314
Land-Ocean Systems in the Siberian Arctic: Dynamics and History
periphery of snow-beds with moist nival short herbs (Phippsia algida, Saxifraga nivalis et al.),
and mesic communities dominated by cassiope (Cassiope tetragona) were both consistent with
the effects of decreased persistence of spring snow. The latter trailing dwarf shrub is very
distinctive in that, although it never appeared as a dominant in the background communities, it
abounded where thick snow covers are subject to rapid thawing. The cassiope-moss and mosscassiope communities thus formed in slope niches, on terrace ledges and among boulder debris.
The communities found on limestones in various parts of the lake basin could also be
included as background vegetation. They were common and comprise the dry sedge-forb-dryas
(Carex rupestris) tundra, with a floristic composition enriched with caIciphiles (Lesquerella
arctica, Eritrichium sericeum, Oxytropis putoranica, Carex redowskiana). The mesic
communities of alpine meadows were found only on protected warm slopes in the lowest
mountain belt. Only here grew the frequently plentiful alpine meadow plant species:
Delphinium middendoiffii, Senecio tundricola, Arnica iljinii, Hedysarum arcticum et al.
Sometimes the vegetation had a dry, steppe character, with grasses dominating (Poa glauca,
Koeleria asiatica, Roegneria villosa et al.). Flood-plain mesic meadows dominated by
Oxytropis middendorffii, Astragalus tolmatczewii, A. umbellatus et al. were also distributed
locally. The remaining local communities will be described in the explanatory text for particular
units.
Soils
The soils of various units were closely connected to the structure and grain size of the parent
material, the cryogenic nanorelief, and the degree of development, structure and composition of
the vegetation. Three types of soil forming processes were distinguished within the region. All
soils have permafrost in parts of the first two meters, and are gelic subunits therefore. It should
be noted that soils and soil processes of the area surveyed were reported formerly by the group
of the authors participated in the Taimyr project in 1995-96 yrs. But the data obtained by
Pfeiffer, Gundelwein, and others (Pfeiffer et aI., 1996; Gundelwein et aI., 1997) are coming
from small key areas of the Levinson-Lessing Lake basin while the conclusions presented
below are more general.
The turf forming process was observed mainly in alpine landscapes and sometimes on the
flood-plain pebbles and dry terraces. It was associated with drained, well-thawed sites with a
prevalence of herbs and dwarf shrubs. The soils formed there were rather rich in organic matte.
Depending on the mechanical structure of the parent material, these soils were regosols (on
gravely and fine earth-gravely surfaces), or Leptosols (from finer grained material). The names
given here use the FAO-UNESCO soil nomenclature, (1990).
Dystri- and Gascari-gelic Rigosols in alpine desert and tundra regions were mostly primitive.
The soil profile of Lithic Leptosol under dwarf shrub and herb-dwarf shrub tundra was a little
more advanced. Gufri-gelic Regosols were the richest in soil organic matte; they had an
advanced Histosols and were found in mountain meadows. At mountain spring fen and moist
gravel dell locations, Dystri - or Umbri-gelic Regosol regosols were found. Leptosols were
identified beneath similar tundra on loam and loamy clays: primitive Umbri-gelic or MoIli-gelic
Leptosols, in which humic contents were greater than 1 %. Stagni-gelic Leptosols were formed
on barren loamy and loamy-gravelly spots. The turf soils on flood-plain places had converted to
fluvisols of which haplic types are the most primitive. A little more humificated were the ochric
fluvisols (underlying the grass-forb and dryas-forb communities of the flood plain). Under the
influence of constant moistening and seasonal gleization, mollic-gleyic fluvisols developed on
cotton grass growing mud banks. The gleying process occurs whereever soils are subject to
long soil moisture conditions combined with a thin active layer, often beneath well developed
moss beds. These gleysols are rather diverse in character, depending on the degree of moistesre
Land-Ocean Systems in the Siberian Arctic: Dynamics and History
periphery of snow-beds with moist nival short herbs (Phippsia algida, Saxifraga nivalis et al.),
and mesic communities dominated by cassiope (Cassiope tetragona) were both consistent with
the effects of decreased persistence of spring snow. The latter trailing dwarf shrub is very
distinctive in that, although it never appeared as a dominant in the background communities, it
abounded where thick snow covers are subject to rapid thawing. The cassiope-moss and mosscassiope communities thus formed in slope niches, on terrace ledges and among boulder debris.
The communities found on limestones in various parts of the lake basin could also be
included as background vegetation. They were common and comprise the dry sedge-forb-dryas
(Carex rupestris) tundra, with a floristic composition enriched with caIciphiles (Lesquerella
arctica, Eritrichium sericeum, Oxytropis putoranica, Carex redowskiana). The mesic
communities of alpine meadows were found only on protected warm slopes in the lowest
mountain belt. Only here grew the frequently plentiful alpine meadow plant species:
Delphinium middendoiffii, Senecio tundricola, Arnica iljinii, Hedysarum arcticum et al.
Sometimes the vegetation had a dry, steppe character, with grasses dominating (Poa glauca,
Koeleria asiatica, Roegneria villosa et al.). Flood-plain mesic meadows dominated by
Oxytropis middendorffii, Astragalus tolmatczewii, A. umbellatus et al. were also distributed
locally. The remaining local communities will be described in the explanatory text for particular
units.
Soils
The soils of various units were closely connected to the structure and grain size of the parent
material, the cryogenic nanorelief, and the degree of development, structure and composition of
the vegetation. Three types of soil forming processes were distinguished within the region. All
soils have permafrost in parts of the first two meters, and are gelic subunits therefore. It should
be noted that soils and soil processes of the area surveyed were reported formerly by the group
of the authors participated in the Taimyr project in 1995-96 yrs. But the data obtained by
Pfeiffer, Gundelwein, and others (Pfeiffer et aI., 1996; Gundelwein et aI., 1997) are coming
from small key areas of the Levinson-Lessing Lake basin while the conclusions presented
below are more general.
The turf forming process was observed mainly in alpine landscapes and sometimes on the
flood-plain pebbles and dry terraces. It was associated with drained, well-thawed sites with a
prevalence of herbs and dwarf shrubs. The soils formed there were rather rich in organic matte.
Depending on the mechanical structure of the parent material, these soils were regosols (on
gravely and fine earth-gravely surfaces), or Leptosols (from finer grained material). The names
given here use the FAO-UNESCO soil nomenclature, (1990).
Dystri- and Gascari-gelic Rigosols in alpine desert and tundra regions were mostly primitive.
The soil profile of Lithic Leptosol under dwarf shrub and herb-dwarf shrub tundra was a little
more advanced. Gufri-gelic Regosols were the richest in soil organic matte; they had an
advanced Histosols and were found in mountain meadows. At mountain spring fen and moist
gravel dell locations, Dystri - or Umbri-gelic Regosol regosols were found. Leptosols were
identified beneath similar tundra on loam and loamy clays: primitive Umbri-gelic or MoIli-gelic
Leptosols, in which humic contents were greater than 1 %. Stagni-gelic Leptosols were formed
on barren loamy and loamy-gravelly spots. The turf soils on flood-plain places had converted to
fluvisols of which haplic types are the most primitive. A little more humificated were the ochric
fluvisols (underlying the grass-forb and dryas-forb communities of the flood plain). Under the
influence of constant moistening and seasonal gleization, mollic-gleyic fluvisols developed on
cotton grass growing mud banks. The gleying process occurs whereever soils are subject to
long soil moisture conditions combined with a thin active layer, often beneath well developed
moss beds. These gleysols are rather diverse in character, depending on the degree of moistesre