Catchment-scale patterns of geomorphic activity and vegetation distribution in an alpine glacier foreland (Kaunertal Valley, Austria)

Frontiers in Earth Science

Earth Science

Jan-Christoph Otto¹  Robert R. Junker²  Lisa-Maria Ohler²  Ulrich Zangerl³  Sabine Kraushaar³  Stefan Haselberger³  Simon Scheper⁴ 

[1] Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria;Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria;Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany;Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria;Dr. Simon Scheper—Research Consulting Teaching, Dähre, Germany;Environmental Geosciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland;

关键词: biogeomorphology;    proglacial;    multi-proxy-analysis;    vegetation distribution;    geomorphic activity;    catchment-scale;    disturbance and stability;   

DOI  :  10.3389/feart.2023.1280375

 received in 2023-08-20, accepted in 2023-10-02,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

The interaction between geomorphological and ecological processes plays a significant role in determining landscape patterns in glacier forelands. However, the spatial organization of this biogeomorphic mosaic remains unclear due to limited catchment-scale data. To address this gap, we used a multi-proxy analysis to map potential geomorphic activity related to surface changes induced by sediment transport on drift-mantled slopes and a glaciofluvial plain. High-resolution vegetation data were used to generate a catchment-scale map delineating vegetation cover and stability thresholds. The two maps were integrated, and an exploratory regression analysis was conducted to investigate the influence of geomorphic activity on vegetation colonization. The multi-proxy analysis resulted in an accurate mapping of catchment-wide geomorphic activity, with a validation accuracy ranging from 75.3% through field mapping to 85.9% through plot sampling. Through vegetation cover mapping, we identified biogeomorphic stability thresholds, revealing a mosaic of vegetation distribution. Distinct colonization patterns emerged across different geomorphic process groups, influenced by process magnitude and the time since the last disturbance event. The exploratory regression analysis showed that vegetation distribution is significantly affected by geomorphic processes. Based on the overlay of results regarding geomorphic activity and vegetation distribution, we suggest an age-independent framework that indicates four potential situations of biogeomorphic succession.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Haselberger, Scheper, Otto, Zangerl, Ohler, Junker and Kraushaar.