Archive > Volume 35 Issue 2 > 1998,35(2):243-253. DOI:10.11766/trxb199601280213 CSTR:[cstr] Prev Next
FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF ALPINE SOILS AND THE GLACIER ENVIRONMENT CHANGES OF CENTRAL TIANSHAN MOUNTNS
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Abstract:
The source area of the Urumqi River in the central part of Tianshan Mountains underwent several glacier environmental changes. Tills extended outwards 12 km from the end part of the No. 1 glacier. Soil development kept pace with the biological evolution. On the bare surface of moraines, microbial and algae communities appeared firstly, then lichen and moss grew, finally they evolved into alpine meadow. With the same pace of vegetation development, the alpine soils first were (A)-C profile firstly, then developed to A-C profile and finally became A-(B)-C profile. Alpine soils have negative temperature and icy soil body, undergoing a freezing-thawing-freezing process with state changes of ice-water-ice. Frost heaving and stone polygons appear on the soil surface with squamose structure, and soils have weak humification and decomposition of minerals. Alpine soils have different degrees of profile formation. No profiles in primitive soils, obvious humic horizons in Cryic-orthic Entisols, and perfect A and B horizons in Mattic-crvic Cambisols can be found.
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