Extensive areas of penguins’ nesting (Pygoscelis sp.), on ice-free areas, account for vast deposits of organic matter-rich guano in maritime Antarctica. One such area, at Harmony Point, currently houses different penguin colonies with extensive and unique ornithogenic soils, where phosphatization is the key soil-forming process. We sought to enhance the knowledge of phosphatization process, products, cycles, and phosphorus (P) forms in these unusual soils. We compared ornithogenic and non-ornithogenic soils, based on advanced chemical, micromorphological and mineralogical analyses of samples of guano and phosphate biocrusts, complete with P and OM fractionation. Ornithogenic soils have the organic P-pool as the largest phosphorous compartment, followed by varying P-Ca forms. In contrast, soils unaffected by phosphatization showed a high inorganic P-pool. Penguin guano is enriched with P, Ca, K, Cu, Zn, C and N. The phosphatic biocrusts are composed of struvite and hydroxyapatite, forming a gradient of phosphate forms. We recognized three different phosphatization environments, namely (i) present-day marine birds’ rookeries, (ii) adjacent zone of rookeries and (iii) abandoned rookeries. Geomorphological evolution of the coastal areas, by Holocene glacier retreat, resulted in the changing location of penguin colonies, resulting in a larger area and varying ages of phosphatization, forming ornithogenic soils with contrasting evolution degrees. Abandoned areas have greater vegetation growth, with higher diversity.

企鹅筑巢的广泛区域（Pygoscelissp。），在无冰地区，是南极海洋中富含有机物的鸟粪的巨大沉积物。在和谐点，其中一个这样的地区目前居住着具有广泛而独特的鸟类致密土壤的不同企鹅群落，其中磷化是关键的土壤形成过程。我们试图增强对这些不常见土壤中磷化过程，产物，循环和磷（P）形式的了解。我们根据鸟粪和磷酸盐生物结壳样品的高级化学，微观形态和矿物学分析，并结合了P和OM分级，比较了鸟类和非鸟类的土壤。鸟生土的有机磷池是最大的磷区室，其次是不同的磷钙形式。相反，未受磷化作用影响的土壤显示出较高的无机P池。企鹅鸟粪中富含P，Ca，K，铜，锌，碳和氮。磷酸生物结皮由鸟粪石和羟基磷灰石组成，形成磷酸盐形式的梯度。我们认识到了三种不同的磷化环境，即（i）当前的海鸟种群，（ii）邻近的种群区域和（iii）废弃的种群。全新世冰川退缩使沿海地区发生地貌演化，导致企鹅群落的位置发生变化，从而导致了更大的面积和不同的磷化年龄，形成了具有不同演化程度的鸟类成土。废弃地区的植被生长更大，多样性更高。即（i）当前的海鸟种群，（ii）邻近的种群区域，和（iii）废弃的种群。全新世冰川退缩使沿海地区发生地貌演化，导致企鹅群落的位置发生变化，从而导致了更大的面积和不同的磷化年龄，形成了具有不同演化程度的鸟类成土。废弃地区的植被生长更大，多样性更高。即（i）当前的海鸟种群，（ii）邻近的种群区域，和（iii）废弃的种群。全新世冰川退缩使沿海地区发生地貌演化，导致企鹅群落的位置发生变化，从而导致了更大的面积和不同的磷化年龄，形成了具有不同演化程度的鸟类成土。废弃地区的植被生长更大，多样性更高。