Changes in the properties of soils of Moscow forest parks under the impact of high recreation loads

The impact of off-road recreation loads with free moving of visitors across the area of forest parks is considered. This type of recreation loads exerts the most pronounced negative impact in soils. Quantitative estimates of changes in the morphological, physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils in Moscow parks Bitsevskii and Losinyi Ostrov under the impact of high recreation loads are given. Among the studied soil properties, the most significant changes take place in the soil structure, penetration resistance, and electrical conductivity. Quantitative data on the decrease in the number, biomass, and species diversity of soil mesofauna are also given.     

Changes in the properties of solonetzic soil complexes in the dry steppe zone under anthropogenic impacts

Long-term studies of changes in the properties of solonetzic soil complexes of the dry steppe zone under anthropogenic impacts (deep plowing, surface leveling, irrigation, and post-irrigation use) have been performed on the Privolzhskaya sand ridge and the Khvalyn and Ergeni plains. The natural morphology of solonetzic soils was strongly disturbed during their deep ameliorative plowing. At present, the soil cover consists of solonetzic agrozems (Sodic Protosalic Cambisols (Loamic, Aric, Protocalcic)), textural (clay-illuvial) calcareous agrozems (Eutric Cambisols (Loamic, Aric, Protocalcic)), agrosolonetzes (Endocalcaric Luvisols (Loamic, Aric, Cutanic, Protosodic), agrochestnut soils (Eutric Cambisols (Siltic, Aric)), and meadowchestnut soils (Haplic Кastanozems). No features attesting to the restoration of the initial profile of solonetzes have been found. The dynamics of soluble salts and exchangeable sodium differ in the agrosolonetzes and solonetzic agrozems. A rise in pH values takes place in the middle part of the soil profiles on the Khvalyn and Ergeni plains.     

Changes in the physical properties of soils in the Kamennaya Steppe under the impact of shelterbelts

The physical properties of ordinary chernozems and meadow-chernozemic soils under different land management practices (maple, larch, birch, and pine sections of the shelterbelts; continuous (since 1959) fallow; and arable field (since 1952)) were studied in the Kamennaya Steppe. The soils had favorable physicochemical properties, light clayey texture, and high microaggregation independently from the type of land management. The long-term impact of the shelterbelts improved the soil structure in the upper part of the humus horizon: the content of agronomically valuable aggregates increased, the content of coarse aggregates (>10 mm) decreased, the aggregation coefficient increased by 3.7–4.3 times, and the water stability of the aggregates became by 8–12% higher. The soils under the shelterbelts were characterized by minimum values of the bulk density and solid phase density and by maximum values of the total, active, and air porosities. At the same time, no considerable differences between water reserves in the studied range of soils were detected. The ratio of the optimum productive water range to the active (productive) water range (OPWR/AWR) within the upper soil meter varied from 0.42–0.44 to 0.45–0.54. This points to changes in the character of perched water: the content of intra-aggregate capillary-perched water decreases, and content of film perched water increases down the soil profile.     

Changes in the probability distributions of particle size fractions in chestnut soils of the Kulunda Steppe under the effect of natural and anthropogenic factors

The stability of soil is considered as an ability to retain its properties and structural organization within the range of natural variation. Changes in the probability distribution and statistical entropy of properties, which are considered as regular properties of open systems, were used as criteria for assessing soil stability in natural and anthropogenic processes. It was theoretically shown that the steady states of geosystems, including that of particle size composition, are characterized by minimum changes in statistical entropy. The probability distribution and statistical entropy of particle size distributions in the Kulunda Steppe chestnut soils and their changes under anthropogenic impacts were studied. Heavy deflation in the 1950s–1960s resulted in the reorganization of the probability distribution of the physical sand fraction, without significant changes in the probability distribution of physical clay; the statistical entropy of all fractions increased by 6%. The long-term plowing entailed a small shift in the probability distribution of physical clay; the statistical entropy of these fractions decreased by 12%, and that of physical sand decreased by 6%. Irrigation with low-saline water entailed a significant shift in the probability distributions of fine sand and silt; the statistical entropy changed by 50–70%. Hence, the particle size distribution showed stability during deflation and long-term use of plowland and did not show it under irrigation.     

