Estimation of the areas of salt-affected soils in the European part of Russia on the basis of a digital map of soil salinization on a scale of 1 : 2.5 M

A digital version of the map of salt-affected soils on a scale of 1 : 2.5 M has been used to calculate the areas of these soils in the four federal okrugs (the Southern, Central, Volga, and Northwestern) of European Russia. The total area of soils with soluble salts in the upper meter reaches 23.3 million ha. More than half of them are solonchakous soils (with soluble salts in the layer deeper than 30 cm), and about 25% are saline from the surface. Soils of sulfate and chloride-sulfate salinization predominate (>50% of the area of salt-affected soils). Alkaline soda-saline soils and soils with the participation of soda comprise about 6%. We consider this value to be underestimated and requiring refinement, because soils of solonetzic complexes with neutral salts in the upper horizons may also contain soda in the solonetzic and subsolonetzic horizons, which was not always taken into consideration upon assessing the chemical composition of the salts. Solonetzes proper and solonetzic soils predominate among the salt-affected soils in the European part of Russia. The area of solonetzes is up to 9.4 million ha. The area of solonetzic soils (including solonetzic soils with salts in the layers of 0–100 and/or 100–200 cm) is 15.5 million ha. The highest percentage (32.2%) of salt-affected soils is in the Southern federal okrug.     

Soil map of the Russian Arctic on a 1 : 1 M scale: Contents and compilation methods

A new soil map of the Russian Arctic on a scale of 1 : 1 M shows the soil cover in the north of Eurasia and on the islands of the Arctic Ocean to the north of 68° N. This map has been developed in a geoinformation system in the vector format with the wide use of remote sensing data. The delineated soil polygons show dominant and accompanying soils and the structure of soil cover patterns with indication of soil associations and soil complexes, the character of parent materials, and the topographic conditions. The map of the soil-geographic zoning of the Russian Arctic developed on the basis of the soil map differs from its earlier analogues in a greater degree of detail. The soil map of the Russian Arctic on a scale of 1 : 1 M displays the most detailed information on the soil cover patterns and can be used for solving various problems related to the exploration and development of this territory. Soil names from the new classification system of Russian soils [10] have been introduced into the legend of the map. New soil information and the use of remote sensing data have made it possible to enlarge the number of soil polygons shown on the map and to correct their boundaries in comparison with previous soil maps of the Russian Arctic.     

Digitized version of the state soil map on a scale of 1 : 1 M: Problems and solutions

Problems of the creation of a high-quality digitized version of the State Soil Map (SSM) on a scale of 1 : 1 M for the European part of Russia are discussed. Sheets of the SSM have been compiled for the entire territory of Russia. For the European part of Russia, they have been digitized, and a corresponding geographic information system has been created. At present, the attribute database to the map is being developed. In the course of the digitization of separate sheets of the map and the creation of a general legend, certain drawbacks of the map have been revealed. They are related to the insufficient completeness of information on the genesis of soil-forming rocks shown on different sheets; to the inconsistency in the names of some soils; and to the use of the same conventional signs for describing the soil texture in the upper horizons and in the parent material, which is incorrect in the case of texture-differentiated soils. The reasons for these drawbacks of the original map are explained. It is stressed that the SSM is a highly informative map that has played a crucial role in the development of pedology and soil cartography in Russia. A digitized version of this map makes it possible to introduce certain corrections to the original map sheets. The essence of the first stage of the work on the correction of the SSM in the digitized version and the methods applied for this purpose are characterized. Problems related to the creation of the database for the digitized version of this map are also discussed.     

