Pedogenic Research Articles

Effects of Geological and Geotechnical Characteristics on Cut-Slope Stability of Residual Formations in the Hilly Terrain of Sri Lanka A Case Study from Central Expressway (Section 3)

Residual formations consist of residual soils and parent rocks of different levels of weathering due to physical, chemical and biological processes. Existence of residual soils on the hilly slope surface and weathering of parent rocks of the residual formations can cause slope instability problems. Cutting on the hilly slopes during development projects have aggravated the problems. Sri Lankan residual soil formations are formed by weathering of the metamorphic rock and have inherited significant abrupt variations in engineering characteristics. Basic characteristics of these residual formations such as unsaturated shear strength (geotechnical) and variation of geological features (geological) are essential parameters in slope stability analyses. Therefore, a study for effects of geological and geotechnical characteristics on cut slope stability of residual formation was done by selecting major cutting sections on hilly terrain in Central Expressway Project (CEP 03) trace where degree of weathering of the parent rock units, their petrography, physical, mechanical properties and various structural features as well as series of index properties, engineering properties and strength tests on residual soils were performed.This paper highlights the need for detailed experimental studies and presents preliminary studies that have been conducted to establish the geological and geotechnical characteristics of unsaturated Sri Lankan residual formation. The results indicate that the variation in geotechnical as well as geological characteristics of the residual formation are related to cut slope stability in hilly terrain.

Response of microbial diversity and function to the degradation of Barkol Saline Lake

Barkol Lake, a shrinking hypersaline lake situated in the northeast of Xinjiang, China, has experienced the exposure of its riverbed and the gradual drying up of its original sediment due to climate change and human activities, resulting in the formation of alkaline soils. These changes have correspondingly altered the physicochemical characteristics of the surrounding environment. Microorganisms play a crucial role, with special functioning involved in various nutrient cycling and energy transfer in saline lake environments. However, little is known about how the microbial community dynamics and metabolic functions in this shrinking saline lake relate to the degradation process. To address this knowledge gap, a cultivation-independent method of amplicon sequencing was used to identify and analyze the microbial community and its potential ecological functions in the sediment and degraded area. The microbial community diversity was found to be significantly lower in the degraded areas than in the sediment samples. The Pseudomonadota was dominant in Barkol Saline Lake. The abundance of Desulfobacterota and Bacillota in the degraded areas was lower than in the lake sediment, while Pseudomonadota, Acidobacteriota, and Actinobacteriota showed an opposite trend. The βNTI showed that microbial community assembly was primarily associated with deterministic processes in Barkol Saline Lake ecosystems and stochastic processes at the boundary between sediment and degraded areas. Functional predictions showed that sulfur metabolism, particularly sulfate respiration, was much higher in sediment samples than in the degraded areas. Overall, these findings provided a possible perspective for us to understand how microorganisms adapt to extreme environments and their role in saline lakes under environmental change.

Analysis of Soil Differences in Subway Vibration Transmission Paths

Current challenges in collecting and analyzing subway vibration data include the absence of standardized data collection methods, limitations in data analysis techniques, and an unclear understanding of the effects of geological conditions on vibrations. This study investigated vertical vibrations of tunnel walls and the ground above tunnels under different geological conditions of soft soil and rock strata at horizontal distances of 0, 15 m, and 30 m from the tunnel center line during train passages. The collected data underwent Fourier transformation and 1/3 octave processing to extract spectral characteristics and analyze transmission losses across different frequency bands. Our findings revealed two vibration peaks in the transmission process for both soft soil and rock formation geology. Specifically, high-frequency vibrations in soft soil experienced greater attenuation when transmitted from the tunnel wall to the ground at 0 m, while low-frequency vibrations in rock formations showed greater attenuation. We also observed a vibration amplification phenomenon at 15 m under soft soil geology conditions. Although low-frequency vibrations below 12.5 Hz showed slight attenuation within a 30 m test distance under both geological conditions, vibrations above 40 Hz experienced significant attenuation. These results offer valuable insights for reducing vibrations in subway superstructures and planning subway lines under diverse geological conditions. Furthermore, this study serves not only as a basis for mitigating vibrations in metro spans and designing metro lines in various geological contexts but also establishes a scientific foundation for future research.