Microbial destruction of chitin in soils under different moisture conditions

The most favorable moisture conditions for the microbial destruction of chitin in soils are close to the total water capacity. The water content has the most pronounced effect on chitin destruction in soils in comparison with other studied substrates. It was found using gas-chromatographic and luminescent-microscopic methods that the maximum specific activity of the respiration of the chitinolytic community was at a rather low redox potential with the soil moisture close to the total water capacity. The range of moisture values under which the most intense microbial transformation of chitin occurred was wider in clayey and clay loamy soils as compared with sandy ones. The increase was observed due to the contribution of mycelial bacteria and actinomycetes in the chitinolytic complex as the soil moisture increased.     

Intra-annual variation in biochemical properties and the biochemical equilibrium of different grassland soils under contrasting management and climate

In this study, the effects of different management practices on soil biochemical properties were evaluated in three pairs of grassland soils (unmanaged and managed) located in three areas of Galicia (NW Spain) where different types of climate prevail. Variations in soil biochemical properties were monitored throughout 1 year. Changes in soil temperature, soil moisture content, and particularly soil location and soil management affected the values of the biochemical properties. Comparatively higher levels of enzyme activity were observed in the unmanaged grasslands than in the managed grasslands, especially for β-glucosidase activity and the enzymes involved in the P and S cycles (phosphodiesterase, phosphomonoesterase, and arylsulphatase activities). A biochemical equilibrium index was used to evaluate soil quality. Although variations in the index were observed throughout the year, the values mainly depended on soil management and revealed that unmanaged grasslands were in a situation of biochemical equilibrium throughout the study period, while no such equilibrium was observed in managed grasslands for most of the studied period.     

Basal organic phosphorus mineralization in soils under different farming systems

Soil organic P (P_o) mineralization plays an important role in soil P cycling. Quantitative information on the release of available inorganic P (P_i) by this process is difficult to obtain because any mineralized P_i gets rapidly sorbed. We applied a new approach to quantify basal soil P_o mineralization, based on ³³PO₄ isotopic dilution during 10 days of incubation, in soils differing in microbiological activity. The soils originated from a 20 years old field experiment, including a conventional system receiving exclusively mineral fertilizers (MIN), a bio-organic (ORG) and bio-dynamic (DYN) system. Indicators of soil microbiological activity, such as size and activity of the soil microbial biomass and phosphatase activity, were highest in DYN and lowest in MIN. In order to assess P_o hydrolysis driven by phosphatase in sterile soils, a set of soil samples was γ-irradiated. Basal P_o mineralization rates in non-irradiated samples were between 1.4 and 2.5 mg P kg⁻¹ day⁻¹ and decreased in the order DYN>ORG≥MIN. This is an amount lower, approximately equivalent to, or higher than water soluble P_i of MIN, ORG and DYN soils, respectively, but in every soil was less than 10% of the amount of P isotopically exchangeable during one day. This shows that physico-chemical processes are more important than basal mineralization in releasing plant available P_i. Organic P mineralization rates were higher, and differences between soils were more pronounced in γ-irradiated than in non-irradiated soils, with mineralization rates ranging from 2.2 to 4.6 mg P kg⁻¹ day⁻¹. These rates of hydrolysis, however, cannot be compared to those in non-sterile soils as they are affected by the release of cellular compounds, e.g. easily mineralizable P_o, derived from microbial cells killed by γ-irradiation.     

Characterization of active nitrogen pools in soils under different cropping systems

 Studies were conducted to evaluate the relationships among different active N pools of organic matter in soils at two long-term cropping systems in Iowa. Results indicated that multi-cropping systems, particularly meadow-based systems, enhanced bioactivities of soils. Mono-cropping systems, particularly soybean, reduced soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities. The mineralizable N pool (potential N mineralization;N _o) was more sensitive to changes in the size of the microbial biomass N (N_mic) than to changes in organic N. One unit change in organic N did not lead to substantial changes in N _o, but 1 unit change in N_mic resulted in three or more units change in N _o. The active N pools and turnover rate were more sensitive to changes in organic C than to changes in microbial biomass C (C_mic). A unit change in organic C resulted in 10.6 units change in N _o, but a unit change in C_mic resulted in only 0.8 unit change in N _o. C_mic or N_mic are better indexes than organic C or N for the estimation of N _o or N availability, because biomass values are more highly correlated with cumulative N mineralized during 24 weeks of incubation, with r values ranging from 0.57 (P<0.001) to 0.88 (P<0.001). Received: 18 October 1999     

