Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Environmental Earth Sciences (2020) 79:59 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-019-8802-2 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Interplay between soil formation and geomorphic processes along a soil catena in a Mediterranean mountain landscape: an integrated pedological and geophysical approach Massimo Conforti 1  · Teresa Longobucco 1  · Fabio Scarciglia 2  · Giancarlo Niceforo 2  · Giorgio Matteucci 1  · Gabriele Buttafuoco 1 Received: 12 April 2019 / Accepted: 24 December 2019 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020 Abstract Soil spatial distribution often shows high variability because of geo-environmental settings afecting soil formation and geomorphic processes. The paper describes a combined pedological–geophysical approach for investigating the interplay among soil-forming processes, geomorphic dynamics and physico-chemical soil properties in a soil catena in a Mediter- ranean mountain landscape (southern Italy). Stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (STN) were determined and their interactions with slope position analyzed. Five slope units were defned along the soil catena (summit, shoulder, back, foot, and toe slopes), and in each of them, a soil profle was dug and analyzed. Thickness of soil horizons and contact between soil and parent material were determined by a 2D-electrical resistivity tomography survey. Results showed granitic bedrock is characterized by vary weathering degrees strongly afecting soil type development. Moreover, soil properties variation is related to topographic features and water erosion processes. Soil chemical composition showed high values of SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 , probably due to inheritance from underlying granitic parent material. Particularly, Fe 2 O 3 content increased with weathering conditions as shown by chemical index of alteration values. Along foot and toe slopes, reworking and accumulation of colluvial soil lead to the formation of thicker accretionary A horizon. Consequently, summit areas, together with foot and toe slopes had greater SOC and STN stocks than back and shoulder slopes. That because soils are thicker and richer in SOC on summit and valley bottom than in shoulder and back-slope positions. The proposed approach has showed the beneft of an integrated methodology for investigating spatial variations along soil catenas. Keywords Soil catena · Slope position · Parent material · Soil features · Southern Italy Introduction Soil as a component of natural and man-made ecosystems (agricultural, forest, and urban), is a dynamic regulatory sys- tem generating a multitude of soil functions and supporting the delivery of major ecosystem services for human well- being (Blum 2005; Costanza et al. 2017; Adhikari and Har- temink 2017). Soil is one of the most important components of environmental resources and it has a great infuence for many ecological processes such as biogeochemical cycling, distribution of plant communities and agricultural productiv- ity (Lal and Moldenhaver 1987). In addition, large amounts of carbon can be stored in soil profles leading to a sequestra- tion of atmospheric CO 2 , which may mitigate global warm- ing and improve soil fertility status (Batjes 1996; Scholes and Andreae 2000; Lal 2016). Soil development is a dynamic process depending on sev- eral factors summarized following Jenny (1941) in climate, organisms including humans, relief, parent material, and time. Such a list of factors is important for understanding which of them may be important for producing soil pattern within a region. In a more recent reformulation of Jenny’s soil-forming factors, it has been added the spatial position (McBratney et al. 2003). * Massimo Conforti massimo.conforti@isafom.cnr.it 1 National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Agriculture and Forest Systems in the Mediterranean, 87036 Rende, CS, Italy 2 Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (DiBEST), University of Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy