Variability of macroelements content in soils of a young glacial river valley - a geochemical landscape approach

The content and relationships between amounts of macroelements (Ca, Mg, K, Na and Fe) and soil properties along three catenas in the young glacial Łyna River valley, NE Poland, are discussed in the paper. The results were presented against the background of four geochemical landscapes distinguished within the study area: eluvial / trans-eluvial, eluvial accumulative, trans-super-aqual and super-aqual. The middle part of the Łyna River valley is covered with Fluvic Phaeozems and Dystric Fluvisols formed from sands, loams and silts. In some parts, Mollic Gleysols (Limnic) formed from peats and gyttja occur. In the areas adjacent to the floodplain, Eutric Umbrisols (Pantocolluvic) and Haplic Umbrisols (Colluvic) formed from loams, silts and clays are located. The upper slope of the valley is covered by Luvic Pheazems, Luvic Umbrisols, Brunic Dystric Arenosols and Dystric Arenosols The average content of macroelements reached: Cat – 6.60 g kg-1, CaHCl – 3.17 g kg-1, Mgt – 2.79 g kg-1, MgHCl – 0.68 g kg-1, Kt – 7.27 g kg-1, KHCl – 0.20 g kg-1, Nat – 0.84 g kg-1, NaHCl – 0.22 g kg-1, Fet – 8.72 g kg-1 and FeHCl – 5.48 g kg-1. Th content of macroelements in soils of the analysed area was varied between the four geochemical landscapes. The analysis, supported by PCA ordination, resulted in significant positive relations between the macroelement contents and silt (0.05-0.002 mm) and clay (<0.002 mm) soil fractions, CaCO3, pHKCl and amounts of organic matter, as well as an inverse relation to the share of sandy (2.0-0.05 mm) soil fraction. Soils in super-aqual geochemical landscape were the most abundant in macroelements (except KHCl and Nat). The most typical sites of macroelement accumulation were the following geochemical landscapes: super-aqual > trans-super-aqual > eluvial accumulative > eluvial / trans-eluvial.