Catena最新文献

{"title":"Legacy soil organic carbon stocks in central Spain from whole soil profiles and standardized depths: Influence of land cover and parent material","authors":"Manuel Rodríguez-Rastrero ,&nbsp;Chiquinquirá Hontoria ,&nbsp;Alberto Lázaro-López ,&nbsp;Ramón Bienes","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108972","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108972","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inventorying soil organic carbon (SOC) and understanding its controlling factors is crucial for climate change mitigation. Sampling cost often limits inventories to the topmost layer, which may leave a substantial part of the SOC stock unaccounted for. The aim of this work was to assess how much SOC was left unrecorded by using standardized depths (0–30, 0–50 and 0–100 cm) versus the whole profile, as well as to assess relationships with soil taxa and the influence of the most widely mapped soil-forming factors at detailed scales: parent material and land cover, as a basis for detailed SOC stock quantifications. For this purpose, we used a legacy dataset containing 3,044 soil profiles from Madrid Region in central Spain. Once the SOC stocks for such depths and the whole profile were quantified, we found that measurements for the 0–30 cm depth represented above 80 % of the total SOC stock in shallow soils, particularly in highland land cover types, gneiss-formed soils, and taxa with melanization process. However, 0–30 cm stocks leave out almost 60 % of the total stock in alluvial soils, soils developed on decalcification clays and colluvial deposits. For these soils and under olive groves and vineyards, SOC inventories should include 0–100 cm measurements to provide proper representativeness. In other cases, we advise to extend sampling at least to 0–50 cm for a better assessment of the total SOC stock. This work also highlights the aptitude of soil taxa to provide relevant insights for the SOC evaluation in areas with available soil maps.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108972"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143760387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate and pedogenesis exert divergent controls on dissolved organic matter during long-term ecosystem development","authors":"Zhijian Mou ,&nbsp;Yaoyao Hao ,&nbsp;Xiaolin Chen ,&nbsp;Tao Wang ,&nbsp;Benjamin L. Turner ,&nbsp;Ellen Kandeler ,&nbsp;Hans Lambers ,&nbsp;Zhanfeng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a central role in terrestrial carbon and nutrient cycling, underpinning essential ecosystem functions. Despite its importance, the mechanisms affecting long-term DOM dynamics during ecosystem development remain elusive due to complex variation in pedogenesis-associated nutrient status and biological activities. Here, we investigated the concentrations, optical properties, and compositional attributes of soil DOM across two 2-million-year coastal dune chronosequences under contrasting climatic conditions in southwestern Australia. Using fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis, we elucidated distinct effects of climate and pedogenesis on DOM properties. Cooler and wetter climates were associated with greater DOM humification and accumulation. During the progressive phase of ecosystem development, both chronosequences exhibited greater topsoil DOM concentrations and proportions within soil organic matter (SOM), accompanied by a greater abundance of microbial-derived protein-like substances, which enhance DOM availability to microbes. Conversely, the retrogressive phase was characterized by lower DOM concentrations and proportions within SOM, alongside a transition to plant-derived humic substances and greater humification, suggesting increased DOM stability in old soils. Our findings highlight the dual role of DOM in providing bioavailable nutrients during the progressive phase and promoting soil carbon and nutrient accumulation during the retrogressive phase. These insights contribute to our understanding of the changing role of DOM during long-term ecosystem development and future climatic conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 109004"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143760389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An experimental study on the erosion mitigation impact of biological soil crusts in Pisha sandstone area","authors":"Fang Yang ,&nbsp;Xiangtian Xu ,&nbsp;Gaochao Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108987","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108987","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Effective erosion mitigation in the Pisha sandstone region is crucial for soil and water conservation in the Yellow River Basin, yet existing vegetation measures are inadequate in water-limited environments. This study examines the application of drought-tolerant biological soil crusts (biocrusts) for erosion control on sandstone slopes and evaluates their erosion-reducing effects under varying coverage and slope conditions through controlled artificial rainfall experiments. Key findings include: (1) biocrusts coverage demonstrated a linear relationship with initial runoff generation time and an exponential relationship with stable runoff generation time. On average, biocrusts delayed initial runoff generation by 396.32 % and extended stable runoff generation time by 153.93 %, thereby increasing the threshold for both initial and stable runoff generation on Pisha-sandstone surfaces. (2) biocrusts reduced runoff volume by an average of 23.89 %, enhanced infiltration volume by 69.19 %, decreased sediment yield by 64.24 %, and lowered the soil erosion modulus by 68.98 %. These results indicated significant promotion of water infiltration and reduction of water erosion. Both effects were positively influenced by coverage and negatively impacted by slope gradient. A critical slope angle of 15° and a critical coverage of 60 % were identified. When the slope was gentle (S ≤ 15°), increased