- 1Institute of Geography, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- 2Geomicrobiology group, Tubingen University, Tubingen, Germany
Global climate change has led to severe glacial retreat in the European Alps over the past 130 years. Glacial retreat leaves behind a mostly barren landscape of rock and moraine material, where it takes decades before plants grow and soils to develop. Before plant communities can establish, certain conditions need to be met. Water retention and nutrient availability are generally limiting seed germination and plant growth. This study tackles the question whether we can accelerate plant growth and soil development in areas close to current glaciers, leading to enhanced carbon dioxide uptake and carbon storage in the soil, transforming proglacial areas to lands that are more functional and productive.
Our overall hypothesis is that it is possible to kickstart plant growth and soil development by transplanting soils and vegetation from nearby vegetated hillslopes, and/or fertilize with local food waste from tourism. The transplantation of soils and compost provides the locations in the proglacial areas with living plants, plant seeds, microbial communities, and carbon and nutrients. We hope this leads to biologically rich hubs from which nearby proglacial locations can be colonized more rapidly. If successful, this can be applied easily, cheaply, and over many glacial valleys.
The proposed natural form of accelerated soil development has three additional advantages beyond capturing carbon from the atmosphere. First, well-developed soils attenuate waterflow out of deglaciated valleys, which prevents drought and reduces floods. Second, better developed soils are biodiversity hotspots. Finally, the barren landscape left behind by retreating glaciers is often unattractive for tourists. Soil and plant development in these areas will thus likely have economic value from the perspective of mountain communities.
We explain in this contribution the activities as planned for the summer of 2025, and invite comments and suggestions.
How to cite: Temme, A. and van Grinsven, S.: Accelerating soil development in proglacial areas by soil transplantation and mountain hut compost fertilization, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18182, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18182, 2025.
