Links between soil properties, climate, and vegetation along elevational gradients in Nevada, USA

Abstract:

Soil lies at the foundation of ecosystem function. It provides nearly all of the nutrients essential for plant growth, controls the movement of vadose zone water, and provides habitat for soil microorganisms. Recognizing soil characteristics and the role that they play is essential for predicting ecosystem resilience and response to shifts in climate, disturbance events, and land use change. However, quantifying soil properties can be challenging, time-consuming, and costly. Utilizing field studies on natural gradients in elevation and latitude provide an attractive means to study pedogenesis within a small geographic area with similar underlying geology while encompassing a wide range of climate, vegetation, and land use characteristics. Understanding the linkages between these factors is essential for predicting ecosystem responses to changes in climate and creating more accurate soil maps and models. This study examined trends in surface soil physical and chemical properties, climate, and plant growth data at long-term monitoring sites with paired NRCS soil pits to compare soil forming factors and potential climate change responses across elevational transects in Nevada. Preliminary results demonstrate the close ties between soils, climate, and vegetation characteristics. These relationships can contribute to the long-term challenges and resilience of these ecosystems to climate change. Results may also be applied by land managers to help target efforts toward the most at-risk areas as well as predict future changes in ecosystem composition and services.