coverage predominantly contributed positively. Conversely, when the slope was steep (S &gt; 15°), the negative impact of slope predominated, diminishing the positive effect of biocrusts. Additionally, when coverage reached or exceeded 60 %, further increaseing in coverage accelerated the enhancement of infiltration and erosion reduction. Below this threshold, the rate of improvement gradually diminished with increasing coverage. (3) The structural equation model further elucidated that biocrusts mitigate erosion by enhancing the coverage, thereby reducing runoff velocity and modifying the runoff regime. This mechanism effectively dissipates runoff energy, leading to a decreased soil detachment rate and alleviation of soil erosion. Additionally, the relationship between runoff energy and soil detachment rate follows a power function curve, providing an effective method for predicting erosion in Pisha sandstone area. Consequently, biological soil crust technology shows considerable potential for preventing water erosion damage on Pisha sandstone slopes across various gradients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108987"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143748102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dominant effect and threshold response of soil moisture on global vegetation greening in the 21st century","authors":"Guo Chen ,&nbsp;Qiang Wang ,&nbsp;Tiantian Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Extensive studies have revealed the compound impact of high Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) and low Soil Moisture (SM) on global Gross Primary Productivity (GPP), but their relative importance and nonlinear effects remain uncertain due to their covariation. Herein, based on the CMIP6 outputs, we examined the global GPP, SM, and VPD variation under baseline (1982–2014) and four future scenarios (2015–2100), clarified the dominant force on GPP by decoupling the effects of SM and VPD; further, we explored critical threshold and costs of dominant force on GPP, identified global drought zoning, and proposed optimization strategy. The results show that GPP will experience an increasing trend, and the growth rate is higher in the Northern Hemisphere; except for the SSP5-8.5, soil tends to be moist, but atmospheric dryness is obvious, especially in the Southern Hemisphere. SM dominates the GPP variation, but its impact influence differs across vegetation types and scenarios. There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between SM and GPP in forests and shrublands; GPP and SM exhibit positive reinforcing feedback in croplands and grasslands; but a negative feedback is found in savannas. The threshold and SM cost increase with rising CO₂, enhancing water use efficiency is the key to alleviating the high SM costs for vegetation growth in high CO₂ emission scenarios. SM-drier zones constitute more than 70% of the global land and expand significantly, particularly in forests and grasslands, highlighting the vulnerability of these vegetation to severer soil water deficits; SM in 12.25% to 20.8% of the vegetated land is within the elastic range, dominated by savannas, revealing its strong self-adaptive ability; SM-wetter zones occupy the smallest area and exhibit a marked decreasing trend, mainly in croplands and shrublands. For different vegetation, targeted mitigation strategies must be adopted to enhance their drought resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 109008"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143739675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insights into linkage between water erosion and Benggang formation: Trajectory tracing from slope to gully","authors":"Shimin Ni ,&nbsp;Yang Zhou ,&nbsp;Chongfa Cai ,&nbsp;Junguang Wang ,&nbsp;Dong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a special gully landform, <em>Benggang</em> causes severe soil erosion and land degradation in the granite region of South China. In the past few decades, <em>Benggang</em> erosion has received great attention from researchers in terms of formation mechanisms, influencing factors, development processes, and control strategies. From the geomorphic perspective, <em>Benggang</em> essentially represents an extreme soil erosion form, evolving from extensive slope erosion to gully and ultimately initial <em>Benggang</em> erosion. Slope water erosion plays a critical role as both a driving factor and a leading process in <em>Benggang</em> formation and development. However, few reviews have systematically examined the linkage between slope erosion and <em>Benggang</em> formation mechanism. This review summarizes the recent findings from a range of disciplines to show the basic characteristics and evolution stages of <em>Benggang</em>, comprehensively clarify the role of water erosion in driving <em>Benggang</em> formation and development, and propose common formation pathways for <em>Benggang</em> based on water erosion processes. Additionally, we highlight the need for targeted prevention and control measures based on the relative importance of hydraulic and gravitational erosion during <em>Benggang</em> formation and development. Lastly, we propose future research priorities to advance the understanding of <em>Benggang</em> processes, thereby supporting systematic gully erosion research and providing a scientific basis for optimal arrangement of soil and water conservation strategies. This review will contribute to the sustainable management and rational development of <em>Benggang</em>-affected landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 109001"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143739788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cellulose nanofibers boost soil water availability, plant growth, and irrigation water use efficiency under deficit irrigation","authors":"An Thuy Ngo ,&nbsp;Manh Cong Nguyen ,&nbsp;Morihiro Maeda ,&nbsp;Yasushi