The record of postglacial environmental changes of the southern Baltic coastal zone in the sequence of fossil soils

Bogusława Kruczkowska,Wacław Florek,Monika Niska,Joanna Gadziszewska,Marek Degórski,Jerzy Jonczak

doi:10.1007/s11368-018-2058-4

Abstract

PurposeThe studies aimed to reconstruct major phases of litho-morpho-pedogenic processes and past environmental changes in the Baltic coastal zone near Poddąbie (54°37,070′ N, 16°57,897′ E) based on physical, chemical, pollen, and fossil Cladocera analysis of the polycyclic pedocomplex.Materials and methodsThe polycyclic pedocomplex under study included seven fossil soils developed from the Early Holocene until modern times from various materials. The soils were sampled and analyzed using standard procedures in soil science to determine their physical and chemical properties. Pollen and fossil Cladocera analysis was also carried out in the examined profile. Radiocarbon dates of selected samples were also specified.Results and discussionThe studied polycyclic pedocomplex has been developed from materials of varied origin, including glaciofluvial, fluvial, aeolian, and biogenic deposits of the lake. According to the results of pollen and fossil Cladocera analysis and radiocarbon dating, this body of water has evolved from the beginning of Preboreal period to the half of Boreal. The studied soils represent various reference groups and advancement of development. They constitute relics of former geomorphological and soil-forming processes, which have taken place over the last 9500 years, including periglacial processes, wildfires, Baltic Sea shoreline changes, and aeolian activity. The last stage of the coastal relief dynamics was conditioned by the fire which took place about 1472–1637 AD. The lack of plant cover and intensive abrasion due to direct vicinity of the coastline has caused the deposition of aeolian material, which is the parent material of nutrient-poor initial soils.ConclusionsThe analysis of fossil soil development with the use of specialized research methods allowed for reconstructing the dynamics of past geomorphological processes and natural environment changes in the study area. The studied polycyclic pedocomplex constitutes a record of environmental changes taking place in the central part of the Polish Baltic coastal zone from the Early Holocene to the present day. The studied soil sequence is located within a land depression developed in place of the former water reservoir created as a result of permafrost degradation, and filled with Holocene deposits.

Highlights

Responsible editor: Arnaud TemmeLandscape evolution is a continuous process, which depends on various natural and anthropogenic factors and processes, e.g., erosion related to runoff, climate change, soil, and vegetation cover and impact of human activity (Tsara et al 2001; Bogaart et al 2003; de Alba et al 2004; Yetemen et al 2010)
The analysis of fossil soil development with the use of specialized research methods allowed for reconstructing the dynamics of past geomorphological processes and natural environment changes in the study area
The studied polycyclic pedocomplex constitutes a record of environmental changes taking place in the central part of the Polish Baltic coastal zone from the Early Holocene to the present day

Summary

Introduction

Responsible editor: Arnaud TemmeLandscape evolution is a continuous process, which depends on various natural and anthropogenic factors and processes, e.g., erosion related to runoff, climate change, soil, and vegetation cover and impact of human activity (Tsara et al 2001; Bogaart et al 2003; de Alba et al 2004; Yetemen et al 2010). Coastal zones are an example of young-glacial landscape with specific features conditioned by the influence of the sea and morphogenetic processes dependent on the cliff structure (e.g., geological structure, lithology, and plant cover). In periods of climate cooling, the surface instability was intensified due to depletion of the plant cover and intensification of aeolian processes, which significantly impeded or inhibited soil formation (e.g., Engstrom and Wright 1984; Hošek et al 2017). These relationships have already been studied in the soils of the Baltic coastal zone near Orzechowo (Kruczkowska et al 2017)

Methods

Results

Conclusion