The objective of this study is to show the variation of soils at well drained sites with different parent material (granite gneiss or glacial deposits) in the European Subarctic. The study sites are located at oligotrophic alpine heaths sites in Finnish Lapland. The vegetation is characterized by a mosaic of lichens and dwarf shrubs. Entisols, Inceptisols and particulary Spodosols are found on well drained sites on weathered Precambrian bedrock as well as on glacial till. Cryoturbation features and patterned ground frequently occur, especially at glacial till sites with loamy texture. Inceptisols, e.g. Pergelic Cryochrepts, are dominating at these till sites. On the other hand, Spodosols, e.g. Pergelic Humicryods, were mapped at granite gneiss sites with sandy texture. Besides parent material, another important factor influencing podzolization is the vegetation, which causes a spatial variation in development of spodic horizons. Distinct differences are evident between pedogenesis influenced either by lichen or by dwarf shrub vegetation. For example, the content of organic carbon is higher under dwarf shrub microsites than under lichen cover. At the lichen microsites cryoturbation can hamper podzolization. Moreover, microclimate and nutrient cycling are affected by the different vegetation. These differences between the microsites are greater in case of glacial till being the parent material then in case of gneiss.

Dr. Gabriele Broll
Institute of Landscape Ecology
Robert-Koch-Strasse 26
48149 Muenster / Germany
Tel. : +49/251/83-3697
Fax. : +49/251/83-8352
e-mail : brollg@uni-muenster.de