基于SRTM数据的中国1:100万SOTER地形体的构建

集土壤与地形数据于一体的 SOTER 数据库,较单一的土壤或地形数据库包含有更多的信息,这能够为日益锐化的人口与自然资源之间的矛盾的解决提供更有力的数据支持.而全国尺度 SOTER 数据库的建立将能够从国家尺度为该矛盾的解决提供更多的支撑.本文利用新的数据源(SRTM)和数字土壤制图技术,定量化地构建了中国1:100万 SOTER 地形体.通过本研究发现,采用 90 m 分辨率的SRTM数据来构建1:100 万的 SOTER 地形体的结果是令人满意的,可以实现无缝接边,与传统的方法相比,更准确、更快速、更一致.同时,也提供了一个定量化构建小比例尺地形体单元的方法,为小比例尺 SOTER 数据库的建设提供方法论上的支持,对实现农业和环境资源的有效管理具有重要的作用.     

Approaches to the Introduction of Human-Modified Soils in the Updated Version of the Soil Map of Russia, 1 : 2.5 M Scale (by the Example of Moscow Oblast)

Eurasian Soil Science - In the course of updating the soil map of the Russian Federation, 1 : 2.5 M scale (1988), Moscow oblast was chosen as a model object for testing the approaches to revise the...     

Effect of the historical land use on the structure of forest soils in European Russia

The morphological structure of the soils in the forest areas of European Russia was analyzed. It was shown that most of the soils were formed under the impact of both biotic and anthropogenic factors. Soils with poorly differentiated profiles without podzolization features are typical for the least disturbed forest ecosystems. The presence of an eluvial (EL) horizon is associated with the signs of old plowing and (or) fires. The character and rate of the soil cover transformation under various impacts of the historical land use (felling, plowing, pasturing, burning, etc.) are discussed. The technologies of the main traditional farming systems in the forest zone of European Russia (slash-and-burn, fallow, and shifting farming systems) are considered; their effect on the long-term dynamics of the soil cover is estimated. Farming and the related impacts of historical land use can be a major reason for the formation of degraded soils in the forest zone of European Russia.     

Adapting global conservation strategies to climate change at the European scale: The otter as a flagship species

Climate change has created the need for new strategies in conservation planning that account for the dynamics of factors threatening endangered species.Here we assessed climate change threat to the European otter, a flagship species for freshwater ecosystems, considering how current conservation areas will perform in preserving the species in a climatically changed future. We used an ensemble forecasting approach considering six modelling techniques applied to eleven subsets of otter occurrences across Europe. We performed a pseudo-independent and an internal evaluation of predictions. Future projections of species distribution were made considering the A2 and B2 scenarios for 2080 across three climate models: CCCMA-CGCM2, CSIRO-MK2 and HCCPR HADCM3. The current and the predicted otter distributions were used to identify priority areas for the conservation of the species, and overlapped to existing network of protected areas.Our projections show that climate change may profoundly reshuffle the otter’s potential distribution in Europe, with important differences between the two scenarios we considered. Overall, the priority areas for conservation of the otter in Europe appear to be unevenly covered by the existing network of protected areas, with the current conservation efforts being insufficient in most cases. For a better conservation, the existing protected areas should be integrated within a more general conservation and management strategy incorporating climate change projections. Due to the important role that the otter plays for freshwater habitats, our study further highlights the potential sensitivity of freshwater habitats in Europe to climate change.     

北京市郊农业生态环境的工程对策研究

农业生态环境的保护是农业生产获得持续发展的重要基础条件之一。在调查研究北京市郊农业生产和农业废弃物基本情况基础上,针对主要农业废弃物给生态环境造成的影响与危害,分析研究了将其进行处理、利用的各种可操作性工程对策,以期不断改善京郊的农业生态环境,推动农业持续发展。     

Soil loss tolerance in the central chernozemic region of the European part of Russia