Mori","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108998","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108998","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Under climate change, even previously rainfall-prone areas may experience droughts, and effective strategies are vital for soil conservation. Owing to their cutting-edge water absorption and storage properties, cellulose nanofibers (CNF) are expected to increase soil water availability and help plants resist water stress. However, the role of CNF in improving plant growth and soil water retention under various irrigation regimes is not yet known. We evaluated the effects of CNFs on plant available water (PAW), germination, plant growth, and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) under both adequate and deficit irrigation conditions. Plant cultivation experiments were conducted using different CNF dosages (0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1.0%), irrigation levels (I100, I50, and I25), and soil types (sandy and silty loam). The results indicated that CNF significantly increased field capacity (FC) and PAW in both soil types, with PAW in CNF-amended soils increasing by up to 110% and 88% in sandy and silty loam soil, respectively, at 1% CNF dosage. In germination tests, CNF showed no phytotoxicity and supported the germination process during water stress, with enhancements of up to 64% and 163% at I50 and up to 125% and 214% at I25 in germination percentage and germination index, respectively. Plant growth experiments revealed that CNF addition helped plants resist water stress, maintaining plant height and weight close to those under full irrigation, while using 50% less water. IWUE analyses demonstrated that CNF enhanced IWUE, with increases of up to 56% under sufficient watering (I100), 169% under moderate water stress (I50), and 120% under severe water stress (I25), at 1% CNF dosage. These findings highlight the potential of CNF as a multifaceted amendment, offering practical solutions for addressing water scarcity challenges and contributing to more resilient and sustainable agricultural practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108998"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143739591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Two-decadal evolution of irreversible surface deformation in a coal mining area revealed by improved InSAR observations","authors":"Zijing Liu ,&nbsp;Haijun Qiu ,&nbsp;Shuai Yang ,&nbsp;Chao Zhou ,&nbsp;Lele Zhang ,&nbsp;Canghai Zhou ,&nbsp;Yaru Zhu ,&nbsp;Shuyue Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108996","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108996","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High-intensity mining activities caused by the rapid increase of coal consumption can lead to unprecedented multi‑hazard effects of underground coal mining. Revealing the long-term surface deformation of a coal mining area plays an important role in understanding a disaster. However, due to the limitation of methods and data, the long-term evolution effect of surface deformation in coal mining regions remains unclear. Here, we improved the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) method to process multi-source radar remote sensing monitoring data from the past twenty years to uncover the long-term surface deformation throughout the study region. We found that the initial scattered smaller deformation areas detected by Generic Atmospheric Correction Online Service (GACOS)-assisted Stacking gradually merged into a coherent larger region. Our Improved Interferometric Point Target Analysis (IPTA)-InSAR method showed that coal mining activities can lead to significant surface deformation that can last for several years. The velocity-involved stability assessment method assesses the stability in a mining area using historical time series, so as to judge the current state of this area. Results revealed that GACOS-assisted Stacking is more suitable for extracting surface deformation from coal mining activities at the regional scale as it greatly reduces topographic and atmospheric errors during the data processing. Additionally, the correction effect of GACOS datasets on C-band datasets is better. Meanwhile, we discuss the limitations of proposed stability assessment method. This study provides a new understanding of surface deformation caused by coal mining activities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108996"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143748099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Weathering of anorthosite saprolite: Influence on soil formation in the Borborema province (northeastern Brazil)","authors":"Agostinho Cardoso Hlavanguane ,&nbsp;Artur Henrique Nascimento da Silva ,&nbsp;Fábio Soares de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Marcelo Metri Corrêa ,&nbsp;Laércio Vieira de Melo Wanderley Neves ,&nbsp;Marilya Gabryella Sousa ,&nbsp;José Coelho de Araújo Filho ,&nbsp;Ygor Jacques Bezerra da Silva ,&nbsp;Jean Cheyson Barros dos Santos ,&nbsp;Clístenes William de Araújo do Nascimento ,&nbsp;Valdomiro Severino Souza Júnior","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anorthosites are plutonic rocks of great interest in earth and planetary sciences, characterized by their distinctive composition, with more than 90% consisting of plagioclase feldspar. These rocks are of particular relevance due to their distinctive mineral composition and notable interest in terrestrial and planetary bodies, including the moon. Despite the abundance of research on the weathering of anorthosites, there is a paucity of studies that have examined the soil developed on this rock. In this study, regolith profiles from the Anorthositic Complex of Passira, located in the northeastern region of Brazil, were selected for analysis. Analyses were conducted, encompassing physical, morphological, chemical, mineralogical, and micromorphological analyses. The results provided insights into the porosity system of the saprolite that markedly influenced the pedogenetic processes and the formation of clay minerals. A novel observation regarding anorthosite weathering in a tropical region was reported: the saprolite with greater preservation of the lithic material and fewer microstructural fracturing favored the formation of 2:1 clay minerals due to greater silica retention in the soil solution, resulting in a formation of Cambisol with shrink-swell protovertic features. Conversely, saprolites exhibiting greater porosity and augmented microstructural fracturing promoted the formation of 1:1 clay minerals due to enhanced silica leaching, resulting in the formation of an Lixisol.