Abstract
Galicia is one of the Spanish autonomous communities with the longest coastline, one of the most complex in the Iberian Peninsula. Dune, marsh, and cliff environments are interspersed along coastal areas, on which soils with highly contrasting features and properties develop. In dune environments, soils show poor edaphic development, with the addition of organic matter and substrate decalcification as the main processes. The most representative soil types are Calcaric Arenosols, corresponding to white and grey dune areas, and Calcaric Gleyic Arenosols, associated with inter-dune depressions, where small seasonal lagoons form. The main characteristics and diagnostic features in saltmarsh soils are gleyic properties, sulfidic materials, and concentration of salts derived from marine influence. The most representative soils are Reductigley Tidalic Gleysol (Hyposulfidic), characteristic of salt marsh plains and corresponding to habitat Nat2000 1330, Atlantic salt meadows; Histic Tidalic Gleysol (Hipersulfidic, Toxic), a soil type characteristic of back saltmarshes, where the Scirpus maritimus community is located, are organic soils with a strongly reduced horizon already at their surface (Eh < 100 mV), high pyrite and H2S contents, but low salinity; Reductigley Tidalic Gleysol (Hypersulficic), associated with the presence of Spartina maritima, are strongly reduced soils with high pyrite concentrations, and Reductigley Subaquatic Gleysol (Hyposulficidc), which corresponds to submarine Zostera nolti and Zostera marina meadows, are anoxic at their surface and show high contents of sulfidic materials. Cliff soils are characterized by being shallow, slightly acidic, with high organic matter content, low electrical conductivity, and the cation exchange complex saturated by basic cations. According to these variables, soils are classified as Lithic Leptosol (Arenic), Mollic Leptosol (Arenic) and Mollic Umbrisol (Arenic, Colluvic). The main habitat associated with these soils is Nat2000 1230 Vegetated sea cliffs of the Atlantic and Baltic Coasts, which in Galicia is still poorly characterized.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Casais MC, Blanco R, Cortizas AM, Pérez-Alberti A (2008) Los episodios Heinrich en la costa de Galicia (NW de la Península Ibérica). Un análisis a través de los sedimentos continentales. Territoris 7:39–53
Clark RB (1997) Arbuscular mycorrhizal adaptation, spore germination, root colonization, and host plant growth and mineral acquisition at low pH. Plant Soil, 192:15–22
De La Peña Lastra (2019) Influencia de las aves marinas sobre nutrientes y elementos traza en medios costeros: efectos a escala local y global. PhD theis, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora
Fraga P, Gómez A, Pérez-Alberti A, Montero P, Otero XL (2019) Trends in the evolution of coastal lagoons and lakes in Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula). J Mar Sci Eng 7:272. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse7080272
Gómez-Pazo A, Pérez-Alberti A, Fraga-Santiago P, Souto-Souto M, Otero XL (2020) Contribution of GIS and geochemical proxies to improving habitat identification and delimitation for the Natura 2000 network: the case of Coastal lagoons in Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula). Appl Sci 10:9068. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app10249068
Guitián J, Guitián P (1990) A paisaxe vexetal das Illas Cíes. Xunta de Galicia. Santiago de Compostela
Howarth RH (1984) The ecological significance of sulfur in the energy dynamics of salt marsh and coastal marine sediments. Biogeochemistry 1:5–27
IUSS Working Group WRB (2015) World reference base for soil resources 2014, update 2015: international soil classification system for naming soils and creating legends for soil maps. World Soil Resources Reports No. 106. FAO, Rome
Long SD, Mason CF (1983) Sallmarsh ecology. Blackie, London
Mitsch WJ, Gosselink JG (1993) Wetlands. Van Nostrand Reinhold, NewYork
Otero XL (1998) Effects of nesting yellow-legged gulls (Larus cachinnans Pallas) on the heavy metals content of soils in Cíes Islands (Galicia-NW Spain). Mar Pollut Bull 36:267–272. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(98)80010-6
Otero XL, Fernandez-Sanjurjo M (1999) Seasonal variation in inorganic nitrogen content of soils from breeding sites of yellow-legged gulls (larus cachinnans) in the Cíes islands natural park (NW Iberian peninsula). Fresen Environ Bull 8:685–692
