Understanding pedodiversity in the historical park: implications of human impact

This research explores how human activity, particularly in historical parks, has influenced soil diversity (pedodiversity) and altered soil properties over time, focusing on the Lubostroń palace park in Poland. In 2019, field research included 34 soil drillings and 7 soil pits, yielding 29 samples analyzed for particle size distribution, pH, CaCO3, TOC, TN, available phosphorus, and magnetic susceptibility. A pedodiversity map was created based on an updated, WRB-reclassified 1:5,000 historical soil-agricultural map, refined using fieldwork, laboratory analyses, and the integration of current land use data. The pedodiversity index (PI) was calculated using Patch Richness and Shannon’s Diversity Index, ranked by the Jenks method, following PCA and bonitation procedures. The analyses revealed significant soil modifications, such as deposition of technic hard materials, heap materials, artifacts, and alterations in pH, phosphorus levels, and organic carbon content. These changes reflect diverse historical land uses, including residential, agricultural, and industrial activities. Spatial analyses showed that Brunic Arenosols and Brunic Regosols cover 46% of the park, while heavily transformed Technosols occupy 8.6% in built-up zones. High pedodiversity index values were primarily found in the central and eastern parts of the park, indicating intense anthropogenic influence. The study demonstrated that over 200 years of intensive and multidirectional human activity strongly influenced soils in the Lubostroń park. The human impact led to various transformations that shaped the spatial pattern and increased soil diversity (pedodiversity), which was not recorded on the 1:5,000 historical soil-agricultural map. The applied approach enabled a detailed identification of these changes, which may support the reconstruction of past environmental conditions and sustainable park management.