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 109003"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143748100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Low but highly variable soil organic carbon stocks across deeply weathered eroding and depositional tropical landforms","authors":"Mario Reichenbach ,&nbsp;Sebastian Doetterl ,&nbsp;Kristof Van Oost ,&nbsp;Florian Wilken ,&nbsp;Daniel Muhindo ,&nbsp;Fernando Bamba ,&nbsp;Peter Fiener","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108971","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108971","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in temperate regions are highly affected by lateral soil fluxes induced by soil erosion. SOC dynamics in eroding tropical cropland systems characterized by deeply weathered soils and heterogeneous small-scale subsistence farming structures, however, are not well understood yet. Along topographic gradients in the East African Albertine rift region, we investigated the differences in SOC stocks and persistence for the upper meter of tropical soils developed from geochemically distinct parent materials and cultivated by subsistence farmers. We show that SOC stocks and persistence do not follow topography-driven patterns expected from research on less weathered, more fertile soils of temperate climate zones and more large-scale farming systems. At all investigated topographic positions, the SOC stocks were low compared to temperate regions while variability of stocks was high in both top- and subsoil. Full profile (0 – 100 cm) SOC stocks ranged from 256.1 t C ha^-1 to 297.3 t C ha^-1 at plateaus, from 224.4 t C ha^-1 to 276.1 t C ha^-1 at slopes and from 305.1 t C ha^-1 to 366.0 t C ha^-1 at footslopes. Independent of soil parent material and unless situated on very steep slopes (&gt;15 % slope steepness), SOC stocks in eroding positions are, therefore, similar to those in non-eroding landscape positions and stable at a low level despite heavy erosion. Our results further suggest that deposition of eroded topsoil material at footslopes only slightly increases SOC stocks. Therefore, SOC stocks in this rapidly eroding tropical systems seem not to be heavily altered by soil redistribution while other soil parameters indicate heavy signs of soil disturbance. Tropical soil features and the distinctiveness of small scale subsistence farming practices create an extremely patchy and variable distribution of SOC, which requires us to rethink the way these landscapes can be modelled to represent C dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108971"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143739676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Paleosol-sedimentary records of contrasting environmental changes in the Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia, during the late Pleistocene – Holocene","authors":"Triana Angélica Viviana ,&nbsp;Santana-Quispe Lady Diana ,&nbsp;Solleiro-Rebolledo Elizabeth ,&nbsp;Sedov Sergey ,&nbsp;Cabadas-Báez Héctor ,&nbsp;Díaz-Ortega Jaime ,&nbsp;Calderón-Romero Esteban","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108946","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.108946","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Sabana de Bogotá, located on a high plateau (2600 masl), is a slightly dissected plain of lacustrine origin surrounded by quarzitic Cretaceous sandstone ridges. Due to the high altitudes, the Sabana represents a special case in the tropical belt near Ecuador with unique characteristics. Several studies have been conducted to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions during the late Pleistocene and the Holocene, mainly from lacustrine and glacial records. However, the Sabana also contains a rich register of paleosols. In this work, we analyzed the paleopedological record found in the lower foot of a quarzitic ridge. In various sections, we identified prominent, well-developed paleosol units interlayered with colluvial sedimentary strata mixed with pyroclastic components covering the interval from Marine Isotope Stage 2 (MIS 2) to MIS 1. Two profiles were selected, located just some meters apart. The first (profile 6) contains a complete pedological record with the modern soil and three paleosols forming a pedocomplex, while the second profile (6a) represents a case where sedimentation overlaps pedogenesis. Selected methodologies were applied (macro and micromorphological description, color, grain size distribution, magnetic susceptibility, total organic carbon, bulk chemical composition, X-ray diffraction, and radiocarbon dating) to differentiate pedogenetic trends and sedimentary sources. The results show the studied paleosols contain similar properties, although with variable intensity and some differences in their expression and specific processes for some selected units or horizons. All paleosols evidence illuviation and redoximorphic (stagnic) processes; however, with a clear multiphase development. We interpret these paleosols as formed mainly in cold and humid conditions. One remarkable finding in the sequence was a human bone embedded in the third paleosol, aged around 11,000 cal yr BP, representing one of the most ancient individuals in Colombia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 108946"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143748101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}