Multiple assessment of the soil cover in the area of natural monuments Tra-Tau and Yurak-Tau monadnocks under conditions of technogenic loads

The soil cover of Tra-Tau and Yurak-Tau shikhans (monadnocks) has been examined. Leached and typical medium-deep chernozems are developed on colluvial fans on the footslopes and on the lower parts of slopes, whereas typical calcareous thin slightly and moderately gravelly chernozems are developed on the upper and medium parts of slopes. The leached and typical chernozems of the footslopes correspond to zonal soils of the adjacent plain areas, though they have some specific features related to the local topographic conditions. These soils are somewhat thinner than plain chernozems and are characterized by the perfect granular water-stable structure, the high content of humus of the humate type, the high content of exchangeable cations, strong acid-base buffering, and high enzymatic activity. These features predetermine their high tolerance towards technogenic impacts. The concentrations of highly hazardous substances of the first toxicity class (mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium) and of moderately hazardous substances of the second toxicity class (copper, zinc, and nickel), as well as the concentrations of low-hazardous elements (manganese and iron) in these soils do not exceed provisional maximum permissible concentrations of these substances in soils irrespectively of the slope aspect. No changes in the physicochemical and biological properties of the soils under the impact of technogenic loads from Sterlitamak industrial center have been identified.     

Temporal changes of eroded soils depending on their agricultural use in the southern Cis-Ural region

Temporal changes of eroded soils in the southern Cis-Ural region (Republic of Bashkortostan) depending on their agricultural use during the period from 1975 to 2011 were studied. In the northern foreststeppe zone, the development of erosion processes was retarded upon the use of soil-saving management practices and grain-fallow-grass crop rotations. In slightly eroded light gray forest soils (Eutric Retisols (Cutanic)), the thickness of humus-accumulative horizons and the content of humus increased; the conversion of cropland into permanent fallow was found to be the most efficient measure to control soil erosion. In podzolized chernozems (Luvic Greyzemic Chernic Phaeozems) and typical chernozems (Haplic Chernozems) of the Cis-Ural steppe, the content of humus in the plow layer under grain-row crop rotation and classical soil management decreased, especially in moderately eroded soils. The development of water and wind erosion on slopes depended on the slope shape: the texture of soils at different degrees of erosion on slopes with free runoff became coarser by one gradation after 35 years; in the presence of linear obstacles in the lower part of slopes, the content of fine fractions in moderately and strongly eroded soils increased.     

Factors and mechanisms of soil salinization under vineyards of southern Taman

The spatial distribution of saline soils under vineyards in the south of Taman Peninsular is discussed. The Paleogene–Neogene clays of the Komendantskaya Mount serve as the source of salts. Vineyards were planted on an inclined plain at the foot of this mount. At present, their state on salt-affected soils worsens. In the upper part of the plain, solonchakous or deep-solonchakous slightly saline and nonsaline (within the upper 2 m) dark quasigley vertic soils (Vertisols) are formed. The salts are of the sulfate–sodium composition. Their vertical distribution has an eluvial pattern with a quick rise in the salt content from the surface layer to the depth of 50–100 cm and with a gradual increase in the salt content in the deeper layers. The absence of chlorides in the soils of flat areas within the slope attests to the predominance of lateral leaching of salts down the slope over their vertical leaching in the soil profiles. In the lower part of the slope, soil salinization mainly takes place in the hollow crossing the plain and the vineyard from the north to the south. In the middle part of the slope, nonsaline (to a depth of 2 m) agrohumus quasigley soils (Haplic Chernozems (Clayic, Aric, Stagnic)) are formed. Slight chloride–sulfate sodium salinization is only seen in the soils of the hollow, which contain fine-crystalline gypsum in the solid phase and display the accumulation of sodium chlorides in the middle part of the soil profile (in the 60–150-cm-thick layer). Heavy loamy agrochernozems with migrational and segregational forms of carbonates (Haplic Chernozems (Loamic, Aric, Pachic) are developed in the lower part of the slope; they are nonsaline to the depth of 2.5 m. In the area of transition from the humusquasigley soils to chernozems, specific horizons are formed in the hollow at the depth of more than 250 cm. Their soil solutions contain sodium, calcium, and magnesium chlorides against the background of the presence of fine-crystalline gypsum in the solid phase, which is typical of secondary salinization.     

