TY - GEN A1 - Bayuzick, Samuel A1 - Guarin, Daniel A1 - Bonhage, Alexander A1 - Hirsch, Florian A1 - Diefenbach, Duane A1 - McDill, Marc A1 - Raab, Thomas A1 - Drohan, Patrick J. T1 - Small anthropogenic landforms from past charcoal production control moisture dynamics and chemistry in northcentral Appalachian soils T2 - Geomorphology N2 - Throughout the northeastern United States (U.S.) and Europe, relict charcoal hearths (RCHs) are regularly being discovered in proximity to furnaces once used for the extraction of metal from ore or quick-lime production; charcoal produced in hearths was used as a furnace fuel. Given previous research has shown that topographic and subsurface disturbance can be great when a hearth is constructed, we hypothesize that hearth construction alters surface hydrology and soil chemistry in environments in and near hearths. We used a landscape classification process to identify 6758 hearths near furnaces at Greenwood and Pine Grove Furnace State Park, central and southcentral Pennsylvania, U.S. Two types of digital elevation model wetness indexes were used to quantify surface hydrology effects in and around hearths. Modeled wetness conditions were compared to field soil volumetric water content in RCHs near Greenwood Furnace State Park. Modeled wetness indexes indicate that RCH interiors are significantly wetter than RCH rim areas; RCHs are acting as a landscape moisture sink. Results also indicate that RCHs on slopes result in downslope drier conditions below RCHs. Field measured volumetric water content indicates that as distance from the center of the hearth increases, soil moisture significantly decreases. Geomorphic position was found to not be related to RCH wetness. Soil from RCHs, compared to nearby native soils, has significantly higher total C, a lower Mehlich 3 extractable acidity, higher Ca and P. No trend was evident with RCH soil chemistry and geomorphic position. The high frequency of RCH occurrence, in proximity to the furnace's RCHs supported, suggests that RCHs today could locally be an important niche for understory flora and fauna. Further research could explore how RCHs might be affecting surrounding plant populations and how within RCH patterns, especially on hillslopes, might represent a distinctly different scale of physical and chemical variability. Y1 - 2022 UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169555X22002720 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2022.108379 SN - 1872-695X VL - 415 SP - 1 EP - 11 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Bayuzick, Samuel A1 - Guarin, Daniel A1 - Benavides, Jhony A1 - Bonhage, Alexander A1 - Hirsch, Florian A1 - Diefenbach, Duane A1 - McDill, Marc A1 - Raab, Thomas A1 - Drohan, Patrick J. T1 - Soil and geomorphic patterns within relict charcoal hearths could represent unique ecosystem niches T2 - Geomorphology N2 - Hearths used for 19th and 20th century charcoal manufacturing have been found to have unique plant communities or to produce unique growth characteristics for some species but not others. Given known differences in hearth morphology, within hearth physical and chemical differences may exist and result in unique ecologic niches. We examined soil stratigraphy across 8 relict charcoal hearths (RCH) and control soils on different landforms near a 19th century furnace complex (Greenwood Furnace, northcentral Appalachians USA). Soils were analyzed for particle size, total and trace elements, and fertility. Platform creation resulted in soils from upslope RCH positions mixed with subsurface materials on the downslope side to create a stabilized platform. The thin, uniform thickness of charcoal surface horizons (Ac) indicate that RCHs were not used more than once for charcoal manufacturing or that charcoal was always removed very efficiently. While rubification of soil or rock from high heat was seen in 6 of 8 sites sampled, it was not extensive across sampled areas of any one hearth, which indicate hearth use may not be frequent, hot enough, or spatially disparate. Soil fertility characteristics change within RCHs but also by landscape position. Downslope RCH positions are enriched in some parameters compared to control soils (total C, Mehlich 3 Mg, Ca, and Aquia Regia digestion Mn) and that enrichment often is from the surface downward. Downslope enrichment within RCH soils may have occurred from charcoal and released ions, slope erosion and accumulation, or transportation of constructed materials during RCH creation. Landscape position may accentuate or mute soil chemistry differences. Greenwood Furnace RCHs have unique patterns of chemistry, which could result in unique niches for flora and maybe fauna within RCH. Future research could more closely investigate whether hearths support unique species assemblages and how they may play a role in enhancing today’s forest biodiversity. Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169555X22004184 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2022.108525 SN - 1872-695X VL - 422 SP - 1 EP - 16 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Raab, Thomas A1 - Drohan, Patrick J. A1 - Raab, Alexandra A1 - Schneider, Anna A1 - Bonhage, Alexander T1 - A novel view in geopedology : how small landforms from past land use affect the pedosphere T2 - Centennial Celebration and Congress of the International Union of Soil Sciences N2 - LiDAR-based high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) can now provide a centimetre-accurate image of the Earth's surface. Soil science is still in the early stages of realising how fundamentally this new technology will change our understanding of the formation, properties and functions of the pedosphere and in particular the uppermost part of it, which usually represents A horizons. With the help of high-resolution DEMs, it is possible to identify and classify small topographic features that were previously not considered in soil mapping. Therefore, precise landform analyses will be crucial in assessing variations in soil horizonation and soil stratigraphy and will provide the framework for a new perspective in Geopedology that truly integrates Geomorphology and Pedology from pedon to soil landscapes. In the digital domain, this geopedological approach is growing rapidly by using artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically identify small landforms and visualise the heterogeneity of diverse pedological information. We present the results of the study of different types of relict anthropogenic landforms (RALs) and highlight their characteristics and differences compared to natural, undisturbed soils. The origins of these relict features can vary greatly, as can their distribution, morphology and age. The analysis of high-resolution relief models in Europe and the USA shows that morphological features can be found, particularly in forest that were created in pre-industrial times. Settlement structures (e.g. stone walls, burial sites) or linear relief forms created by soil cultivation (e.g. field terraces, furrow systems) are common. Relict Charcoal Hearths (RCHs), which originate from historic charcoal burning, are usually small circular platforms surrounded by pits or ditches, but can still cover a considerable part of the area. A relatively complex geomorphology can be observed in historic mining areas, which may include different landform types such as mine shafts and spoil heaps, resulting in a very heterogeneous pedological mosaic. To summarise, all studies reveal a high variation of soil properties controlled by small relief structures. Pedology should take this more into account in the future and improve knowledge of the impact of RALs on the pedosphere and other components of ecosystems. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380912417_A_NOVEL_VIEW_IN_GEOPEDOLOGY_HOW_SMALL_LANDFORMS_FROM_PAST_LAND_USE_AFFECT_THE_PEDOSPHERE PB - Florenz ER - TY - GEN A1 - Raab, Thomas A1 - Raab, Alexandra A1 - Bonhage, Alexander A1 - Schneider, Anna A1 - Drohan, Patrick J. A1 - Wistuba, Małgorzata A1 - Malik, Ireneusz A1 - Verschoof-van der Vaart, Wouter T1 - Small anthropogenic landforms from past land use – what have we (already) learned and what do we (still) want to know T2 - DGGM Meeting 2023 Conference proceedings 04.–06.10.2023, RWTH Aachen Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.pgg.rwth-aachen.de/global/show_document.asp?id=aaaaaaaaccmrbmr SP - S. 61 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Bonhage, Alexander A1 - Raab, Thomas A1 - Drohan, Patrick A1 - Schneider, Anna A1 - Raab, Alexandra T1 - An initial geopedological survey and description of historic raised beds in north-western Ireland T2 - Geomorphology N2 - Raised Bed (RB) field structures in northwestern Ireland are historical relics of widespread agriculture before and during the Great Famine in the mid-19th century. Their primary purpose was to improve drainage on shallow, waterlogged soils for cultivation of crops. Today, the undulating surface morphology created by the ridges and furrows remains visible in many locations, raising questions about how many of these historic fields actually still exist, whether they are mappable, and if their soils have undergone persistent anthropogenic changes. In this study, we analyse three different RB sites located in varying topographical positions and on different parent materials. High-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) are created using UAV-based photogrammetry to analyse the surface morphology and model surface flow accumulation and wetness. Soils are analysed using trenches and surface samples taken from ridges and furrows. Our results indicate that satellite or aerial imagery alone is insufficient for reliably detecting RB sites, as the height difference between ridges and furrows is too subtle. Ridge spacing and furrow depth are best observed using high-resolution DEMs (<50 cm cell size). The modelled surface hydrology suggests that the drainage function of RB sites remains, with furrows retaining more moisture than ridges. This can have significant implications for microhabitat structures within RB fields, potentially influencing faunal species composition and abundance. Furthermore, we find significant differences in specific elemental concentrations between soils on ridges and soils on furrows, as well as differences in grain size distributions. These findings indicate a wide range of potential legacy effects present in RB fields that merit further investigation. KW - Soil Science KW - Geomorphology KW - Landscape History KW - Ridge and Furrow KW - Lazy Beds Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109778 SN - 1872-695X VL - 481 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Elsevier ER -