Data supplement to "Pedogenic and microbial interrelations to regional climate and local topography: New insights from a climate gradient (arid to humid) along the Coastal Cordillera of Chile"

Cite as:

Bernhard, Nadine; Moskwa, Lisa-Marie; Schmidt, Karsten; Oeser, Ralf Andreas; Aburto, Felipe; Bader, Maaike Y.; Baumann, Karen; von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm; Boy, Jens; van den Brink, Liesbeth; Brucker, Emanuel; Büdel, Burkhard; Canessa, Rafaella; Dippold, Michaela A.; Ehlers, Todd A.; Fuentes, Juan Pablo; Godoy, Roberto; Jung, Patrick; Karsten, Ulf; Köster, Moritz; Kuzyakov, Yakov; Leinweber, Peter; Neidhardt, Harald; Matus, Francisco Javier; Mueller, Carsten W.; Oelmann, Yvonne; Oses-Pedraza, Rómulo; Osses McIntyre, Pablo; Paulino, Leandro; Samolov, Elena; Schaller, Mirjam; Schmid, Manuel; Spielvogel, Sandra; Spohn, Marie; Stock, Svenja; Stroncik, Nicole; Tielbörger, Katja; Übernickel, Kirstin; Scholten, Thomas; Seguel, Oscar; Wagner, Dirk; Kühn, Peter (2018): Data supplement to "Pedogenic and microbial interrelations to regional climate and local topography: New insights from a climate gradient (arid to humid) along the Coastal Cordillera of Chile". GFZ Data Services. https://doi.org/10.5880/GFZ.5.3.2018.001

Status

I N R E V I E W : Bernhard, Nadine; Moskwa, Lisa-Marie; Schmidt, Karsten; Oeser, Ralf Andreas; Aburto, Felipe; Bader, Maaike Y.; Baumann, Karen; von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm; Boy, Jens; van den Brink, Liesbeth; Brucker, Emanuel; Büdel, Burkhard; Canessa, Rafaella; Dippold, Michaela A.; Ehlers, Todd A.; Fuentes, Juan Pablo; Godoy, Roberto; Jung, Patrick; Karsten, Ulf; Köster, Moritz; Kuzyakov, Yakov; Leinweber, Peter; Neidhardt, Harald; Matus, Francisco Javier; Mueller, Carsten W.; Oelmann, Yvonne; Oses-Pedraza, Rómulo; Osses McIntyre, Pablo; Paulino, Leandro; Samolov, Elena; Schaller, Mirjam; Schmid, Manuel; Spielvogel, Sandra; Spohn, Marie; Stock, Svenja; Stroncik, Nicole; Tielbörger, Katja; Übernickel, Kirstin; Scholten, Thomas; Seguel, Oscar; Wagner, Dirk; Kühn, Peter (2018): Data supplement to "Pedogenic and microbial interrelations to regional climate and local topography: New insights from a climate gradient (arid to humid) along the Coastal Cordillera of Chile". GFZ Data Services. https://doi.org/10.5880/GFZ.5.3.2018.001

Abstract

The effects of climate and topography on soil physico-chemical and microbial parameters were studied along an extensive latitudinal climate gradient in the Coastal Cordillera of Chile (26° - 38°S). The study sites encompass arid (Pan de Azúcar), semiarid (Santa Gracia), mediterranean (La Campana) and humid (Nahuelbuta) climates and vegetation, ranging from arid desert, dominated by biological soil crusts (biocrusts), semiarid shrubland and mediterranean sclerophyllous forest, where biocrusts are present but do have a seasonal pattern to temperate-mixed forest, where biocrusts only occur as an early pioneering development stage after disturbance. All soils originate from granitic parent materials and show very strong differences in pedogenesis intensity and soil depth.

