Labile and Stable Carbon Pools in Antarctic Soils of the Arctowski Region, King George Island

Barbara Kalisz (), Andrzej Łachacz, Irena Giełwanowska, Maria Olech, Katarzyna Joanna Chwedorzewska and Wioleta Kellmann-Sopyła
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Barbara Kalisz: Department of Soil Science and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland
Andrzej Łachacz: Department of Soil Science and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland
Irena Giełwanowska: Department of Plant Physiology, Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, ul. M. Oczapowskiego 1A, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Maria Olech: Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, ul. Kopernika 27, 31-501 Cracow, Poland
Katarzyna Joanna Chwedorzewska: Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Wioleta Kellmann-Sopyła: Department of Plant Physiology, Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, ul. M. Oczapowskiego 1A, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-17

Abstract: This study investigates the composition and transformation of soil organic matter (SOM) across seven sites in Maritime Antarctica, focusing on the impact of bird activity and vegetation cover on SOM dynamics. There is limited knowledge of the stability of Antarctic SOM and the effects of seabird colonies on it. This study aims to address the knowledge gap regarding drivers of soil organic matter transformations in polar ecosystems. Hot water-extractable carbon (HWC) and carbon extracted with phosphoric acid (PHP-C) were chosen as parameters for the labile carbon pool. A stable carbon pool was here characterized as one with alkali-soluble organic compounds opposing microbial decomposition. This carbon pool has long (decades) turnover rates, and therefore is regarded stable. The mentioned carbon pools were used to calculate humification indices. The HWC in studied soils ranged from 1.5 to 4.3% of total carbon, while the PHP-C varied largely and was not correlated with HWC. Soils influenced by current or historical bird colonies (particularly penguins and skuas) exhibited elevated labile carbon fractions, indicating active microbial processing. In contrast, sites without bird influence showed lower biological activity. The stable carbon peaked at 18.9% of total carbon, indicating distinct soil transformation stages. The humification degree (HD) and labile-to-stable carbon (L/S) ratio were used to assess SOM stability, revealing that former bird rookeries had the most stabilized SOM, while recently deglaciated sites were in early stages of organic matter accumulation. Vegetation cover, though secondary to bird impact, was positively correlated with SOM humification, supporting the role of vascular plant-derived organic input in carbon stabilization. The study showed a clear link between bird activity and SOM dynamics, supporting the concept of biological legacies in soil formation in Antarctica. It highlighted the role of vegetation in SOM stabilization, which is crucial for understanding how terrestrial ecosystems may evolve as ice retreats and plant colonization expands.

Keywords: polar soils; maritime Antarctic; ornithogenic soils; soil organic matter (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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