Anthropogenic soil as an environmental material, as exemplified with improved growth of rice seedlings

Herein, the feasibility of artificial black soil (ABS) derived from hydrothermal humification-hydrothermal carbonization (HTH-HTC) for restructuration of weak soil was verified. This study breaks through the long history of soil formation and evolution, and obtains reconstructed anthropogenic soil (AS) system which only takes one month, for the further application of rice seedlings. HTH-HTC derived by-products are slightly acidic, which facilitates the effective nutrient uptake and prevention of wilt diseases for acid-loving rice seedlings. AS mainly consists of the inherent components retained from weak soil such as SiO2 and minerals, and exogenous components such as artificial humic substances and hydrochar, as introduced by hydrothermal humification processes. Results exhibit that AS has high contents of ammonium nitrogen, organic matter, organic carbon, and abundant porous structure for nutrient transport and water holding, especially, the community diversity and richness of microbial system gets the expected recovery and new beneficial bacteria (such as Caballeronia calidae) or fungi (such as Humicola) appear. Positive effects of AS on agronomic traits in rice seedlings are quantified. As a general result, this study supports the application of AS in sustainable agriculture, and provides a novel strategy to tackle the already-omnipresent land degradation by anthropogenic misuse and larger scale accidents.

Potential Role of the Yeast Papiliotrema terrestris Strain PT22AV in the Management of the Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita

Potential Role of the Yeast Papiliotrema terrestris Strain PT22AV in the Management of the Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita

Local Perceptions of Forest-Based Ecosystem Services in Benin, West Africa

Ecosystem services are closely linked to the daily lives of local communities, particularly those living near forests. The study of the local perceptions of these services is relevant because they vary depending on the community, the study period, and the environment. So beyond the inventorying of ecosystem services, understanding the perceptions of local communities regarding these services remains a necessity. Our study aims to analyze how local communities perceive the ecosystem services provided by forests and the factors that determine these perceptions. We collected data from 232 heads of households across 23 villages bordering the forest and analyzed them using descriptive statistics and ordered Probit analysis. The results showed that provisioning services (such as plant-derived medicines, rafters and planks, livestock feed, crops, and firewood) were the most important, followed by regulating and supporting services (including soil formation, erosion control, and climate regulation) are the most important. Finally, cultural services (encompassing cultural practices, heritage, and spirituality) were perceived as important. However, communities did not perceive the value of ecotourism. Factors influencing these perceptions included gender (male), age (young individuals), occupation in farming, household size, level of education, Bariba ethnicity and income. To ensure the sustainable utilization of forest resources in the region, it is necessary to encourage young people to adopt environmentally friendly agricultural practices, to use improved stoves that require less wood and promote cultural services to diversify their sources of income.

Hydropedological Characterization of a Coal Mining Waste Deposition Area Affected by Self-Burning

Coal mining often produces severe environmental effects, including impacts on the soil system and, specifically, on hydropedological conditions that control the leaching of significant ions and Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs). The research objective is to assess changes in the hydropedological conditions in an area with a coal mining waste pile that underwent self-burning. An integrative approach was implemented, starting with the definition of hydropedological zoning based on field observations of soil formation factors (namely, parent material, relief, biological activity, anthropic influence, and time). The soil profile in each hydropedological zone was characterized regarding morphological features. The upper mineral horizons were sampled and characterized in terms of mineralogy and PTE geochemistry. Field measurements of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, soil water content, and hydrophobicity were performed. Afterwards, the hydrogeochemistry of leachates was determined, and the soil leaching potential was evaluated. The research outcomes express substantial differences regarding the hydropedological zones: development of different soil profiles, diverse mineralogy and PTE geochemistry, higher unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and leaching of major ions, and PTEs in soils affected by coal mining activities. Finally, a Principal Component Analysis confirmed the existence of significant contrasts according to hydropedological zoning.

