Radio-ecological aspects of using peat soils and peatlands

Abstract

The ways of rational and radiologically safe use of peat soils and peatlands of Ukrainian Polissya in the context of global climate change were proposed. The basis of a systematic approach to solving the issue of interaction between agricultural activity on radioactively contaminated drained peat soils of Polissya and the natural environment was grounded. The improved complex of melioration measures and fertilizer systems in crop rotations for the reduction of carbon emissions in the atmosphere was presented. It was highlighted that drainage melioration causes unwanted transformations of the current natural complexes, affects the river runoff, soil cover, plant and animal diversity not only in the land reclamation objects, but also on the adjoining territories. The anthropogenically structured turf-mineral soil creation with deep plowing and plowing of the bedding mineral horizon slow down the mineralization of organic matter and enriches the arable layer of shallow peat soils with the necessary trace elements. The sanding intensifies the soil formation process in peat soils, promotes the accumulation of humic acids, normalizes the degree and depth of humification, increases the ecological stability of peat soils and promotes their cultivation. An intensive agriculture system leads to active loss of the organic matter potential stock and the organogenic layer depletion. The highest biological activity of peat soils is observed in hoeing crop rotation, the lowest one — in grasshopper and under perennial grasses. Under the condition of permanent cultivation of perennial grasses and in crop rotation with their share more than 66–77% increases the ecological stability of agroecosystems. At the same time, the growth of hoeing crops aggravated the agrophysical properties of the soil, increased nutrients loss and the organic matter loss in the soil increases in 1.4–2.5 times. Grain crops upon these indicators take an intermediate place.