Otero XL (2000) Biogeoquímica de metales pesados en ambientes sedimentarios marinos. PhD thesis, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Otero XL, Macías F (2001) Caracterización y clasificación de suelos de las marismas de la ría de Ortigueira en relación con su posición fisiográfica y vegetación (Galicia–NW de la península ibérica). Edafología 8:37–61
Otero XL, Macías F (2002) Fraccionamiento de Fe en fluvisoles de las marismas de la ria de Ortigueira (Galicia). Edafología 9:257–272
Otero XL, Ferreira TO, Huerta-Díaz MA, Partiti CSM, Souza V Jr (2009) Geochemistry of iron and manganese in soils and sediments of a mangrove system, Island of Pai Matos (Cananeia—SP, Brazil). Geoderma 148(3–4):318–335
Otero XL, Guevara P, Sánchez I, López M, Queiroz H, Ferreira A, Ferreira TO, Nóbrega G, Carballo R (2023) Pyrites in a salt marsh-ria system: Quantification, morphology, and mobilization. Mar Geol 455. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MARGEO.2022.106954
Otero XL, Tejada O, Martín-Pastor M, De la Peña S, Ferreira TO, Pérez-Alberti A (2015) Phosphorus in seagull colonies and the effect on the habitats. The case of yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) in the Atlantic Islands National Park (Galicia-NW Spain). Sci Total Environ 532:383–397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.06.013
Otero XL (2016) Efecto de las colonias de gaviota patiamarilla sobre la pérdida de la biodiversidad vegetal en el Parque Nacional Marítimo Terrestre de las Islas Atlánticas de Galicia. Informe inédito Fundacion BBVA
Otero XL, De la Peña Lastra S, Pérez-Alberti A, Macías F (2016) Variabilidad espacio-temporal de formas de nitrógeno y fósforo en suelos de las colonias de gaviota patiamarilla (Larus michaellis, Naumann 1840) en el Parque Nacional Marítimo-Terrestre de las Islas Atlánticas de Galicia. En: Proyectos de investigación en parques nacionales: 2011–2014. Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, pp 123–140
Otero XL, De La Peña-Lastra S, Pérez-Alberti A, Ferreira TO, Huerta-Diaz MA (2018) Seabird colonies as important global drivers in the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. Nat Commun 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/S41467-017-02446-8
Pérez Alberti A, Vázquez Paz MC (2011) Caracterización y dinámica de sistemas dunares costeros de Galicia. In: Las dunas en España. Sociedad Española de Geomorfología. Sociedad Española de Geomorfología, pp 161–185
Pérez-Alberti A, Cunha PP, Otero XL (2018) La terraza costera de Sanxenxo: un registro sedimentario del MIS 5 a MIS 2, en la Ría de Pontevedra (NO de la Península Ibérica). En: Proceedings of the IX Symposium on the Iberian Atlantic Margin, Coimbra
Pérez Alberti A (2022) Propuesta metodológica para la caracterización y tipificación de las costas españolas. Aplicación a las costas de Galicia. Cuad Invest Geográfica 48(2):269–291
Pigott CD et al (2000) Maritime communities and vegetation of open habitats. En: Rodwell JS (ed) British plant communities, vol 5, for the U.K. joint nature conservation committee. Cambridge University Press
POL (Plan de Ordenación do Litoral de Galicia), Galicia (2010). Retrieved from http://webpol.xunta.gal/web/index.php/introduccion/gl
Rozema J, Laan P, Broekman R, Ernst WHO, Appelo CAJ (1985) On the lime transition and decalcification in the coastal dunes of the province of North Holland and the island of Schiermonnikoog. Acta Bot Neerl 34(4):393-411
Sánchez JM, Izco J, Medrano M (1996) Relationships between vegetation zonation and altitude in a saltmarsh system in northwest Spain. J Veg Sci 7:695–702
Sánchez JM, Otero XL, Izco J (1998a) Relationships between vegetation and environmental characteristics in a salt-marsh on the coast of Northwest Spain. Plant Ecol 136:1–8
Sánchez JM, Otero XL, Izco J (1998b) Relationships between vegetation and environmental characteristics in a saltmarsh system on the coast of Northwest Spain. Plant Ecol 136:1–8
Tait RV (1987) Elementos de Oceanografia. In: Acnbia SAZ (ed)
Turner FT, Patrick WH (1968) Chemical changes in waterlogged soils as a result of oxygen depletion. In: 9th Congr Soil Science, vol IV. Adelaine, Australia, pp 53–65
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Otero, X.L., del Carmen de la Cerda Marín, M., Pérez-Alberti, A. (2023). Coastal Soils and Their Associated Habitats in Galicia. In: Núñez-Delgado, A., Álvarez-Rodríguez, E., Fernández-Calviño, D. (eds) The Environment in Galicia: A Book of Images. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33114-5_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33114-5_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-33113-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-33114-5
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)