Journal
AUSTRAL ECOLOGY
Volume 47, Issue 2, Pages 166-188Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/aec.13115
Keywords
alpine humus soils; Australian Alps; research priorities; soils; threats
Categories
Funding
- NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
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The Australian Alps have unique soil types that are not well understood, especially in relation to their role in ecosystems. Soils in higher elevations are crucial for the region's ecology, hydrology, and carbon storage, but there is limited knowledge about their nature, formation, and functioning. Research priorities include understanding the formation, distribution, and function of these soils, particularly in relation to microbial populations and threats such as climate change, grazing, and pollution.
The Australian Alps contain an assemblage of soil types that is unique on the Australian continent. The above-ground ecosystems of the Australian Alps have received considerable scientific attention but research relating to the nature of its soils has been much more limited. A fuller understanding of the role of soils in these ecosystems is required to inform effective management strategies. This review was undertaken to assess existing research on soils in the Australian Alps. We aimed to summarise our current knowledge of their nature, distribution and characteristics, to examine the services they provide and to assess their vulnerability to the range of threats that exist to the soil resource both local and external. Soils of higher elevations, namely Transitional Alpine Humus Soils, Alpine Humus Soils and upland Peat Soils are particularly important to the ecology, hydrology and potential carbon storage of the region, yet our understanding of the nature, formation and functioning of these soil types remains weak. A series of knowledge gaps and research priorities are identified, relating to basic knowledge needs on the formation, distribution and function of these soils, particularly their microbial populations and the impacts of specific threats (i.e. climate change, grazing, fire, visitors, infrastructure, feral animals and pollution).
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