Microbiomes of Primary Soils and Mining Heaps of Polymetallic Ore Quarries

This research evaluates the development of microbiomes in primary soils, forming in various mining dumps in the arid terrain in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia. A metagenomic analysis of the communities was performed by sequencing extended gene sequences. The evaluation of the agro-chemical properties was in accordance with conventional pedology methods. Inverse voltammetry was used to measure the heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, zinc, copper, and nickel) and arsenic content. In all the samples studied, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria phylas dominated, and, in smaller numbers, Acidobacteria and Bacteroidetes were present. In the natural samples, the proportion of Actinobacteria was higher, and the proportions of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were lower than in the samples from anthropogenically disrupted soils. Verrucomicrobia bacteria and Thaumarchaeota archaea were not found in the forming soils of the Kulyurtau and Tubinsky quarries, although in all other samples, there was a significant content of representatives of these types. Soil formation was observed at the Kulyurtau and Tubinsky mines, with a self-restoration period of more than 30 years. The microbial communities of the forming soils were similar in species richness to the background soils, and the alpha diversity showed a high level of dispersion, although the beta diversity had a different clustering, but the absence of Verrucomicrobia and Thaumarchaeota phyla in the samples from both sites indicates the underdevelopment of new soils compared with the natural background. Agrochemical indicators showed a dependence on the type of growing vegetation and the degree of anthropogenic load, and the correlation with the microbial composition of soils was traced poorly.

A field investigation on the soil management practices in a productive vineyard considering C sequestration and water resistance of soil structure

AbstractOptimal soil structure is linked to soil organic matter (SOM). Different soil management practice alternates SOM but the storing C to soil structure formation in vineyard soils is not sufficiently studied. In addition, understanding the impact of soil management practices in vineyard on changes in SOM and soil structure is crucial for sustainable viticulture. In this study conducted in a productive vineyard near Nitra city, Slovakia, we investigated the dynamics of individual size-fractions of water-stable aggregates (WSA) as results of changes in soil organic matter (SOM) under different soil management practices. Five distinct management practices – Intensive tillage system (T); Intensive tillage system with poultry manure (T + M); Strip grass (G); Fertilization in lower rates of NPK (NPK 1) to grass strips; and Fertilization in higher level of NPK (NPK 2) to grass strips were adopted to to be tested. The results have shown that the highest content of soil organic carbon (SOC) 20.3 ± 3.68 g kg−1, labile carbon (CL) 2.71 ± 0.78 g kg−1, and the most favor soil structure were identified in NPK 1, however, the most effectively improved soil structure and C sequestration (SOC: 19.9 ± 3.88 g kg−1; CL: 2.53 ± 0.83 g kg−1) was under G treatment. SOC had a more significant influence on the content of water-stable aggregates than CL. Intense changes in SOM took place in larger size-fractions of water-stable macroaggregates (WSAma) above 2 mm, while smaller WSAma below 2 mm and water-stable microaggregates were more stable.

The Loss of Soil Parent Material: Detecting and Measuring the Erosion of Saprolite

Soil parent material is a fundamental natural resource for the generation of new soils. Through weathering processes, soil parent materials provide many of the basic building blocks for soils and have a significant bearing on the physico-chemical makeup of the soil profile. Parent materials are critical for governing the stock, quality, and functionality of the soil they form. Most research on soil parent materials to date has aimed to establish and measure the processes by which soil is generated from them. Comparatively little work has been performed to assess the rates at which soil parent materials erode if they are exposed at the land surface. This is despite the threat that the erosion of soil parent materials poses to the process of soil formation and the loss of the essential ecosystem services those soils would have provided. A salient but unanswered question is whether the erosion of soil parent materials, when exposed at the land surface, outpaces the rates at which soils form from them. This study represents one of the first to detect and measure the loss of soil parent material. We applied Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle Structure-From-Motion (UAV-SfM) photogrammetry to detect, map, and quantify the erosion rates of an exposed saprolitic (i.e., weathered bedrock) surface on an agricultural hillslope in Brazil. We then utilized a global inventory of soil formation to compare these erosion rates with the rates at which soils form in equivalent lithologies and climatic contexts. We found that the measured saprolite erosion rates were between 14 and 3766 times faster than those of soil formation in similar climatic and lithological conditions. While these findings demonstrate that saprolite erosion can inhibit soil formation, our observations of above-ground vegetation on the exposed saprolitic surface suggests that weathered bedrock has the potential to sustain some biomass production even in the absence of traditional soils. This opens up a new avenue of enquiry within soil science: to what extent can saprolite and, by extension, soil parent materials deliver soil ecosystem services?

