New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
Surface soil chemistry at an alpine procellariid breeding colony in New Zealand, and comparison with a lowland site
G. Harrow
9 Alderson Avenue
Hillsborough
Christchurch 8002, New Zealand
D. J. Hawke*
School of Applied Science
Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology
P.O. Box 540
Christchurch 8015, New Zealand
hawked@cpit.ac.nz
R. N. Holdaway
Palaecol Research Ltd
P.O. Box 16 569
Christchurch 8004, New Zealand
*Author for correspondence.
Abstract Procellariid seabirds occupied colonies
on the pre-human New Zealand mainland from the lowlands to alpine
areas, but the effect of geographic environment on soil nutrient
cycling has not been investigated. To facilitate qualitative
predictions of seabird breeding effects on terrestrial ecology and
biogeochemistry, we compared surface soil (0–15 cm) results
from a Hutton’s shearwater colony at 1230 m with a Westland
petrel colony in lowland forest. Soil acidity, total C, total N, total
Cd, and Cdexcess (the soil Cd which cannot be accounted for
by parent material weathering) concentrations were all lower at the
Hutton’s shearwater colony despite higher burrow occupancy and
density. Lower δ15N values and higher pH imply that
guano was less nitrified in the soil before being lost. At both
colonies, parent material contributed a large portion of total P and
total Cd. Correlations between total N, Pexcess and Cdexcess
with total C suggested that guano nutrient retention is driven by soil
organic matter. We conclude that seabird colony location affected the
cycling of seabird-derived nutrients in pre-human New Zealand.
Keywords cadmium; carbon; Hutton’s shearwater; nitrogen; phosphorus; stable isotope; Westland petrel
Z05039; Received 21 December 2005; accepted 8 March 2006; Online publication date 16 May 2006
New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 2006, Vol. 33: 165–174
0301–4223/06/3302–0165 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2006
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