Hydrocarbon status of soils under different ages of oil contamination

Modifications of the hydrocarbon status (HCS) of soils at the stages of the injection input of oil pollutants and the subsequent self-purification of the soil layer from technogenesis products have been revealed in studies conducted on an oil field. Comparison with the HCS of background soils has been performed. Changes in the composition and concentration of bitumoids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and hydrocarbon gases have been established. The HCS of a freshly contaminated soil is characterized by the predominance of butane (the highest component) in the gaseous phase, an abrupt increase in the concentration of second-kind bitumoids, and a 100-fold increase in the content of PAHs compared to the background soil. In the old contaminated soil, free and fixed methane becomes the predominant gas; the content of bitumoids in the upper soil horizons is lower than in the freshly contaminated soils by two orders of magnitude but higher than in the background soil by an order of magnitude; the PAH composition in the soil with old residual contamination remains slightly more diverse than in the background soil.     

Holocene evolution of floodplain soils and landscapes in the Kulikovo field area

The lithostratigraphic, radiocarbon, macro- and micromorphological, particle-size, and other analyses have been applied to reconstruct the Holocene evolution of soils and landscapes on the high- and mediumlevel floodplains of the Nepryadva River in the Kulikovo field area. It is shown that the soils buried within the thickness of alluvial sediments on the high- and medium-level floodplains were formed in different times and had their own evolution patterns; the polygenetic nature of these soils is demonstrated. The development of floodplain landscapes in the Holocene was affected by the long-term climatic fluctuations. The bed of the high floodplain was formed during the Late Valdai glacial stage. The beginning of the development of an intricate sequence of buried soils and sediments of the floodplain dates back to the Boreal period. This pedosedimentary sequence in the studied area can be referred to as the Kulikovo sequence. In the course of its formation, the pedogenic stages with a predominant development of soils alternated with the lithogenic stages of active alluviation and deposition of colluvial deposits from adjacent slopes on the floodplain.     

Long-term dynamics of anthropogenic solonetzicity in soils of the Eastern okrug of Moscow under the impact of deicing salts

The long-term dynamics of the anthropogenic soil solonetzicity under the impact of applied deicing salts were studied in the Eastern administrative okrug (EAO) of Moscow. The composition and amount of the applied agents and distribution patterns of sodium in snowmelt water and in soils of different land-use zones were analyzed. The maps of soil solonetzization in the EAO in 1989, 2005, and 2010 were compiled, and the degree of degradation of the soil cover was evaluated. It was shown that the contrast of the technogenic anomalies in the content of exchangeable sodium and the size of these anomalies in soils of the okrug increase with time. In 21 years, the mean content of exchangeable sodium in the surface soil layer increased from 0.38 to 0.80 cmol(equiv.)/kg, and the degree of solonetzicity (as judged from the exchangeable sodium percentage) increased from 3.1 to 7.2%. In 2005–2010, the rates of sodium accumulation in the soil adsorption complex were twice as high as those in 1989–2005.     

Microbial community structure and activity in agricultural soils under different management

For the development of management strategies in sustainable agriculture it is necessary to describe and predict the role of soil microbes in different management systems. The classical approach uses the microbial biomass as the key parameter for the entire system, but for ecological purposes the variability of biotic parameters in time and space has to be better described. Moreover, the biomass active in the total soil profile or its most active zones should be used as a basis for the assessment of soil activity. The sum of adenylates was found to be more closely related to the microbial biomass than was ATP, which however appeared to be a better indicator for the microbial activity. Fatty acids from phospholipids were highly correlated with the soil microbial biomass. The pattern of fatty acids from soils under different long-term management indicated a high potential to typify the microbial community in soils and special organism populations. To overcome the problem, that only a small portion of the soil inhabiting microbes can be cultivated, first steps to use serological and genetical methods to directly identify or localize specific populations in the rhizosphere are shown.     

Nitrous oxide production by fungi in soils under different moisture levels

The production of nitrous oxide (N₂O) by facultative anaerobic fungi from the Fusarium, Trichoderma, and Paecylomyces genera was detected. Representatives of the genus Mucorales did not produce N₂O. The formation of N₂O in sterile soddy-podzolic soil inoculated by Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani increased significantly with the rise of the soil water content from 16–20% (50–60% of the field water capacity) to 30% (the field water capacity) with maximum values reached at the water content of 50% (the total soil water capacity). The production of N₂O by fungi at the soil water content of 50% was often higher under microaerobic conditions than under anaerobic conditions created via substitution of argon for atmospheric air in the flasks. The activity of N₂O production by fungi in the soil increased by several times upon nitrite or nitrate amendments. The specific activity of N₂ O formation in the soil was 0.38 ± 0.15 nmol N₂O/(h per mg) of dry mycelium. It was significantly lower than the rate of N₂O formation by Fusarium oxysporum 11dn1 in the nitrite-containing media and close to the rate of N₂O formation by this fungus in the nitrate-containing media. A comparison of the rate of N₂O release by active strain Fusarium oxysporum 11dn1 inoculated into the sterile soil with the rate of denitrification processes in the nonsterile soil showed that the contribution of soil fungi to the total emission of gaseous nitrogen compounds from the soil may reach 8% under optimum conditions.     

