Soils and vegetation in abandoned penguin rookeries (maritime Antarctic)

概要

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Occurrence of abandoned ornithogenic soils resulted from the changing of nesting places due to recent geological events in this region. During the Holocene period King George Island has been lifted up to more than 50m high as an effect of isostatic movement. At the same time penguin rookeries have been shifted down onto the newly emerged rocks and new beaches, whereas the higher nesting areas have been abandoned. In several points dramatic changes in local environmental condition forced the penguins to abandon their nesting places totally. The areas deserted by penguins have been colonized by the vegetation. Ornithogenic soils have been hidden from view under a dense carpet of lichens, mosses and grasses. Rich in nutrients, phosphatic clays forming these soils proved to be relatively long-lasting in the climatic conditions of maritime Antarctic, because after many hundreds and thousands of years they have retained specific chemical and mineral proporties. Thus the ancient ornithogenic soils of abandoned rookeries have been a valuable source of easily available nutrients for the formation of terrestrial ecosystems during the Holocene period. Our survey has found this problem to be common and important in this region.
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