Addition of Biochar and Fertiliser Drives Changes in Soil Organic Matter and Humic Substance Content in Haplic Luvisol

Humic substances (HSs) constitute a primary component of soil organic matter (SOM) and play a crucial role in soil formation and fertility. However, comprehensive information regarding quantitative and qualitative changes in HS following biochar’s application to soil still needs to be improved. This study reports on the impact of biochar application at rates of 0, 10, and 20 t ha⁻1 (B0, B10, B20), both with and without nitrogen fertilisation at varying levels (N0, N1, N2), on SOM and HS contents throughout the cropping seasons between 2014 and 2019. The findings reveal changes in SOM and HS contents due to biochar addition and fertilisation. Notably, the most substantial increase in soil organic carbon content was observed in the B20N1 and B10N1 treatments, in stark contrast with the reference B0N0 treatment. A decrease in humification of SOM was noted across all treatments involving biochar, whether alone or combined with different N fertilisation levels. An interesting positive change in HS contents was observed in B10N2, where an increase in humic acids and a decrease in fulvic acids enhanced HS stability and improved HS quality. These findings shed light on the intricate dynamics of SOM and HSs in response to biochar application and nitrogen fertilisation over multiple vegetation seasons of crops on loamy Haplic Luvisols in Central Europe.

Soil and ecological assessment of the technogenically disturbed landscape in the area of a coal mine dump

Study of the soil‐ecological state of technogenic landscapes of Kuzbass through the example of coal mine dumps.Soil samples were taken in places with disturbed landscapes due to the action of the coal industry, namely the external dump on the site of the coal mine in the area of the village of Zarinskoye, Belovsky district, Kemerovo region in the south‐east of Western Siberia. The indicators were determined in accordance with GOST standards.Diagnostics of the surface of the coal mine dump were carried out. The main physical and chemical indicators were determined, according to which the possibility of soil formation and biological reclamation was assessed. In analyzing chemical composition, the following indicators were determined: aqueous pH, hydrolytic acidity, total alkalinity, dry residue, ash content, humus content and ion content (Cl–, SO42–, HCO3–, Ca2, Mg2+, Al3+). Physical indicators of the degree of suitability of soils for reclamation, such as hygroscopic moisture, soil moisture, soil density and soil porosity, were also studied.The results obtained allow us to characterise the technogenically disturbed areas in terms of physical and chemical properties as being limitedly favourable for plant growth, which can be used for biological reclamation following agrotechnical activity.

Structural and physiological responses to water availability provide insights into the maintenance of Mauritia flexuosa (Arecaceae) seedling banks

Mauritia flexuosa is an ecologically and economically important Amazonian palm. It has an expanded distribution to flooded ecosystems (“veredas”) in the markedly seasonal Cerrado biome. The species' seeds are sensitive to desiccation, which limits the formation of soil seed banks, although there are indications that M. flexuosa can form seedling banks in microenvironments subject to water stress conditions. We evaluated this issue considering both morphological and physiological seedling responses to water availability. Mauritia flexuosa seedlings were grown in soils taken from the bottom (organosol) and the edge (gleisol) of a seasonally flooded vereda ecosystem with 0, 40, 60, 80 and 100% available water contents, and their survival and morphologies were evaluated for eight months. At the end of this period, dry mass, photosynthetic parameters, ABA content, leaf ultrastructure, and gene expression associated with aquaporins (MIP family) were evaluated. The seedlings showed phenotypic plasticity, with positive responses to water availability (growth and photosynthetic parameters) as well as the notable ability to survive under water stress in both of the soil types examined. Their responses to water stress were related to ABA accumulation and the maintenance of water homeostasis – with modulation of stomatal control, water use efficiency, and MIP gene expression. Mauritia flexuosa can form seedling banks in both flooded and water-stressed environments, which contributes to its reproductive success and wide distribution. The introduction of seedlings produced ex situ could be a viable alternative for the recovery of degraded areas.

Физические и физико-химические свойства почв рекреационных территорий г. Воронежа

Using the example of four key sites, soil formation factors, morphogenetic features of soils exposed to recreational stress are described, and the physical and physico-chemical properties of the soils of the studied territories are studied. Keywords: PHYSICAL PARAMETERS OF SOILS, PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF SOILS, GRANULOMETRIC COMPOSITION, HUMUS, RECREATIONAL LOAD, PROPERTIES OF FOREST SOILS

Amelioration of the physicochemical properties enhanced the resilience of bacteria in bauxite residues

