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- Title
A comparative assessment of the biological properties of soils in the cultural and native cenoses of the Central Caucasus (using the example of the Terskii variant of altitudinal zonality in Kabardino-Balkaria).
- Authors
Gorobtsova, O.; Gedgafova, F.; Uligova, T.; Tembotov, R.
- Abstract
The biological properties of the most widespread automorphic and hydromorphic soils of cultural and native cenoses in the Terskii variant of the altitudinal zonality (Kabardino-Balkaria) are compared. The data on the humus reserves in the 0- to 20-cm soil layer and those on the carbon content in the microbial biomass calculated on the basis of the results of substrate-induced respiration measurements are presented. The share of carbon in the microbial biomass of the total organic carbon in the soils was determined. Long-term (more than 70 years) farming on the studied soils significantly changed their biological properties. The humus content and its reserves became lower by 25-40%. The physiological activity of the microbial biomass in the cultural soils decreased by more than 60%. Presently, the soils of the cultural cenoses function as an entire natural system, but at a lower level of fertility; the loss of more than 30% of the bioorganic potential (the critical threshold of soil system stability) indicates the disturbance of soil ecological functions, their stability, and the capability of self-restoration.
- Subjects
KABARDINO-Balkaria (Russia); HYDROMORPHIC soils; CARBON in soils; SOIL microbiology; BIOMASS
- Publication
Eurasian Soil Science, 2016, Vol 49, Issue 1, p89
- ISSN
1064-2293
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1134/S1064229316010063