10.5880/GFZ.5.3.2018.001 Bernhard, Nadine Nadine Bernhard 57202581611 Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Soil Science and Geomorphology, Tübingen, Germany Moskwa, Lisa-Marie Lisa-Marie Moskwa 0000-0002-4506-146X GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany Schmidt, Karsten Karsten Schmidt 0000-0003-0337-3024 Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Soil Science and Geomorphology, Tübingen, Germany Oeser, Ralf Andreas Ralf Andreas Oeser 0000-0003-1222-8646 GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences; Section 3.3 Earth Surface Geochemistry, Potsdam, Germany Aburto, Felipe Felipe Aburto 0000-0001-9472-930X Universidad de Concepción; Departamento de Silvicultura; Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Concepción, Chile Bader, Maaike Y. Maaike Y. Bader 0000-0003-4300-7598 Philipps-University Marburg; Ecological Plant Geography, Marburg, Germany Baumann, Karen Karen Baumann 0000-0003-1341-052X University of Rostock; Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Soil Science, Rostock, Germany von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm Friedhelm von Blanckenburg 0000-0002-2964-717X GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences; Section 3.3 Earth Surface Geochemistry, Potsdam, Germany Boy, Jens Jens Boy 0000-0002-2751-957X Leibniz University Hannover; Institute of Soil Science, Hannover, Germany van den Brink, Liesbeth Liesbeth van den Brink 0000-0003-0313-8147 Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Plant Ecology, Tübingen, Germany Brucker, Emanuel Emanuel Brucker University of Bayreuth, Institute of Soil Ecology, Bayreuth, Germany Büdel, Burkhard Burkhard Büdel 0000-0002-1257-260X Technical University Kaiserslautern, Department Plant Ecology and Systematics, Institute of Biology, Karlsruhe, Germany Canessa, Rafaella Rafaella Canessa 0000-0002-6979-9880 Philipps-University Marburg; Ecological Plant Geography, Mrburg, Germany Dippold, Michaela A. Michaela A. Dippold 0000-0002-3657-4693 Georg-August-University Göttingen; Biogeochemistry of Agroecosystems, Göttingen, Germany Ehlers, Todd A. Todd A. Ehlers 0000-0001-9436-0303 Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Geosciences,Tübingen, Germany Fuentes, Juan Pablo Juan Pablo Fuentes 0000-0002-7679-5482 Universidad de Chile; Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y de la Conservación de la Naturaleza, Santiago de Chile, Chile Godoy, Roberto Roberto Godoy 0000-0002-3719-3091 Universidad Austral de Chile; Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Valdivia, Chile Jung, Patrick Patrick Jung 0000-0002-7607-3906 Technical University Kaiserslautern, Department Plant Ecology and Systematics, Institute of Biology, Kaiserslautern, Germany Karsten, Ulf Ulf Karsten 0000-0002-2955-0757 University of Rostock, Institute of Biological Sciences, Applied Ecology and Phycology, Rostock, Germany Köster, Moritz Moritz Köster Georg-August-University Göttingen; Biogeochemistry of Agroecosystems, Göttingen, Germany Kuzyakov, Yakov Yakov Kuzyakov 0000-0002-9863-8461 Georg-August-University Göttingen; Soil Science of Temperate Ecosystems, Göttingen, Germany Leinweber, Peter Peter Leinweber 0000-0003-3776-2984 University of Rostock; Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Soil Science, Rostock, Germany Neidhardt, Harald Harald Neidhardt 0000-0002-9612-1274 Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Geoecology, Tübingen, Germany Matus, Francisco Javier Francisco Javier Matus 0000-0002-0534-2208 Universidad de La Frontera, Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN-UFRO), Temuco, Chile Mueller, Carsten W. Carsten W. Mueller 0000-0003-4119-0544 Technical University of Munich; Research Department Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Munich, Germany Oelmann, Yvonne Yvonne Oelmann 0000-0003-3513-6568 Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Geoecology, Tübingen, Germany Oses-Pedraza, Rómulo Rómulo Oses-Pedraza 0000-0003-2310-3339 Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Aridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile Osses McIntyre, Pablo Pablo Osses McIntyre 0000-0001-8102-7296 Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Instituto de Geografía, Sanitago de Chile, Chile Paulino, Leandro Leandro Paulino 0000-0002-9645-9574 Universidad de Concepción; Departamento de Suelos y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Agronomía, Concepción, Chile Samolov, Elena Elena Samolov University of Rostock, Institute of Biological Sciences, Applied Ecology and Phycology, Rostock, Chille Schaller, Mirjam Mirjam Schaller 0000-0003-4638-0873 Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen, Germany Schmid, Manuel Manuel Schmid Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen, Germany Spielvogel, Sandra Sandra Spielvogel 36981391200 Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany Spohn, Marie Marie Spohn 0000-0002-1010-7317 University of Bayreuth, Institute of Soil Ecology, Bayreuth, Germany Stock, Svenja Svenja Stock 0000-0002-1425-5587 Georg-August-University Göttingen; Soil Science of Temperate Ecosystems, Göttingen, Germany Stroncik, Nicole Nicole Stroncik 0000-0003-4647-5928 GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences; Section 3.3 Earth Surface Geochemistry, Potsdam, Germany Tielbörger, Katja Katja Tielbörger 6602380088 Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Plant Ecology, Tübingen, Germany Übernickel, Kirstin Kirstin Übernickel 0000-0002-3585-7309 Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen, Germany Scholten, Thomas Thomas Scholten 0000-0002-4875-2602 Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Soil Science and Geomorphology, Tübingen, Germany Seguel, Oscar Oscar Seguel 0000-0001-7040-3604 Universidad de Chile; Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Santiago de Chile, Chile Wagner, Dirk Dirk Wagner 0000-0001-5064-497X GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences; Potsdam, Germany Kühn, Peter Peter Kühn 0000-0002-4417-5633 Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Soil Science and Geomorphology, Tübingen, Germany GFZ Data Services 2018 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 La Campana National Park Nahuelbuta EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS > CATION EXCHANGE CAPACITY EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS > MICROFAUNA EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS > NITROGEN EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS > ORGANIC MATTER EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS > SOIL BULK DENSITY EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS > SOIL CHEMISTRY EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS > SOIL CLASSIFICATION EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS > SOIL COLOR EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS > SOIL HORIZONS/PROFILE EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS > SOIL PH EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS > SOIL TEXTURE EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > TOPOGRAPHY > TOPOGRAPHIC EFFECTS Bernhard, Nadine Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Geosciences, Soil Science and Geomorphology, Tübingen, Germany Moskwa, Lisa-Marie GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences; Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology Kühn, Peter Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Geosciences, Soil Science and Geomorphology, Tübingen, Germany Wagner, Dirk GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences; Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology Dataset 10.1016/j.catena.2018.06.018 https://www.earthshape.net/ CC BY 4.0 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
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.
Parque Nacional Pan de Azúcar -70.6629 -70.4965 -26.3754 -25.9829 Reserva Natural Santa Gracia -71.295 -71.0222 -30.0669 -28.6957 Parque Nacional La Campana -71.3811 -70.2971 -33.3734 -32 Parque Nacional Nahuelbuta -73.2268 -72.7531 -37.9283 -37.5821 EarthShape Study Area (Chilean Coastal Cordillera) -73.1195 -70.1697 -37.9009 -25.9679 Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://doi.org/10.13039/501100001659 DFG-SPP 1803 DFG-SPP 1803 Priority Programme