Bacteria-driven strategies have gained attention because of their effectiveness, viability, and cost-efficiency in the soil formation process of bauxite residues. However, further investigation is needed to enhance the extreme environment of bauxite residues and facilitate long-term sustainable development of bacteria. Here, soil, phosphogypsum, and leaf litter were selected as amendments, and soil and leaf litter were also used as bacterial inoculants in a 12-month microcosm experiment with bauxite residues. The results showed significant improvements in physicochemical properties, including alkalinity, organic carbon content, nutrient availability, and physical structure, when bauxite residue was mixed with amendments, particularly when different amendments were combined. The diversity, structure, and function of the bacterial community were significantly enhanced with the amelioration of the physicochemical properties. In the treated samples, especially those treated with a combination of different amendments, the relative abundance (RA) of alkali-resistant bacterial taxa decreased, whereas the RA of some common taxa found in normal soil increased, and the structure of the bacterial community gradually changed towards that of normal soil. A strong correlation between physicochemical and biological properties was found. These findings suggest that rational application of soil, phosphogypsum, and leaf litter effectively improves the environmental conditions of bauxite residues and facilitate long-term sustainable bacterial communities.

Peculiarities of ecological and geological systems of coarse-clastic soil massifs

Ecological and geological systems formed on massifs of coarse clastic soils have a number of characteristic features of both abiotic components (lithotope, edaphotope) and biotic (microbocenosis, phyto- and zoocenosis). It has been revealed that the structure and functioning of these ecological and geological systems (EGS) are largely determined by the features of their lithotope – complexly built massifs of coarse clastic soils with a certain genesis (relating to the eluvial, water, glacial, slope or volcanogenic-sedimentary series), geological structure, relief and exogenous geological processes developed within these massifs. The main features of the EGS lithotope of the coarse-grained soil massif include the following: 1) discrete structure of the massif due to rock fragments of different sizes; 2) the shape of the debris; 3) the presence and features of the porous filler; 4) chemical and mineral composition of fragments; 5) soil salinity; 6) geochemical migration of substances; 7) physical and mechanical properties of the soil; 8) soil weathering; 9) its water cut; 10) expressiveness in relief; 11) paragenesis of modern exogenous geological processes (weathering, erosion, cryogenic processes, as well as slope gravitational processes: landslides, screes, stone avalanches, etc.). This abiotic component affects both the formation of soils and the formation of microbiocenoses, phyto- and zoocenoses developed within these systems. The features of a specific ecological-geological system of a coarse-clastic soil massif are considered on the example of the Big and Small Iremel mountains in the Southern Urals (Republic of Bashkortostan), whose specific biocenosis is characterized by a boreal mountain-taiga type. Scale-type epilithic lichens play an important role in the formation of their phytocenoses.

Влияние природных и антропогенных факторов на формирование микроэлементного состава буроземов острова Рейнеке

The role of natural and anthropogenic factors in the formation of the microelement composition of the brown soils of the Reinecke Island is considered. Analysis of the concentration coefficients of heavy metals in the island brown soils showed that during soil formation, active accumulation occurs in the surface horizons of Zn, Cu, Cd and Co. The research results indicate the prevailing influence of soil formation features on the content and distribution of heavy metals in areas remote from the coast. As we approach the coastal zone, beloved by tourists for recreation, the content of Zn, Cu, Cd increases significantly in the surface layer of the island's brown soils, which is probably due to the local anthropogenic impact that takes place there. The data on the profile distribution of heavy metals in the studied brown soils reflect the intensity of the processes of humus formation occurring in the profile of brown soils and indicate the affinity of Pb, Cd to organic complexes. This is confirmed by the presence of significant positive correlation coefficients between organic matter and Pb and Cd content. The role of physical indicators of borozems on the fixation of a number of heavy metals in their profile is also noted. Quantitative indicators of Cr and Ni content are most determined by the distribution of the silty fraction. High values of the correlation coefficient between pH, the sum of exchange bases and the Mn content may indicate the influence of acid-base properties on its accumulation in the soil profile. Manganese hydroxide plays an important role in fixing Co in the brown soils of the island. The correlation between Co and Mn is estimated as noticeable.

Первичное почвообразование на субстратах разного гранулометрического состава в посттехногенных экосистемах таёжной зоны

The paper focuses on the primary soil formation under automorphic conditions in the middle taiga sub-zone of the European North-East of Russia (Komi Republic) on the post-technogenic territories (quarries for the extraction of minerals (construction sand)) with different soil materials (ancient alluvial sands; fluvioglacial sands and sandy loams, moraine loams). In the quarries, the processes of soil formation and vegetation cover development are interdependent and are affected by the properties of soil-forming rocks. Along with the improvement of soil properties (from sandy loam to loam), the biometric parameters of pine stands increase; in the ground cover, dominating lichens are replaced by mosses, and then by grasses. The biogenic accumulation rates of organic matter increase along with the transition of soil material to fine-textured. In automorphic conditions, the accumulation rate of Corg. in soil of sandy quarry under sparse young lichen pine forest reaches 0.1, in sandy loam under young forb-moss pine forest – 0.3, in loam under young grass-forb pine forest – 0.6 t/ha/year. Already in the first succession decades, every study soil demonstrates weakly expressed processes of eluviation and illuviation (the beginning of podzolization). These processes are evidenced by morphological signs (the appearance of bleached quartz grains and whitish patches under organic horizon and in its lower part), redistribution of silicon, iron, and aluminum compounds, as well as of silty particles proportion.

