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Vehicle Perturbation Effects upon a Tundra Soil-Plant System: II. Effects on the Chemical Regime¹

ABSTRACT

Chemical regime alterations of a soil-plant system resulting from tracked-vehicle perturbation were determined in Tundra soils near Barrow, Alaska. The study was a contribution to the USIBP Tundra Biome Program.

Six years following the perturbation, soils within track scars had lower redox potentials (negative) and lower amounts of exchangeable acidity than undisturbed soils. Furthermore, exchangeable bases (Ca, Mg, K and Na) were higher in the track influenced soils. Consequently, soil pH and base saturation were also higher.

Soluble nutrient (Ca, Mg, K, Na, and NH₄-N) levels in soil solutions were considerably higher in track-influenced soils than in undisturbed soils. Correspondingly, soil solution pH was also higher.

Plants growing in the altered environment of the track scars were enriched in nutrients and were larger in size. Increased productivity and quality of track-influenced vegetation was apparently stimulated by an increase in available nutrients in less acid, warmer, nutrient enriched soils. The track perturbation also resulted in changes in floristic composition of the vegetation at different locations within track-affected soils.

The intensity of soil alteration and resulting changes in the soil-plant chemical regime were related to the degree of scarring of the landscape which, in turn, was related to differences in the natural drainage of soils along the tracks; scarring being greater, the poorer the natural drainage.

Results show that a slight amount of disturbance to the tundra surface may be beneficial in terms of increased productivity and nutrient content of vegetation.

¹ Contribution from Department of Soils and Plant Nutrition, University of California, Berkeley. Presented in part before Div. S-4, Soil Sci. Soc. Amer., Las Vegas, Nev., 15 Nov. 1973. The research was supported by NSF under Grant GV-29349. It was performed under the joint NSF sponsorship of the International Biological Program (IBP) and the Office of Polar Programs and was directed under the auspices of the U.S. Tundra Biome. Field and laboratory activities at Barrow were supported by the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (NARL) of the Office of Naval Research. Results are mostly from an M.S. Thesis by the senior author.^,3 Preliminary results were partially reported in a Tundra Biome research report (14) and results are on file with the Tundra Biome Office in the form of a data report.^,4

³ J. L. Challinor. 1971. Vehicle perturbation effects upon a tundra soil-plant system. M.S. Thesis, Univ. of California, Berkeley, 240 p.

⁴ J. L. Challinor, P. L. Gersper, and R. J. Arkley. 1974. Vehicle Perturbation effects upon a tundra soil-plant system: II. Effects on the chemical regime. U.S. Tundra Biome Data Report 74-31, USACRREL, Hanover, New Hampshire, 74 p.

² Formerly Research Assistant, Univ. of California, Berkeley, presently Ph.D. student, Univ. of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, England; and Assistant Professor, Univ. of California, Berkeley, respectively. Dr. R. J. Arkley, Prof. H. Jenny, Dr. R. Glauser and Prof. A. M. Schultz of the Univ. of California, Berkeley, Dr. F. Bunnell of the Univ. of British Columbia, and Dr. K. Van Cleve of the Univ. of Alaska are gratefully acknowledged for various contributions to the research.

Received for publication September 3, 1974. Accepted for publication February 27, 1975.