Temporal changes in soil properties: Insights from a 37-years-old Swiss soil library
Over time, soils undergo qualitative and structural changes under the influence of climate, geomorphic processes, parent material weathering, and vegetation, ultimately developing into unique soil types and profiles. Although these pedological drivers are conserved globally, it remains unclear to wh...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Geoderma |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125002010 |
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| author | Sarah Semeraro Roxane Tuchschmid Jean-Michel Gobat Sergio Rasmann Renée-Claire Le Bayon |
| author_facet | Sarah Semeraro Roxane Tuchschmid Jean-Michel Gobat Sergio Rasmann Renée-Claire Le Bayon |
| author_sort | Sarah Semeraro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Over time, soils undergo qualitative and structural changes under the influence of climate, geomorphic processes, parent material weathering, and vegetation, ultimately developing into unique soil types and profiles. Although these pedological drivers are conserved globally, it remains unclear to what extent different soil profiles undergo similar changes over comparable timespans in various environments. To address this gap, we employed a diachronic approach to investigate temporal changes in soil physicochemical properties across diverse Swiss landscapes. Utilizing a comprehensive soil library initiated in 1982, we analyzed 28 archived and modern soil profiles from natural and semi-natural habitats across the Swiss landscape. Several soil properties across 256 soil horizons, including pH, organic matter content, cation exchange capacity, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, were assessed in 2020, and findings were compared with archived data to track changes over up to 37 years. We found that distinct soil types such as Cambisols, Fluvisols, and Gleysols exhibit unique physicochemical characteristics, with notable variations observed in the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. We also found significant variation in how much the physicochemical properties of soil profiles changed over time, with predictable patterns related to climate. Habitats with warmer temperatures, more solar radiation, and increased humidity were the most susceptible to change. By elucidating how climate influences soil properties, this research contributes to more accurate predictions of climate change impacts on soil organic carbon storage. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4ea060d9d65c4f9eabdc57280cb812aa |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1872-6259 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geoderma |
| spelling | doaj-art-4ea060d9d65c4f9eabdc57280cb812aa2025-08-20T02:10:06ZengElsevierGeoderma1872-62592025-07-0145911736310.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117363Temporal changes in soil properties: Insights from a 37-years-old Swiss soil librarySarah Semeraro0Roxane Tuchschmid1Jean-Michel Gobat2Sergio Rasmann3Renée-Claire Le Bayon4University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Biology, Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchâtel 2000, Switzerland; Corresponding author.Berner Fachhochschule, Hochschule für Agrar-, Forst- und Lebensmittelwissenschaften (HAFL), Fachbereich Agronomie, Länggasse 85, Zollikofen 3052, SwitzerlandUniversity of Neuchâtel, Institute of Biology, Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchâtel 2000, SwitzerlandUniversity of Neuchâtel, Institute of Biology, Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchâtel 2000, SwitzerlandUniversity of Neuchâtel, Institute of Biology, Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchâtel 2000, SwitzerlandOver time, soils undergo qualitative and structural changes under the influence of climate, geomorphic processes, parent material weathering, and vegetation, ultimately developing into unique soil types and profiles. Although these pedological drivers are conserved globally, it remains unclear to what extent different soil profiles undergo similar changes over comparable timespans in various environments. To address this gap, we employed a diachronic approach to investigate temporal changes in soil physicochemical properties across diverse Swiss landscapes. Utilizing a comprehensive soil library initiated in 1982, we analyzed 28 archived and modern soil profiles from natural and semi-natural habitats across the Swiss landscape. Several soil properties across 256 soil horizons, including pH, organic matter content, cation exchange capacity, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, were assessed in 2020, and findings were compared with archived data to track changes over up to 37 years. We found that distinct soil types such as Cambisols, Fluvisols, and Gleysols exhibit unique physicochemical characteristics, with notable variations observed in the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. We also found significant variation in how much the physicochemical properties of soil profiles changed over time, with predictable patterns related to climate. Habitats with warmer temperatures, more solar radiation, and increased humidity were the most susceptible to change. By elucidating how climate influences soil properties, this research contributes to more accurate predictions of climate change impacts on soil organic carbon storage.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125002010Soil librariesSoil horizonsSoil organic matterSoil carbonPedogenesis |
| spellingShingle | Sarah Semeraro Roxane Tuchschmid Jean-Michel Gobat Sergio Rasmann Renée-Claire Le Bayon Temporal changes in soil properties: Insights from a 37-years-old Swiss soil library Geoderma Soil libraries Soil horizons Soil organic matter Soil carbon Pedogenesis |
| title | Temporal changes in soil properties: Insights from a 37-years-old Swiss soil library |
| title_full | Temporal changes in soil properties: Insights from a 37-years-old Swiss soil library |
| title_fullStr | Temporal changes in soil properties: Insights from a 37-years-old Swiss soil library |
| title_full_unstemmed | Temporal changes in soil properties: Insights from a 37-years-old Swiss soil library |
| title_short | Temporal changes in soil properties: Insights from a 37-years-old Swiss soil library |
| title_sort | temporal changes in soil properties insights from a 37 years old swiss soil library |
| topic | Soil libraries Soil horizons Soil organic matter Soil carbon Pedogenesis |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125002010 |
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