Soil moisture and temperature variation under different types of tundra vegetation during the growing season : A case study from the Fuglebekken catchment, SW Spitsbergen

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)

MIGAŁA, K.

Inst. of Geography and Regional Development, Dept. of Climatology and Atmosphere Protection, Univ., Wrocław, Pologne

WOJTUŃ, B.

Fac. of Biological Sciences, Dept. of Ecology, Biogeochemistry and Environmental Protection, Wrocław, Pologne

SZYMAŃSKI, W.

Jagiellonian Univ., Inst. of Geography and Spatial Management, Dept. of Pedology and Soil Geography, Kraków, Pologne

MUSKAŁA, P.

Inst. of Geography and Regional Development, Dept. of Climatology and Atmosphere Protection, Univ., Wrocław, Pologne

Description :
The study was carried out in Wedel Jarlsberg Land (SW Spitsbergen) in a small non-glaciated catchment in the vicinity of the Polish Polar Station in Hornsund. Measurements of air and soil temperature and changes in volumetric soil water content were carried out between June 24 and September 9 of 2008. The studied sites represented : 1) Turbic Cryosol, poorly covered by vegetation and exhibiting evidences of strong cryogenic processes; 2) Hyperskeletic Cryosol covered by a community of wet moss tundra vegetation with variable moisture which evolves under the influence of water flowing from the adjacent mountain slopes occupied by Little Auk colonies; and 3) Haplic Cryosol covered by lichen–herb–heath tundra vegetation, located on a raised marine terrace. It is shown that : 1) Temperature of Arctic soils is connected with influence of cold thawing water; 2) Cryosols covered by wet moss tundra vegetation are the wettest and coldest; and 3) Cryosols covered by lichen-herb-heath tundra vegetation are the driest and warmest.

Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Catena (Giessen), issn : 0341-8162, 2014, vol. 116, p. 10-18, nombre de pages : 9, Références bibliographiques : 44 ref.

Date :
2014

Editeur :
Pays édition : Allemagne, Cremlingen-Destedt, Catena

Langue :
Anglais