Physical properties as a key factor in the soil functioning in Chernevaya Taiga (Western Siberia)

Abstract

On the barrier-rain slopes of the low mountains of Western Siberia, there are tall-grass forests dominated by fir and aspen. Their regional name is Chernevaya taiga (from the word “chernyj” – black). Chernevaya taiga is a unique representative of the highly productive and fertile ecosystems of Western Siberia. The key features of the development of these ecosystems in the mountains of Southern Siberia are still poorly investigated. The soil physical properties play a crucial role in forming the functioning of the Chernevaya taiga ecosystem. The thermal regime, particle size distribution (profile differentiation and texture class) and hydrophysical constants of soils in Chernevaya taiga are studied. It is shown that the soil profiles of Chernevaya taiga are differentiated by the content of fine particles, which indicates the development of eluvial-illuvial hydrological and biogeochemical regimes. The favourable thermic regime is caused by a thick layer of snow existence during the winter period, when the soils of Chernevaya taiga are not frozen during the winter period. This is one of the key factors of high productivity of this ecosystem. Soils of Chernevaya taiga are characterized by increased values of key hydrological constants in comparison with sandy textured soils of oligotrophic environments.