Most of the investigated physical, chemical and microbiological soil properties showed distinct trends along the climate gradient. Further, abrupt changes between the arid northernmost study site and the other semi-arid to humid sites can be shown, which indicate non-linearity and thresholds along the climate gradient. Clay and total organic carbon contents (TOC) as well as Ah horizons and solum depths increased from arid to humid climates, whereas bulk density (BD), pH values and base saturation (BS) decreased. These properties demonstrate the accumulation of organic matter, clay formation and element leaching as key-pedogenic processes with increasing humidity. However, the soils in the northern arid climate do not follow this overall latitudinal trend, because texture and BD are largely controlled by aeolian input of dust and sea salts spray followed by the formation of secondary evaporate minerals. Total soil DNA concentrations and TOC increased from arid to humid sites, while areal coverage by biocrusts exhibited an opposite trend. Relative bacterial and archaeal abundances were lower in the arid site, but for the other sites the local variability exceeds the variability along the climate gradient. Differences in soil properties between topographic positions were most pronounced at the study sites with the mediterranean and humid climate, whereas microbial abundances were independent on topography across all study sites.

In general, the regional climate is the strongest controlling factor for pedogenesis and microbial parameters in soils developed from the same parent material. Topographic position along individual slopes of limited length augmented this effect only under humid conditions, where water erosion likely relocated particles and elements downward. The change from alkaline to neutral soil pH between the arid and the semi-arid site coincided with qualitative differences in soil formation as well as microbial habitats. This also reflects non-linear relationships of pedogenic and microbial processes in soils depending on climate with a sharp threshold between arid and semi-arid conditions. Therefore, the soils on the transition between arid and semi-arid conditions are especially sensitive and may be well used as indicators of long and medium-term climate changes. Concluding, the unique latitudinal precipitation gradient in the Coastal Cordillera of Chile is predestined to investigate the effects of the main soil forming factor – climate – on pedogenic processes.

The data presented here is part of the German-Chilean Priority Program “EarthShape” (Earth Surface Shaping by Biota), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). We provide the basic background data, which includes investigations into the influence of climate, vegetation and topography on pedogenesis and microbial abundances. The data are supplementary material to Bernhard et al. (2018).

All tables are available as one Excel file, as individual tables in .csv format in a zipped archive and as PDF file. The samples are assigned with International Geo Sample Numbers (IGSN) and linked to a comprehensive sample description in the internet.

The content of the five data tables is:
Table S1: Soil profile field description for the EarthShape study sites
Table S2: Soil physico-chemical properties for the depth increment samples in the four study sites
Table S3: Soil physico-chemical properties for the horizon samples in the four study sites
Table S4: Relative microbial abundances in the four study sites
Table S5: Plant species and abundance (% cover) in the four study sites

Additional Information

The DFG Priority Program 1803 "EarthShape - Earth Surface Shaping by Biota" (2016-2022; https://www.earthshape.net/) explored between scientific disciplines and includes geoscientists and biologists to study from different viewpoints the complex question how microorganisms, animals, and plants influence the shape and development of the Earth’s surface over time scales from the present-day to the young geologic past. All study sites are located in the north-to-south trending Coastal Cordillera mountains of Chile, South America. These sites span from the Atacama Desert in the north to the Araucaria forests approximately 1300 km to the south. The site selection contains a large ecological and climate gradient ranging from very dry to humid climate conditions.