To calculate the soil loss tolerance for chernozems of the central chernozemic region, a linear modification of Skidmore’s equation was used. The soil loss tolerance values were obtained with due account for the soil type, the degree of erodibility, and the crop rotation pattern. The maximum possible value (10 t/ha per year) was obtained for a typical noneroded chernozem in all the crop rotations. Close values were obtained for noneroded leached and typical chernozems (9.6–9.9 t/ha per year depending on the crop rotation pattern). The soil loss tolerance for the noneroded podzolized chernozem was somewhat lower: 9.1 t/ha per year in the grain-herb-intertilled crop rotation and 6.3 t/ha/year in the grain-intertilled crop rotation. With an increase in the degree of the soil erosion, the soil loss tolerance decreased in all the variants of the experiment with an especially abrupt decrease in the grain-intertilled crop rotation (from 9.9–10.0 to 0.3–2.0 t/ha per year in the, respectively, noneroded and slightly eroded ordinary and typical chernozems). In the grain-herb-intertilled crop rotation, these differences were much smaller: in the slightly eroded typical chernozem the soil loss tolerance was estimated at 9.7 t/ha per year, while, in the slightly eroded typical chernozem, at 8.1 t/ha per year. The moderately eroded chernozems without the addition of manure could only be used in the grain-herb-intertilled crop rotation; the soil loss tolerance was estimated at 9.0 t/ha per year for the typical chernozem and 4.3 t/ha per year for the ordinary chernozem.     

Correlation of Soddy Calcareous Soils on the Soil Map of the Russian Federation (1 : 2.5 M Scale, 1988) and in the Russian Soil Classification System

Eurasian Soil Science - Updating of the Soil Map of the Russian Federation (1 : 2.5 M scale, 1988) is planned on the basis of the new classification system of Russian soils. At the first stage,...     

Clay minerals in chernozem-like soils of mesodepressions in the northern forest-steppe of European Russia

In the northern forest-steppe of European Russia, under the conditions of surface waterlogging (freshwater) and a stagnant-percolative regime, gleyic podzolic chernozem-like soils with thick light-colored eluvial horizons are formed. These horizons are close or similar to the podzolic horizons of bog-podzolic soils in many properties of their solid phase. They are bleached in color and characterized by the removal of Ca, Mg, Fe, Al, and Mn and the relative accumulation of quartz SiO₂. These soils differ from leached chernozems in their acid reaction and very low CEC, the presence of Fe-Mn concretions and coatings, and the significant decrease in the clay content in the A2 horizon as compared to the parent rock. The soils studied differ significantly from loamy podzolic and bog-podzolic soils by the composition of the clay minerals in the A2 horizons: (1) no essential loss of smectite minerals from this horizon was found as compared to the rest of the solum, (2) pedogenic chlorites (HIV and HIS) are absent, and (3) the distinct accumulation of illites is observed as compared to the subsoil and parent material, probably, due to the process of illitization.     

Characteristics of the Microarthropod Communities in Postagrogenic and Tundra Soils of the European Northeast of Russia

Eurasian Soil Science - Microarthropod communities (Oribatida, Mesostigmata, and Collembolans) in postagrogenic and tundra soils of the European Northeast of Russia have been characterized. In the...     

中长期中国农业生态环境保护战略目标研究

本文从我国农业生态环境现状及动态变化出发,提出了农业生态环境保护中长期目标和实现目标的战略对策及措施。     

Interrelationship between the physical properties and the humus content of chernozems in the south of European Russia

The humus content and the physical properties of soils are interrelated. The humus content correlates with the soil texture and, first of all, with the content and status of the clay fraction. Intensive agricultural use of soils leads to quantitative and qualitative changes in the clay fraction: the portion of aggregated clay increases, and the portion of firmly bonded clay decreases. This is accompanied by the transformation of firmly bonded humus into more active forms.     

