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Organic carbon stocks in permafrost-affected soils from Admiralty Bay, Antarctica

F.N.B. Simas·C.E.G.R. Schaefer·E.S. Mendonca·I.R. Silva·R.M. Santana·A.S.S. Ribeiro
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Abstract

Recent works show that organic matter accumulation in some soils from coastal Antarctica is higher than previously expected. The objective of the present work was to estimate the organic C stocks for soils from maritime Antarctica. Cryosols from subpolar desert landscapes presented the lowest organic C stocks. Ornithogenic soils are the most important C reservoirs in terrestrial ecosystems in this part of Antarctica. Although these soils correspond to only 2.5 % of the ice-free areas at Admiralty Bay, they contain approximately 20 % of the estimated C stock. Most of the organic C in the studied soils is stored in the active layer but in some cases the C is also stored in the permafrost.

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F.N.B. Simas, C.E.G.R. Schaefer, E.S. Mendonca, I.R. Silva, R.M. Santana, A.S.S. Ribeiro. 2007. Organic carbon stocks in permafrost-affected soils from Admiralty Bay, Antarctica. https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20071047srp076

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