Elemental Geochemical Characteristics and Chemical Weathering Intensity of Soils in the Shergyla Mountain, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
CSTR:
Author:
Affiliation:

1.National Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture,Institute of Soil Science,Chinese Academy of Sciences;2.Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education,Northeast Forestry University

Clc Number:

Fund Project:

Supported by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (No. 2019QZKK0306) and the Science & Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program (No. 2022FY100202)

  • Article
  • |
  • Figures
  • |
  • Metrics
  • |
  • Reference
  • |
  • Related
  • |
  • Cited by
  • |
  • Materials
  • |
  • Comments
    Abstract:

    【Objective】This study aimed to unravel the weathering intensity and elemental geochemical characteristics of soils in the southern mountainous regions of the Tibetan Plateau. 【Method】 Shergyla Mountain in Linzhi City was selected as the study area. Fifteen typical soil profiles were sampled across different landscapes and altitudes, and the geochemical characteristics of soil elements were analyzed, with weathering intensity estimated for different soil horizons. 【Result】The results indicate that the soils of Shergyla Mountain, influenced by the alpine climate, are weakly developed, with the soil types dominated by Gelic Cambosols. For the studied soils, primary minerals were predominant in soil minerals while secondary minerals were present in low abundance. The Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) ranged from 47 to 62, suggesting that most soils were in a state of weak weathering. The low temperatures at high altitudes restricted chemical weathering of soil minerals, resulting in insignificant impacts of precipitation, temperature, altitude, slope, and parent material on soil chemical weathering. The weathering intensity indicators (CIA, weathering leaching coefficient ba, Weathering Index of Parker WIP) across soil profiles exhibited different distribution patterns from the surface layer downwards, primarily influenced by transportation and deposition processes driven by external forces such as wind, gravity, and runoff. Nevertheless, the results indicate that chemical weathering had a relatively small impact on soil formation. 【Conclusion】The alpine environment controls overall soil development thus weakening the difference between other soil forming factors. The findings of this study provide theoretical support for the evolution of pedogenesis and soil classification on the Tibetan Plateau and offer pedological insights into the rational utilization of land resources.

    Reference
    Related
    Cited by
Get Citation
Related Videos

Share
Article Metrics
  • Abstract:
  • PDF:
  • HTML:
  • Cited by:
History
  • Received:March 13,2025
  • Revised:April 07,2025
  • Adopted:April 30,2025
  • Online: April 30,2025
  • Published:
Article QR Code