Fractional composition of humus in leached chernozems and gleyed podzolized chernozem-like soils of the northern forest-steppe zone

The composition of humus in leached chernozems differs from that in gleyed podzolized chernozem-like soils in the northern forest-steppe zone of European Russia. Leached chernozems have the fulvate-humate humus. Gleyed podzolized chernozem-like soils have the humate-fulvate humus. A more aggressive composition of humus in the latter soils is caused by their overwetting and the development of gley processes under conditions of a stagnant-percolative soil water regime.     

Soils of paleocryogenic hummocky-hollow landscapes in the southern Baikal region

The features of ancient periglacial phenomena are widespread in landscapes lying beyond the modern permafrost zone. The specificity of the paleogeographic conditions in the south of the Baikal region resulted in the formation of paleocryogenic landscapes with hummocky-hollow landforms. The paleocryogenic mounds (hummocks) are of rounded or elongated shape, their height is up to 2–3 m, and their width is up to 20–25 m. They are separated by microlows (hollows). This paleocryogenic microtopography favors the differentiation of the pedogenesis on the mounds and in the hollows, so the soil cover pattern becomes more complicated. It is composed of polychronous soils organized in complexes with cyclic patterns. Light gray and gray forest soils and leached and ordinary chernozems are developed on the mounds; gray and dark gray forest soils and chernozems with buried horizons are developed in the hollows. The soils of the paleocryogenic complexes differ from one another in their morphology, physical and chemical properties, elemental composition, and humus composition. For the first time, radiocarbon dates have been obtained for the surface and buried humus horizons in the hollows. The results prove the heterochronous nature of the soils of the paleocryogenic landscapes in the south of the Baikal region.     

Assessment of soil tolerance toward contamination with black oil in the south of Russia on the basis of soil biological indices: A model experiment

The effect of soil contamination with black oil added in amounts of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5, 10, 25, and 50% of the soil mass on the biological properties of ordinary and leached vertic chernozems, brown forest soils, and gray sands in the south of Russia was studied in a model laboratory experiment. It was shown that the soil contamination causes a drop in the catalase and dehydrogenase activities, the cellulolytic capacity, the number of Azotobacter bacteria, and the characteristics of the plant germination. The ordinary and vertic chernozems were more tolerant toward the contamination than the gray sands and brown forest soils. The changes in the biological soil properties in dependence on the degree of the soil contamination differed considerably for the soils with different properties (the chernozems, brown forest soil, and gray sands) and were similar for the soils with similar properties (the ordinary and vertic chernozems). One soil (the brown forest soil) could be more tolerant toward the contamination than another soil (the gray sands) at a given concentration of black oil (<2.5%) and less tolerant at another concentration of black oil (>2.5%). The ecologically safe levels of the soil contamination with black oil do not exceed 0.7% in the ordinary chernozems, 0.3% in the compact chernozems, 0.1% in the brown forest soils, and 0.06% in the gray sands.     

Specific surface area and wetting heat of different soil types in European Russia

The surface properties (specific surface area and wetting heat) of the solid phase were estimated for the main soil types of European Russia: soddy-podzolic, alluvial, and gray forest soils; typical, leached, ordinary, and vertic chernozems; and soils of the solonetzic complex. It was found that the values of the specific surface area and wetting heat are indicative of particular features of the genetic horizon of each soil type. Changes in these soil properties under the effect of different anthropogenic impacts were studied. The bonding strength between the adsorbed water and the soil solid phase was characterized. It was shown that the water content at the potential of the first wetting film layer is close to the content of strongly bound water calculated from the wetting heat of the soils.     

Genesis,hydrology, and properties of soils in mesodepressions waterlogged by surface water in the northern Ryazan forest-steppe

On the interfluves and in small depressions of the Ryazan forest-steppe, under periodic stagnation of surface water, acid chernozem-like soils with a relatively thick humus horizon, podzolic horizons, and marble-colored gleyed B1 and B2 horizons are formed. The eluvial horizons of these soils contain Mn-Fe nodules, and dark humus coatings occur in the illuvial horizons. In the spring, the eluvial horizons of these soils are excessively moistened and gravitational water stagnates on the soil surface for 3–4 weeks. The formation of the acid light-colored eluvial horizons of the soils on leached rocks is related to gleying under the conditions of the stagnant-percolative regime. Their total thickness is 15–25 cm and more. According to the properties of their solid phase, these horizons are similar to the podzolic horizons of soddy-podzolic gleyed soils. These soils have not been represented in the classification systems of soils of the USSR and Russia. Based on the principles of the substantial-genetic classification, one of the authors of this article [9] referred this soil to gleyed podzolic chernozem-like soils, thus, considering it as an individual genetic soil type. The gleyed podzolic chernozem-like soils differ from the leached chernozems by their low productivity and difficulty of tillage. In humid and moderately moist years, the death of crops or a reduction in yield are probable because of the excess of moisture.     

