We investigated the genesis and local response of soils in mountain sites of the Sila Massif (Calabria, southern Italy), reforested ca. 60 years ago, and their relationships with geomorphic dynamics and forest stand structure. A multidisciplinary approach is proposed, focused on an often neglected soil profile scale and horizon-wise sampling strategy, and including pedological field observations, physical, chemical, mineralogical analyses, isotope geochemistry including fallout radionuclides (¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb_ex), geomorphology, historical documentation of anthropogenic land cover changes, forestry and dendrometric measurements. Reforestation was carried out following extreme land degradation, which took place after forest clearance and field cultivation. Different tree species and soil preparation techniques were used according to site conditions. We focused on the main properties of selected soil profiles and the distribution of some radionuclides, in order to understand the effects of forest stands on hampering soil erosion and promoting novel soil formation, and to evaluate the potential hazard of natural gamma radiation. A comparison with soil profiles developed under naturally regenerated forest and field crops was achieved. The soil profiles in reforested sites showed a poor degree of development and a complex history of reworking processes alternated with soil-formation processes, in line with modern to historical radiocarbon dates increasing downprofile, the presence of buried horizons and ¹³⁷Cs in the topsoils. Inventory changes obtained for ²¹⁰Pb_ex and ¹³⁷Cs highlight a process of soil stabilization occurred after reforestation, with more efficient effects under Calabrian pine than oak forest, whereas major geomorphic dynamics (erosion and accumulation) were triggered by forest coppicing, thinning and agricultural practices. Our data remark a positive response of the soil ecosystem to reforestation against erosion, trapping mobile material, stabilizing buried soils, promoting humus accumulation leading to new shallow topsoils, and the protective role of forests against anthropogenic and climatic-induced threats. Average values of the annual outdoor effective dose equivalents of gamma-emitting radionuclides calculated for all the soil horizons showed lower values than the population-weighted world’s average, with the exception of the soil profiles under forest stands developed on granite, exceeding this threshold. A deeper comprehension of soil genesis, geomorphic processes, land use and vegetation dynamics in vulnerable ecosystems such as mountain environments represents a fundamental basis for sustainable land management policies.

我们调查了Sila Massif（意大利南部的卡拉布里亚）山区森林的土壤的成因和局部响应。60年前，它们与地貌动力学和林分结构之间的关系。提出了一种多学科方法，重点是经常被忽略的土壤剖面尺度和水平采样策略，包括土壤学观察，物理，化学，矿物学分析，同位素地球化学，包括放射性核素（¹³⁷ Cs和²¹⁰ Pb _ex），地貌，人为土地覆盖变化的历史记录，林业和树木密度测量。在森林砍伐和田间耕种之后，极端土地退化之后进行了重新造林。根据现场条件使用不同的树种和整地技术。我们着眼于选定土壤剖面的主要特性和一些放射性核素的分布，以了解林分对阻止土壤侵蚀和促进新型土壤形成的影响，并评估自然伽马辐射的潜在危害。与自然再生的森林和田间作物下的土壤剖面进行了比较。表土中的¹³⁷ Cs。²¹⁰ Pb _ex和¹³⁷ Pb获得的库存变化Cs强调了重新造林后发生的土壤稳定过程，在卡拉布里亚松树下比橡木林更有效，而主要的地貌动力学（侵蚀和积累）则是由森林砍伐，间伐和农业实践引发的。我们的数据表明土壤生态系统对重新造林免受侵蚀，捕获可移动物质，稳定埋藏的土壤，促进腐殖质积累导致新的浅表层土壤以及森林对人为和气候引起的威胁的保护作用具有积极反应。计算出的所有土壤层的伽马射线放射性核素的年度户外有效剂量当量平均值显示出低于人口加权世界平均水平的值，但花岗岩上生长的林分下的土壤剖面除外，超过此阈值。对诸如山区环境之类的脆弱生态系统中土壤发生，地貌过程，土地利用和植被动态的更深刻理解，构成了可持续土地管理政策的基础。