中国1∶100万土壤数据库建设中的几个问题

本文根据国家资源环境数据库建设与数据共享研究项目的要求,探讨了中国1∶100万土壤元数据库标准与土壤元数据,土壤名称分类编码系统;对1∶100万土壤空间数据库建立以及与其关联的典型剖面数据库选取,土壤属性数据库设计,数据标准与规范以及空间数据库精度控制提出了建议。     

Micromycetes in podzolic and bog-podzolic soils in the middle taiga subzone of northeastern European Russia

The qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the mycobiota in podzolic and bog-podzolic soils were studied in the middle taiga subzone (the Republic of Komi). The complex of micromycetes was found to include 73 species of 18 genera from the Zygomycota and Ascomycota orders and from the formal class of anamorphic fungi. The latter has the following specific features: many forms of sterile mycelium, the predominance of Penicillium species (25), the constant presence of Mucor and Trichoderma species, and single Aspergillus species. With increasing moisture in the sequence of the podzolic, surface-gleyic podzolic, peaty podzolic-gleyic, and peat podzolic-gley soils, the dominant soil fungi are preserved, but the species composition of the micromycete complexes becomes poorer due to the removal of rare species. In the podzolic and bog-podzolic soils, fungi absolutely predominate in the microbial biomass. They accounted for more than 99% of the total biomass, 1–6% of the latter is the biomass of spores, and more than 94% falls on mycelium. In these soils, the reserves of bacterial biomass, as compared to those of fungi, are lower by two orders of magnitude.     

Assessment of background concentrations of heavy metals in soils of the northeastern part of European Russia

The assessment of background concentrations of heavy metals in soils of the southern regions of the Komi Republic has been performed. Within the accumulative landscapes, soils are enriched with virtually all the studied heavy metals in comparison with the eluvial landscapes. A database of the content of heavy metals has been developed using GIS technologies, and maps showing the distribution of heavy metals in soils of the southern part of the Komi Republic have been obtained.     

Postagrogenic migrational-mycelial chernozems of abandoned fields of different ages in the southern forest-steppe of European Russia

The restoration of the properties and morphology of migrational-mycelial (typical) chernozems under the impact of natural vegetation successions on abandoned fields of different ages (from 1 to 60 years) was studied in the forest-steppe zone of the Russian Plain. The stages of the postagrogenic transformation of the chernozems were identified, the rates of restoration of the particular soil properties were determined, and the time required for the restoration of the properties of virgin chernozems was estimated.     

Paramagnetic Properties of Humic Substances in Taiga and Tundra Soils of the European Northeast of Russia

The study of paramagnetic activity of humic substances in taiga and tundra soils of the Komi Republic and the assessment of the influence of soil hydromorphism on concentrations of free radicals in the structure of humic acids (HAs) and fulvic acids (FAs) have been performed. The concentration of free radicals in HA specimens was up to 11 times higher than that in FA specimens due to a higher content of aromatic and other condensed structures in HA molecules. This fact attests to the high capacity of HAs to polymerization and complexation reactions with participation of radicals. The average value of g-factor is higher for FA specimens than for HA specimens, which attests to a greater electron density shift of unpaired electron to oxygen atom in the structure of FAs because of its spin-orbital interaction with oxygen-containing functional groups, the concentrations of which are significantly higher in FAs than in HAs. An increase in the concentration of free radicals in the molecular structure of HAs is observed in taiga soils with an increase in the degree of their hydromorphism (from automorphic to semihydromorphic soils), which is related to the biohydrothermal conditions of humus formation in bog-podzolic soils with retarded biochemical processes and low degree of plant litter humification. As a result, HAs with the high content of free radicals in their structure are formed. An opposite situation is observed for HAs in tundra soils with a decrease in the content of unpaired electrons under conditions of the increased hydromorphism. The difference in the character of changes in the paramagnetic activity of HAs in taiga and tundra soils with different degrees of hydromorphism may be related to different natures of plant residues participating in humification processes. A tendency for a decrease in the paramagnetic activity in both HAs and FAs from the south to the north is observed, which may be related to a general decrease in the content of poly-conjugated systems in the structure of humic substances in tundra soils.     

Changes in the Rate of Soil Loss in River Basins within the Southern Part of European Russia

Eurasian Soil Science - Four river basins located in the forest, forest-steppe, and steppe zones of European Russia were evaluated for two time intervals (1960–1985 and 1986–2015) based...