Upscaling the spatial distribution of enchytraeids and humus forms in a high mountain environment on the basis of GIS and fuzzy logic
| Autor: | Ulfert Graefe, Jean-Michel Gobat, Giacomo Sartori, Kerstin Anschlag, Niels Hellwig, Gabriele Broll, Anneke Beylich, Dylan Tatti |
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| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
geography
geography.geographical_feature_category 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences Range (biology) Landform Soil Science Soil science 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences 15. Life on land Spatial distribution 01 natural sciences Microbiology Humus Decomposer Insect Science Forest ecology 040103 agronomy & agriculture 0401 agriculture forestry and fisheries Environmental science Scale (map) Soil mesofauna 0105 earth and related environmental sciences |
| Zdroj: | European Journal of Soil Biology. 79:1-13 |
| ISSN: | 1164-5563 |
| Popis: | The aim of this study was to map the spatial distribution of enchytraeids and humus forms in a study area in the Italian Alps by means of a knowledge-based modeling approach. The modeled area is located around Val di Sole and Val di Rabbi (Trentino, Italy) and includes the forested parts in the range between 1100 m and 1800 m a.s.l. Elevation and slope exposure are considered as environmental covariates. Models were implemented regarding the spatial distribution of three variables at the landscape scale: 1) enchytraeids indicating mull humus forms, 2) enchytraeids indicating moder/mor humus forms, 3) humus forms showing an OH horizon. All three models reveal a consistent trend of an increasing accumulation of plant residues and humus in organic layers from low to high elevations and from south-facing to north-facing slopes. Validation and uncertainty analysis of input data confirm these trends, although some deviations are to be expected (RMSE values from validation sites range from 26.3 to 36.2% points). Effects of additional potentially influencing variables may lead to uncertainties of the model predictions especially at positions with particular landforms (e.g. gullies and ridges). In the high mountains environmental conditions are often quite heterogeneous due to a highly variable topography, which also affects the species composition of the decomposer community and the occurrence of different humus forms. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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