Study of thickness of humus profiles of gray forest and chernozem soils of different terms of agricultural use in landscape shrubs of the central forest-steppe

Elena Kovalyova,Olga Kuzmina,Alexey Teteryadchenko,Ekaterina Kotlyarova,Yuri Breslavets,V Likhovskoi,V Volynkin,V Novello,V Kukhar,A.M Jordão

doi:10.1051/bioconf/20213901006

Elena Kovalyova, Olga Kuzmina + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/20213901006

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Abstract

The article presents the results of a field study of the thickness of the humus profiles of gray forest soils and podzolized chernozems of dif-ferent terms of agricultural use of soil catens of broad-leaved-forest (background) and meadow-steppe areas of the Belgorod region. The work was carried out in the spring and summer period 2018-2019. The objects of the study were different-aged arable plots with the age of agricultural development of 100 and 160 years, respectively. The steepness of the surface on the plots did not exceed 5-60. It is established that the thickness of humus profile under the influence of agricultural cultivation during 60 years has decreased by 49 cm, at that on the slopes of northern exposition this index is more expressed (33 cm) than on the slopes of southern exposition (16 cm). It is possible, to note, that with increase of age of agricultural use on slopes of northern and southern expositions the greatest thickness of humus horizon is observed on anomalous soils (72 and 65 sm accordingly). Within the background catens the soil cover is homogeneous, the second humus horizon was observed in each of the studied transects.

Highlights

Morphology of soil profile is quite dynamic and always well reflects peculiarities of soil formation process
The soil cover within the background catens of the Batratskaya Dacha plot is homogeneous, all soils belong to the type of gray forest soils and to the subtype of dark gray forest soils; the second humus horizon was observed in each of these transects
The profiles of the background soils are distinguished by heterogeneous vertical structure. The profile of these soils includes (Fig.1): A0 forest litter horizon 3-5 cm thick, A1 gray humus horizon with an average thickness of 15-20 cm, A1A2 transitional humus-alluvial horizon extending to depths of 27-35 cm, with whitish skeletal overlay on the edges of aggregates, A1A2Bth transitional textural-alluvial humus horizon to depths of 35-60 cm, where signs of the second humus horizon are observed eluvial-illuvial texture horizon with signs of the second humus horizon A2Bth - to 56-78 cm, texture subhorizons Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3 of brown or dark-brown color, extending to the depths of 85-110 cm, which below are replaced by accumulation-carbonate horizons BCCa, transitional to the parent rock

Summary

Introduction

Morphology of soil profile is quite dynamic and always well reflects peculiarities of soil formation process. Under the current conditions of increasing intensity of anthropogenic impacts on the components of the natural environment, the degradation of humus, unbalanced removal of nutrients and, as a consequence, a decrease in soil fertility continue in the soils of agricultural landscapes in the forest-steppe zone of the East European Plain [8]. Those types of facies in which the density of compaction is the lowest are the most provided with organic matter [1]. The aim of the study was a comparative analysis of the structure and properties of soil profiles on background plots with natural vegetation and on arable lands of different terms of agricultural development using the agrochronoradian method

Materials and research methods

Results and their discussion

Conclusion