Reconsidering the compound effect of geomorphology, vegetation, and climate change on paleopedogenesis in sensitive environments (Northern Apennines, Italy)

Complex sequences of paleosols are often formed by the interaction between pedogenesis and geomorphological evolution. Their study, particularly in mountain areas, is useful to reconstruct past environmental conditions as well climate shifts, gather information on morphodynamical processes affecting landscape through time. Since combined role that all different factors can play soil formation evolution time space influences those complex paleosol sequences, a multidisciplinary study was conducted at NW slope Mt. Cusna (Northern Apennines, Italy). This work aims evaluate how interactions context, Holocene variations, modification vegetation cover composition influence development this area. A combination routine analyses (i.e., grain-size distributions, total organic carbon, nitrogen, pH, Fe/Al extractions), micromorphology Rock-Eval® pyrolysis allowed characterize correlate units constituting toposequence six profiles. The presence pedological be correlated along underlines occurrence separate events pedogenesis, spatio-temporally linked recognizable stability phases scale. These biostasy, characterized development, alternate rhexistasy, mainly instability aggradation/degradation). In detail, three units, phases, have been identified: earliest phase, well-developed Luvisols, subsequent phase typified less expressed ongoing with Leptosols. latter pedogenetic some cases, superimposed previous one, so exhumed paleosols. light, characterization enlighten complexity polygenesis higher detail than studies, not only reconstructing but also inferring succession erosion deposition processes.