Critical loads of acid deposition on Scottish soils

The impact of acid deposition, attributable to sulphur and nitrogen pollutants, on the soils of Scotland has been analysed using a critical loads approach. The critical load of a soil (as an indicator of ecological damage) is calculated from the soil parent material controlling weathering and soil development. Using existing soil survey information national maps for critical loads of acidity and the sulphur fraction are presented for soils under natural and semi-natural ecosystems. The results show that highly sensitive soils, that is those derived from quartzite and granite are limited in occurrence. However, there are large areas of sensitive soils predominantly to the north and west of the Midland Valley and in the Southern Uplands, in receipt of acid deposition in excess of their critical load. Enhanced soil acidification should be widespread in these areas and consequently the ecosystems which they support will be adversely affected. The least sensitive soils, overlying limestone or marl, are restricted in occurrence and are confined to the major deposits of marine alluvium. The results of the analysis may be used to help policy makers derive emission abatement strategies in the context of the European Sulphur protocol renewal in 1993. In Scotland the maps may be used to aid the planning of large scale afforestation.     

Physical properties and spatial distribution of the plowpan in different arable soils

The morphology, water-physical properties, and spatial distribution of plowpans were studied. The presence of a plowpan in the root layer is most reliably detected from the macro- and micromorphometric indices and a reliable decrease in the interaggregate porosity and in the range of active moisture. As a rule, the plowpan does not have a continuous character; its appearance in the soil profile depends on the soil texture and wetting and is usually confined to the lower and wetter mesorelief elements. Loamy and clay loamy soils are more liable to form a plowpan. The current farming system favors the propagation of overcompaction deep into the soil profile. The areas with a plowpan within plowed fields vary in a wide range. The main reasons for the unfavorable physical properties of the subplow layer in a plowland are the natural extenuation of the soil-forming processes in this layer, which is manifested in a poorer aggregation, and the residual soil deformation under the long-term pressure of heavy machines. It is suggested that the plowpan can be destroyed via deep chiseling with the use of precision agriculture technologies.     

Generation,sink, and emission of greenhouse gases by urban soils at different stages of the floodplain development in Moscow

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to study the generation, sink, and emission of greenhouse gases by soils on technogenic parent materials, created at different stages of the Moskva River floodplain development (1—construction and 2—landscaping of residential areas).

Materials and methods

Field surveys revealed the spatial trends of concentration and emission of the greenhouse gases in following groups of soils: Retisols (RT-ab-ct) and Fluvisols (FL-hu, FL-hi.gl) before land engineering preparation for the construction, Urbic Technosols Transportic (TC-ub-ar.tn and TC-ub-hu.tn) at stage 1 and Urbic Technosols Folic (TC-ub-fo) at stage 2. CO₂ and CH₄ concentration in soils and their emission were determined using subsurface soil air equilibration tubes and the closed chamber method, respectively. Bacterial methane generation rate (MGR) and methane oxidation rate (MOR) were measured by kinetic methods.

Results and discussion

In natural soils MOR is caused only by intra-aggregate methanogenesis. The imbalance of methane generation and oxidation was observed in FL-hi.gl. It caused CH₄ accumulation in the profile (7.5 ppm) and its emission to the atmosphere (0.11 mg CH₄ m^?2 h^?1). RT-ab-ct acted as the sink of atmospheric methane. CO₂ emission was 265.1?±?24.0 and 151.9?±?37.2 mg CO₂ m^?2 h^?1 from RT-ab-ct and FL-hi.gl, respectively. In Technosols CH₄ concentration was predominantly low (median was 2.7, 2.9, and 3.0 ppm, in TC-ub-ar.tn, TC-ub-hu.tn, and TC-ub-fo, respectively), but due to the occurrence of peat sediments under technogenic material, it increased to 1–2%. Methane emission was not observed due to functioning of biogeochemical barriers with high MOR. In TC-ub-ar.tn and TC-ub-hu.tn, the barriers were formed at 60-cm depth. In TC-ub-fo, the system of barriers was formed in Folic and Technic horizons (at 10- and 60-cm depth). CO₂ emission was 2 times lower from TC-ub-ar.tn and TC-ub-hu.tn and 1.5 times higher from TC-ub-fo than from natural soils.