Ecological and agricultural assessment of the state of forage lands of boreal river floodplains in the oil-producing region (case study in the floodplain of the Kolva River, Usinsky district, Komi Republic)

Floodplain forage lands of the Pechora basin (Usinsky district of the Komi Republic) are experiencing a complex anthropogenic impact associated with both agricultural activity and pollution with petroleum products coming with flood waters. An ecological and agricultural assessment of the soil-vegetation cover of the Kolva floodplain used as hayfield (right-bank part) and pasture (left-bank part) was carried out. Soil combinations of the main part of the surveyed floodplain include alluvial sod, sod-meadow and meadow soils. Morphological signs of gley formation in meadow soils are observed in the lower part of the soil profile and are expressed moderately. Soils are characterized generally by favorable agrochemical and morphological properties, with the exception of areas subjected to pasture digression. The vegetation cover of the central and near-river part of the floodplain massif of the right bank is mainly represented by legume-cereal-grass communities formed both in inter-ridge depressions and on flat ridges. On the high floodplain of the left bank, legume-cereal-grass meadows, grass-clover and tufted hairgrass meadows are common, horsetail–butterbur, clover-cereal and cereal communities are common in the near-river part of the left bank. Despite the relatively high productivity and the presence of valuable forage species of cereals and legumes, the qualitative characteristics of hay deviate from optimal ones due to the participation of low-nutritious, unattractive, weedy and poisonous species in the herbage. On the pasture, as a result of pasture digression, there is a decrease in species diversity with the dominance of tufted hairgrass and low-value species of various grasses. In the most disturbed areas, the total projective vegetation coverage is reduced to 50%. The soil cover of the studied territory of the Kolva floodplain is currently not contaminated with hydrocarbons, with the exception of a few spots of petroleum products with a total area of 6 m2. The effect of oil pollution on the vegetation cover of the Kolva floodplain is not manifested. Background values of the content of petroleum products in soils are slightly higher in the left-bank part compared to the right-bank part.

Soil-Forming Factors of High-Elevation Mountains along the East African Rift Valley: The Case of the Mount Guna Volcano, Ethiopia

The soils of the high-elevation mountains along the East African Rift Valley are poorly understood. Assessing the potential of soils for agriculture, climate change mitigation, and environmental functioning requires insight into how they relate to the factors influencing soil formation. Between 3000 and 4120 m a.s.l., 85 soil profiles of Mount Guna were described and sampled. Standard physicochemical analyses were done on all pedons. Additionally, X-ray diffraction, Alox and Feox content, and P fixation were performed on six selected profiles. Soils on Mount Guna included Andosols, Phaeozems, Leptosols, Regosols, Cambisols, Luvisols, and Vertisols. With increasing elevation, clay content, bulk density, and pH decreased while the C:N ratio remained constant. In contrast, sand, silt, silt-to-clay ratio, SOC, Ntotal, and SOCS increased. With a factor analysis, the soil-forming factors’ elevation/climate could be disentangled from the factor’s parent material as these affect topsoil and subsoil differently. In the ordination based on climate/elevation and parent material, Andosols and Vertisols stood out while other Reference Soil Groups (RSG) showed indistinct patterns. Soil erosion appeared as an additional soil-forming factor not accounted for by the factor analysis. The distribution of the RSG was significantly associated with elevation belts (p < 0.001), lithology (p < 0.001), and landcover (p < 0.003). On the summital ridge, the Andosols were crucial for groundwater storage due to high precipitation. Shallow and stony soils in the mid-elevation belt contributed to runoff generation. Average soil carbon stock ranged from 8.1 to 11 kg C m−2 in the topsoil and from 29.2 to 31.9 kg C m−2 in the upper meter, emphasizing the global importance of high-elevation areas for carbon sequestration.