate rocks, the area where it is located has the ineffective water and soil conservation abilities, inadequate natural disaster resistance abilities, and improper development. The study of soil pedogenesis and its environmental effects is of major scientific and practical significance for solving a series of resource and environmental problems related to carbonate rocks
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