SOILS OF NORTH SIDE OF BYERS PENINSULA, ASPA-126, LIVINGSTON
ISLAND, MARITIME ANTARCTIC.
Moura, P.A.1, Francelino, M.R.1, Mendonça, B.A.F.2, Spielmann, A.A.3 and Bordin, J.4
1
3
Instituto de Florestas - Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil.
2
Departamento de Solos - Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul - Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
4
Instituto de Botânica, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
[email protected]
Keywords: Permafrost affected-soil, Cryosol, South Shetlands Islands.
The aims of the present study is characterize the terrestrial ecosystems in the Byers
Peninsula, ASPA 126, located at the western of the Livingston Island, South Shetland
Islands (62°37' S, 61°06'W). The rocky outcrops in the peninsula are mainly mudstones,
sandstones, conglomerates and volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks (Upper Jurassic to Lower
Cretaceous) intruded by different igneous bodies. The geomorphology is characterized by
the presence of extensive raised marine beaches, jointly with erosive and depositional
features of glacial origin. Soils were sampled, described and classified according the FAO
system on 23 profiles with all geological features. The most common species of lichens were
Leptogium puberulum Hue and Placopsis antarctica D.J. Galloway. To the mosses stood out
Sanionia uncinata (Hedw.) Loeske and Polytrichastrum alpinum (Hedw.) G.L. Smith. Were
also common near the nesting areas of birds the only two species of higher plants of the
Antarctica, Deschampsia antarctica E. Desv. and Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) Bartl.
Eleven profiles were classified as Cryosol, five as Leptosol, five as Regosol and two as
Fluvisol. Of these, 3 profiles showed character ornithogenic, with very high concentration of
P. Most soils were very low in organic matter. The mineralogical analysis showed the
presence of 2:1 minerals for all profiles studied. The physical analysis showed the low
content of clay and the predominance of coarse textures. The presence of 2:1 minerals
associated with coarse textures show little development of these soils and the predominance
of physical weathering on the chemical weathering in pedogenesis occurring in the Byers
Peninsula.