Soils of cryogenic subarid steppe landscapes in the Terekhol intermontane Depression of the Sangilen Upland

The soil cover of the Terekhol intermontane Depression in the Tyva Region is poorly studied. The data obtained in the 1950s do not reflect the real genetic diversity of soils and their specific character. According to these data, the soil cover was dominated by meadow-chernozemic soils under virgin steppe-like meadows. The investigations of 2007–2009 show that the disperse-carbonate chernozems, which are often solonetzic and weakly saline; the specific polygenetic dark soda solonchaks-solonetzes; and the postagrogenic chernozems, solonetzes, and agrozems are the main components of the soil cover of the depression at the present time. The described chernozems correspond mainly to the central image of southern Siberia chernozems. The investigated solonetzes are characterized by a number of evolution-genetic features that distinguish them from previously described solonetzes of Tyva and from all the solonetzic soils in the current interpretation. The chernozems and solonetzes have cryogenic features due to the cold extremely continental climate and relatively shallow continuous permafrost.     

The informativeness of coefficients <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis> of the soil line for the analysis of remote sensing materials

The coefficients of the soil line are often taken into account in calculations of vegetation indices. These coefficients are usually calculated for the entire satellite image, or are taken as constants without any calculations. In both cases, the informativeness of these coefficients is low and insufficient for the needs of soil mapping. In our study, we calculated soil line coefficients at 8000 lattice points for the territory of Plavsk, Arsen’evsk, and Chern districts of Tula oblast on the basis of 34 Landsat 5, 7, and 8 images obtained in 1985–2014. In order to distinguish between the soil line calculated for a given image and the soil line calculated for lattice points on the basis of dozens of multitemporal images, we suggest that the latter can be referred to as the temporal soil line. The temporal soil line is described by a classical equation: NIR = RED a + b, where a is its slope relative to the horizontal axis (RED), and b is the Y-axis (NIR) intercept. Both coefficients were used to create soil maps. The verification of the maps was performed with the use of data on 1985 soil pits. The informativeness of these coefficients appeared to be sufficient for delineation of eight groups of soils of different taxonomic levels: soddy moderately podzolic soils, soddy slightly podzolic soils, soddy-podzolic soils, light gray forest soils, gray forest soils, dark gray forest soils, podzolized chernozems, and leached chernozems. The b coefficient proved to be more informative, as it allowed us to create the soil map precisely on its basis. In order to create the soil map on the basis of the a coefficient, we had to apply some threshold values of the b coefficient. The bare soil on each of Landsat scenes was separated with the help of the mask of agricultural fields and the notion of the spectral neighborhood of soil line (SNSL).     

Effect of paleocryogenesis on the soil cover pattern and properties of chernozems in the Kamennaya Steppe Reserve

The paleocryogenic genesis of a polygonal-blocky microrelief is substantiated. This microrelief was formed at the end of Late Pleistocene and is preserved in the buried state; it is also pronounced in the surface microtopography. The modern development of chernozems is greatly influenced by the paleocryogenic microtopography, as the profiles of chernozems developed on elevated polygons, their slopes, and within interpolygonal microdepressions clearly differ from one another in their morphology, horizonation, and functioning. These differences are sufficient to subdivide the corresponding soils at the subtype level. The paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the early (paleocryogenic) stages of the development of chernozems and the study of modern soil functioning with due account for the effect of paleocryogenic phenomena have been performed for the first time.     