Conclusions

Greenhouse gas generation, sink, and emission by natural soils and Technosols in floodplain were estimated. CO₂ and CH₄ content in Technosols varied depending on the properties of parent materials. Technosols at stage 1 did not emit CH₄ due to formation of biogeochemical barriers—soil layers of high CH₄ utilization rates. Urbic Technosols (Folic) at stage 2 performed as a source of significant CO₂ emission.

     

Temporal evolution of salts in Mediterranean soils transect under different climatic conditions

The research was conducted in Israel at three sites along a south–north axis, characterized by increasing annual rainfall, from 310 mm at site LAV in the south through 600 mm at site MAT (600), to 800 mm at site EIN in the north. At each site soil samples were taken during several seasons (September 2001 through April 2003), in three dominant microenvironments at 0–2 cm and 5–10 cm. The following microenvironments were selected at LAV and MAT: “Under Shrub” (US), “Between Shrubs” (BS), and “Under Rock fragments” (UR). At EIN the selected microenvironments were US, BS, and “Under Tree” (UT). In each soil sample electrical conductivity (EC), pH, and concentrations of several ions were determined. The objective was to analyze the effects of soil microenvironments and climatic conditions on the temporal dynamics of salt concentrations. In all microenvironments at all sites the minimal values of EC were found in the rainy season (January or April), and the maximal values in the dry season (September). In the rainy season the temporal variability of EC in the topsoil was regulated by: (1) clay, which restricted the leaching of salts from the topsoil when EC was low; and (2) surface features (microenvironment), when EC was high. In the UT, US, and UR microenvironments the rainy season could be divided into two periods with respect to their effect on salt movement in the topsoil: at the beginning of the rainy season (September–January) the reduction in EC was relatively moderate, especially with regard to ions involved in biotic activity (Mg⁺⁺ and K⁺), whereas, late in the rainy season (January–April) there was enhanced reduction in EC. In contrast, in BS the regulation of salt movement was weak at all sites. Hence, in this microenvironment the salts concentration (mainly Na⁺ and Cl⁻) responded rapidly to changes in rain amount and soil moisture and temperature. In the dry season (April–September) the temporal variation in EC varied not only between microenvironments but also between sites. In US, where local surface features were similar at all sites (the same shrub), the rise in EC was maximal at LAV (mainly Ca⁺⁺ and Na⁺), and gradually diminished toward EIN. Thus, the contribution of regional sources to the salts added to the soil diminished toward the humid site, EIN, where the EC hardly changed in any microenvironment. In BS and UR microenvironments the rise in EC (mainly in Ca⁺⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺) was greatest at site MAT, and decreased toward LAV and EIN. It seems that this pattern was affected also by changes in local biotic activity.     

Volatilization of demethylmercury and elemental mercury from river Elbe floodplain soils

It has been shown that an untreated mercury-polluted floodplain soil (containing 10 μg/g per dry weight (d.w.) total Hg and 12 ng/g (d.w.) monomethylmercury compounds (MMM)) of the river Elbe in Northern Germany contains both dimethylmercury (DMM) and elemental mercury (Hg°). This is the first time ever that DMM has been detected in unmodified soils. A novel purge- and-trap-technique involving a sequential thermodesorption-separation of the two species after trapping on a carbon molecular sieve (CMS) has been developed that allows the determination of the two species DMM and Hg° from aqueous solutions or soil samples by GC-CVAFS. The compounds' identities as Hg-species were confirmed by GC-ICP/MS. A DMM-concentration of 740 pg/g (d.w.) was determined in the soil; the Hg°-concentration was found to be at least four times larger, but could not yet be quantified. Since no precautions against losses via evapoartion were taken during sampling and storage, the original concentrations were probably much higher. Both DMM and Hg° are easily purged with N₂ from soils as well as from soil suspensions, indicating that the two species may readily evaporate from those soils under natural conditions. The amount of DMM determined in the soil suspension was significantly lower (80 pg/g (d.w.)) compared to that in the original soil sample, suggesting that DMM might not be stable under these conditions. Also, it was shown that in natural samples, MMM can be converted into DMM in the presence of sulfide, at S^2?-levels as low as 100 μg/g.