Diversity of steppe soils of Transbaikalia (exemplified by the Daurskii Reserve)

Abstract

The paper presents the study of soil cover of the steppe areas on the territory of the Daursky Biosphere Reserve in the Transbaikal Territory. Natural factors of soil formation are as follows: poorly dissected relief; arid and cryarid climate; shallow ground waters; steppe vegetation with a predominance of halophytes. The carbonate and salinity of the parent rocks contribute to the formation of various types of soils. We determined the types of soils in the study area according to the modern classification: Chestnut typical and saline, Saline gleyed typical and sulfide (sor) typical. Typical chestnut soils are formed on the tops of lake terraces and form complexes with saline soils. Salted chestnut soils occupy transit landforms. Saline soils are confined to low relief forms, the shoreline to the bottom of the lake, where the accumulation of readily soluble salts occurs. Typical Chestnut and saline soils are characterized by a light granulometric composition and a low humus content. Salted chestnut soils contain high concentrations of readily soluble salts in the profile. Saline (sulphide) and typical gleyed have a heavier granulometric composition, a highly alkaline reaction of the medium, a very low humus content and a high content of readily soluble salts. Physicochemical properties of soils reflect their genesis and the current state of these soils.