The development of chernozems on the Dniester-Prut interfluve in the Holocene

The development of forest-steppe and steppe chernozems on the Dniester-Prut interfluve in the Holocene was studied on the basis of data on the paleosols buried under archaeological monuments of different ages. The parameters of the mathematic models of the development of the soil humus horizons in different subtypes of chernozems were calculated. They were used to determine the rate of this process and the age of the soils formed on the surface of Trajan’s lower rampart. The climate-controlled changes in the character of the soil’s development in the Late Holocene were differently pronounced in the different subtypes of chernozems. The suggested differentiation of the trends in the development of the humus horizon in the studied chernozems corresponds to the differences in the soil-forming potential of particular areas (as judged from the energy consumption for pedogenesis).     

Clay minerals in a denudation-accumulative soil catena

Chernozems and agrochernozems of the Kamennaya Steppe agroforest landscape have a silty clay or clay texture and similar associations of clay minerals. The plow horizons of the agrochernozems on a slope of 2°–3° to the Talovaya Balka have an increased content of the smectite phase (50–70%) compared to the upper horizons of the chernozems on flat watersheds (30–50%) due to the lithological discontinuity of the soil-forming material and the possible total removal of material on the slope by denudation. On slightly eroded areas, the clay minerals display a more intense disturbance of their crystal lattice structures by pedogenetic processes, which increase the degree of disorder in their layers and the accumulation of fine quartz in the clay fraction. In the areas with more significant erosion of the humus horizon, the clay minerals are characterized by their perfect structure and clean reflections, which are indicative of the outcropping of less weathered material from the middle part of the chernozem profile less transformed by pedogenesis.     

Soil cover patterns on flat interfluves in the Kamennaya Steppe

Three-component soil combinations developed on flat interfluves in the Kamennaya Steppe consist of the low-contrasting areas of typical, leached, and zooturbated chernozems. Against the background of this natural soil cover pattern, the low-contrasting combinations of agrochernozems and postagrogenic chernozems are formed under the impact of different land uses. Both random and regular patterns of the spatial variability in the morphometric soil characteristics can be distinguished. The latter are manifested by regular changes in the thickness of soil horizons predetermined by the spatial differentiation of local factors (the burrowing activity of animals and the redistribution of water by the elements of microtopography) affecting the soil development. On the flat interfluves, the morphometric parameters of the soils display weak statistical correlation with the parameters of the relief for the entire soil combination. However, they are closely correlated with the relief in the thalweg zones of local hollows occupied by leached chernozems. The specificity of the soil cover pattern in the Kamennaya Steppe should be taken into account upon the organization of soil monitoring studies; a detailed soil mapping of key plots is necessary.     

Light Gray Surface-Gleyed Loamy Sandy Soils of the Northern Part of Tambov Plain: Agroecology,Properties, and Diagnostics

Light gray soils of Tambov oblast mainly develop from sandy and loamy sandy parent materials; these are the least studied soils in this region. Despite their coarse texture, these soils are subjected to surface waterlogging. They are stronger affected by the agrogenic degradation in comparison with chernozems and dark gray soils. Morphology, major elements of water regime, physical properties, and productivity of loamy sandy light gray soils with different degrees of gleyzation have been studied in the northern part of Tambov Plain in order to substantiate the appropriate methods of their management. The texture of these soils changes at the depth of 70–100 cm. The upper part is enriched in silt particles (16–30%); in the lower part, the sand content reaches 80–85%. In the nongleyed variants, middle-profile horizons contain thin iron-cemented lamellae (pseudofibers); in surface-gleyed variants, iron nodules are present in the humus horizon. The removal of clay from the humus horizon and its accumulation at the lithological contact and in pseudofibers promote surface subsidence and formation of microlows in the years with moderate and intense winter precipitation. The low range of active moisture favors desiccation of the upper horizons to the wilting point in dry years. The yield of cereal crops reaches 3.5–4.5 t/ha in the years with high and moderate summer precipitation on nongleyed and slightly gleyed light gray soils and decreases by 20–50% on strongly gleyed light gray soils. On light gray soils without irrigation, crop yields are unstable, and productivity of pastures is low. High yields of cereals and vegetables can be obtained on irrigated soils. In this case, local drainage measures should be applied to microlows; liming can be recommended to improve soil productivity.     

Agrogenic evolution of automorphic chernozems in the forest-steppe zone (Belgorod oblast)

Agrochronosequences of chernozems with different periods of their use in rainfed farming with application of traditional technologies have been studied in a typical forest-steppe area in Belgorod oblast. Certain stages in the development of these soils during more than two centuries of their agricultural use have been identified. These stages are related to changes in the intensity and direction of soil forming processes, such as soil compaction, soil aggregation, dehumification of the upper horizons, calcification of the soil profiles, argillization, etc. A significant impact on the soil changes during the agrogenic evolution of chernozems is exerted by the digging activity of burrowers, which is especially pronounced in the old-arable chernozems.     

