Jerzy Melke

INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES OF SPRING MIRE DEPOSITS FROM RADZIKÓW (SOUTH PODLASIE LOWLAND, EAST POLAND) AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE FOR PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTIONS

The paper presents the results of interdisciplinary (multiproxy) palaeoenvironmental studies of peat — calcareous tufa depositional sequences of spring mire from Radzików site (east Poland). Analyses of three biotic proxies (plant macrofossils, pollen, molluscs) were supplemented with sedimentological, geochemical, oxygen and carbon stable isotopes analyses and radiocarbon dating and used for reconstruction of environmental changes in Late Glacial and Holocene. The obtained results enable us to (1) reconstruct main phases of mire development and (2) determine environmental factors influencing changes of water supply.The object started to develop in Allerød. The Late Glacial and Early Holocene deposit sequence is relatively thick (about 1.0 m), with good palaeoecological record. The boundary between Younger Dryas and Preboreal is especially well confirmed by palynological and malacological analyses as well as radiocarbon dating. The Mesoholocene deposits are considerably worse preserved. Mire development was evaluated in terms of general mire ecology.

The impact of seabirds on the content of various forms of phosphorus in organic soils of the Bellsund coast, western Spitsbergen

In areas isolated from direct human impact, such as Spitsbergen, environmental changes result mainly from natural processes, which include nutrient enrichment caused by seabirds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the degree of nutrient enrichment of organic soils fertilized by seabirds, indicated by the phosphorus content and transformations. This study encompassed two areas on the Bellsund coast. A profile without the influence of seabirds and profiles located at different distances from the colony of birds (0–150 m) were analysed. A sequential phosphorus fractionation method was used, and three inorganic P (Pi) fractions were obtained as a result: Pi-L (labile P), Pi-FeAl (P associated with Fe and Al) and Pi-CaMg (P associated with Ca and Mg); and two fractions of organic P (Po): Po-HuAc (P associated with humic acids) and Po-Res (residual P). Polar organic soils not subjected to the direct seabird impact contained amounts of total phosphorus (Pt) similar to organic soils in other climate zones. The presence of the seabird colony increased the Pt content and changed the distribution between the ratio of organic and inorganic P fractions. Within the inorganic P fraction, the Pi–CaMg component was dominant and its distribution was modified by the fertilizing effect of bird droppings. The nutrient enrichment of organic soils by birds in the polar zone was therefore very strong.

RADIOCARBON AGE AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF THE INFILLINGS OF SMALL CLOSED DEPRESSIONS FROM WESTERN POLESIE (POLAND SE, UKRAINE NW)

Radiocarbon Age and Geochemistry of the Infillings of Small Closed Depressions from Western Polesie (Poland Se, Ukraine Nw) In this paper we report the results of interdisciplinary investigations of deposits filling small closed depressions in the Western Polesie region. There were reconstructed the environmental changes and the main evolution phases of four morphometrically similar forms (=research sites) situated in the Lublin and Volhynia parts of the Polesie region. The gathered sedimentological, chronostratigraphical, palynological and geochemical data evidence great lithological (peats, gyttja, calcareous tufa) and age (Late Glacial, Neoholocene) differences between the deposits filling individual forms and indirectly suggest their karstic origin.

Water conductivity of arctic zone soils (Spitsbergen)

Abstract The water conductivity of arctic zone soils derived in different micro-relief forms was determined. The greatest water conductivity at the 0-5 cm depth for the higher values of water potentials (> -7 kJ m-3) was shown by tundra polygons (Brunic-Turbic Cryosol, Arenic) - 904-0.09 cm day-1, whereas the lowest were exhibited by Turbic Cryosols - 95-0.05 cm day-1. Between -16 and -100 kJ m-3, the water conductivity for tundra polygons rapidly decreased to 0.0001 cm day-1, whereas their decrease for the other forms was much lower and in consequence the values were 0.007, 0.04, and 0.01 cm day-1 for the mud boils (Turbic Cryosol (Siltic, Skeletic)), cell forms (Turbic Cryosol (Siltic, Skeletic)), and sorted circles (Turbic Cryosol (Skeletic)), respectively. In the 10-15 cm layer, the shape of water conductivity curves for the higher values of water potentials is nearly the same as for the upper layer. Similarly, the water conductivity is the highest - 0.2 cm day-1 for tundra polygons. For the lower water potentials, the differences in water conductivity increase to the decrease of soil water potential. At the lowest potential the water conductivity is the highest for sorted circles - 0.02 cm day-1 and the lowest in tundra polygons - 0.00002 cm day-1.

Water retention of arctic zone soils (Spitsbergen)

Abstract The water retention characteristics of the arctic zone soils ((TurbicCryosol (Skeletic), TurbicCryosols (Siltic, Skeletic) and BrunicTurbicCryosol (Arenic)) derived in different micro-relief forms were determined. Water retention curves were similar in their course for the mud boils, cell forms, and sorted circles ie for TurbicCryosols. For these forms, the mud boils showed the highest water retention ability, whereas the sorted circles - the lowest one. Water retention curves for the tundra polygons (Brunic TurbicCryosol, Arenic) were substantially different from these mentioned above. The tundra polygons were characterized by the lowest bulk density of 1.26 g cm-3, whereas the sorted circles (TurbicCryosol, Skeletic) - the highest: 1.88 g cm-3. Total porosity was the highest for the tundra polygons (52.4 and 55.5%) and the lowest - for the sorted circles (28.8 and 26.2%). Pore size distribution of the investigated soils showed that independently of depths, the highest content of large and medium pores was noticed for the tundra polygons ie 21.2-24.2 and 19.9-18.7%, respectively. The lowest content of large pores was observed for the cell forms (6.4-5.9%) whereas the mud boils exhibited the lowest amount of medium sized pores (12.2-10.4%) (both TurbicCryosols Siltic, Skeletic). The highest content of small pores was detected in the mud boils - 20.4 and 19.0%.