Authors

Bernhard, Nadine;Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Soil Science and Geomorphology, Tübingen, Germany
Moskwa, Lisa-Marie;GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
Schmidt, Karsten;Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Soil Science and Geomorphology, Tübingen, Germany
Oeser, Ralf Andreas;GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences; Section 3.3 Earth Surface Geochemistry, Potsdam, Germany
Aburto, Felipe;Universidad de Concepción; Departamento de Silvicultura; Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Concepción, Chile
Bader, Maaike Y.;Philipps-University Marburg; Ecological Plant Geography, Marburg, Germany
Baumann, Karen;University of Rostock; Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Soil Science, Rostock, Germany
von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm;GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences; Section 3.3 Earth Surface Geochemistry, Potsdam, Germany
Boy, Jens;Leibniz University Hannover; Institute of Soil Science, Hannover, Germany
van den Brink, Liesbeth;Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Plant Ecology, Tübingen, Germany
Brucker, Emanuel;University of Bayreuth, Institute of Soil Ecology, Bayreuth, Germany
Büdel, Burkhard;Technical University Kaiserslautern, Department Plant Ecology and Systematics, Institute of Biology, Karlsruhe, Germany
Canessa, Rafaella;Philipps-University Marburg; Ecological Plant Geography, Mrburg, Germany
Dippold, Michaela A.;Georg-August-University Göttingen; Biogeochemistry of Agroecosystems, Göttingen, Germany
Ehlers, Todd A.;Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Geosciences,Tübingen, Germany
Fuentes, Juan Pablo;Universidad de Chile; Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y de la Conservación de la Naturaleza, Santiago de Chile, Chile
Godoy, Roberto;Universidad Austral de Chile; Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Valdivia, Chile
Jung, Patrick;Technical University Kaiserslautern, Department Plant Ecology and Systematics, Institute of Biology, Kaiserslautern, Germany
Karsten, Ulf;University of Rostock, Institute of Biological Sciences, Applied Ecology and Phycology, Rostock, Germany
Köster, Moritz;Georg-August-University Göttingen; Biogeochemistry of Agroecosystems, Göttingen, Germany
Kuzyakov, Yakov;Georg-August-University Göttingen; Soil Science of Temperate Ecosystems, Göttingen, Germany
Leinweber, Peter;University of Rostock; Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Soil Science, Rostock, Germany
Neidhardt, Harald;Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Geoecology, Tübingen, Germany
Matus, Francisco Javier;Universidad de La Frontera, Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN-UFRO), Temuco, Chile
Mueller, Carsten W.;Technical University of Munich; Research Department Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Munich, Germany
Oelmann, Yvonne;Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Geoecology, Tübingen, Germany
Oses-Pedraza, Rómulo;Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Aridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile
Osses McIntyre, Pablo;Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Instituto de Geografía, Sanitago de Chile, Chile
Paulino, Leandro;Universidad de Concepción; Departamento de Suelos y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Agronomía, Concepción, Chile
Samolov, Elena;University of Rostock, Institute of Biological Sciences, Applied Ecology and Phycology, Rostock, Chille
Schaller, Mirjam;Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen, Germany
Schmid, Manuel;Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen, Germany
Spielvogel, Sandra;Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Spohn, Marie;University of Bayreuth, Institute of Soil Ecology, Bayreuth, Germany
Stock, Svenja;Georg-August-University Göttingen; Soil Science of Temperate Ecosystems, Göttingen, Germany
Stroncik, Nicole;GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences; Section 3.3 Earth Surface Geochemistry, Potsdam, Germany
Tielbörger, Katja;Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Plant Ecology, Tübingen, Germany
Übernickel, Kirstin;Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen, Germany
Scholten, Thomas;Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Soil Science and Geomorphology, Tübingen, Germany
Seguel, Oscar;Universidad de Chile; Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Santiago de Chile, Chile
Wagner, Dirk;GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences; Potsdam, Germany
Kühn, Peter;Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Soil Science and Geomorphology, Tübingen, Germany

Contact

Bernhard, Nadine (PhD Student) ; Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Geosciences, Soil Science and Geomorphology, Tübingen, Germany;
Moskwa, Lisa-Marie (Ph.D. student) ; GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences; Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology; ➦
Kühn, Peter (Head of the Laboratory of Soil Science and Geoecology) ; Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Geosciences, Soil Science and Geomorphology, Tübingen, Germany;
Wagner, Dirk (Head of section 5.3: "Geomicrobiology") ; GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences; Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology; ➦

Keywords

climate, topography, soil texture, total organic carbon, carbon isotope ratio (δ13 Corg), microbial abundance, EarthShape, Chile, Coastal Cordillera, National Park Pan de Azúcar, Private Reserve Santa Gracia, National Park Nahuelbuta