An assessment of anthropogenic soil transformation of the arkhangelskoe museum estate based on the example of studying inclusions

The natural soil cover of a territory is transformed during the formation of landscape architecture objects. Natural soils are replaced by anthropogenically transformed soils and soil-like bodies. Due to technological features, either only surface horizons of natural soils or an entire range of horizons within a significant profile can be replaced. To determine the extent of transformation, the composition of inclusions of anthropogenically transformed and anthropogenic soils of the museum-estate Arkhangelskoe was studied. The study results were used to assess the extent of soil contamination and to determine the features of the composition of anthropogenic inclusions. A practical proposal on research on the coarse fraction inclusions of the soil was made.     

Specificity of the physical properties of soils in locally waterlogged landscapes in the lower reaches of the Don River

We studied the physical properties of chernozems subjected to local waterlogging because of different reasons. The secondary soil hydromorphism resulted in insignificant changes in the soil’s texture related to some redistribution of the elementary soil particles by the particle-size fractions. The physical clay content somewhat increased in the lower part of the soil profiles (in the B2 and BC horizons) at the expense of the clay particles. The bulk density of the waterlogged soils somewhat increased, particularly in the B2 horizon. The regular soil waterlogging worsened the soil’s structural status with a decrease in the content of the silt-size aggregates and an increase in the content of the coarse blocky aggregates. The changes in the soil’s structure can be considered a diagnostic feature of the locally waterlogged chernozems. The water stability of the aggregates increased due to the higher contents of the major cementing agents, including the soil humus and carbonates.     

Soil development on the Crimean Peninsula in the Late Holocene

The study of soils of different ages in different physiographic regions of the Crimean Peninsula made it possible to reveal the main regularities of pedogenesis in the Late Holocene (in the past 2800 years). With respect to the average rate of the development of soil humus horizons, the main types of soils in the studied region were arranged into the following sequence: southern chernozems and dark chestnut soils > mountainous forest brown soils > gravelly cinnamonic soils. In the newly formed soils, the accumulation of humus developed at a higher rate than the increase in the thickness of humus horizons. A sharp decrease in the rates of development of soil humus profiles and humus accumulation took place in the soils with the age of 1100-1200 years. The possibility for assessing the impact of climate changes on the pedogenetic process on the basis of instrumental meteorological data was shown. The potential centennial fluctuations of the climate in the Holocene determined the possibility of pulsating shifts of soil-geographic subzones within the steppe part of the Crimea with considerable changes in the rates of the development of soil humus horizons in comparison with those in the Late Holocene.     

The influence of topography on the development of Alfisols on calcareous clayey till in Denmark

A detailed macro- and micro-morphological study of seven closely-adjacent soil profiles on calcareous clay tills in a long-established beech wood in central Denmark, shows that depth of decalcification, thickness of textural B horizon, development of umbric epipedons and development of albic sub-horizons are all related to slope inclination, slope form and to relative situation in the slope complex.The soils may be classified within four subgroups of Alfisols, while one is a Mollisol. The MAST of 8°C poses problems of typification at suborder level between frigid and mesic classes.Development of clay skins and of glaebules and concretions as indicators of the redeposition of mobilised components, are present to greater extent in stable slope situations; with least lateral subsoil water movement. Development of albic horizons is related to greater lateral water movement.Development of cutanic features by argilluviation - argillans - do not exclude features formed by redeposition of carbonates - calcitans. Soil plasmic fabrics with both features are termed calcisepic fabrics and prove deposition of clay and carbonates in the same soil horizons, usually the lower B and C(g) horizons.Morphologically the dark epipedons show intense humification and many fecal pellets because of the undisturbed and high plant productivity and intense biotic activity. The micromorphology is one of isotic argillasepic plasmic fabrics. The argillic horizons are dominantly insepic or vosepic, while the calcareous C horizons are either argillasepic, or calci-vosepic or calcisepic. It is possible that some of the carbonate reprecipitation post-dates the argilluviation, the carbonates derived during secondary dissolution in the suprajacent horizons.