Moraine Plains Research Articles

Advancements in Soil Organic Carbon Mapping and Interpolation Techniques: A Case Study from Lithuania’s Moraine Plains

Monitoring soil organic carbon (SOC) is essential for assessing the sustainability of soil usage. This study explores the spatial variability and mapping of SOC in Lithuania’s Nevėžis Plain using various interpolation methods, with an emphasis on understanding the impacts of soil typological units, moisture regimes, and erosion on SOC distribution. A total of 275 soil samples were collected from agricultural croplands at depths of 0–10 cm, supplemented by 38 samples from previous studies. The SOC map was created based on the contours of the Lithuanian soil geodatabase. Statistical analysis revealed that the distribution of SOC in the studied area was significantly influenced by soil moisture and the degree of erosion. Based on these findings, SOC mapping was conducted according to the contours of Lithuanian soils. Comparing the interpolation methods that were analyzed, it was found that the kriging, RBF, and EBK methods fail to adequately capture the minimum and maximum values of SOC, while the IDW fails to adequately capture only the minimum values. In summary, the integrated geographical approach is complex but applicable to SOC mapping. This method facilitates the creation of adaptable SOC maps that are both geographically and pedologically informed. Key principles to apply this approach for future research and practical application should include establishing a statistically reliable data foundation, categorizing samples based on contrasting soil moisture regime, degrees of erosion, and land use patterns, and developing contouring principles along with a criteria algorithm that enables accurate spatial interpolation of average SOC values.

Сложные боры: ботанико-географические различия, происхождение, распространение

Composite pine forests with nemoral deciduous tree species (Carpinus betulus, Quercus robur, Tilia cordata) are widespread in the broad-leaved forest region of Eastern Europe. They occupy vast ancient alluvial plains with sandy and sandy loamy soils, river terraces, and along the latter they can «come» in the broad-leaved-coniferous zone. Based on the analysis of 187 relevés made in the Bryansk, Kaluga, Moscow and Smolensk Regions, the classification of composite pine forests using the Braun-Blanquet approach was carried out. As a result of the classification, two groups of communities of composite nemoral pine forests were identified. One of them is pine forests with oak and/or linden, united in the ass. Corylo avellanae–Pinetum sylvestris Bulokhov et Solomeshch 2003, the other represents nemoral-herb pine forests with a presence of spruce and some accompanying species and is assigned to the Pinus sylvestris facies of the nemoral-herb spruce forest of the ass. Rhodobryo rosei–Piceetum abietis Korotkov in Morozova et al. 2017. The participation of broad-leaved tree species in this syntaxon is small in any of the layers. Both associations belong to the class Carpino–Fagetea sylvaticae Jakucs ex Passarge 1968. On the latitudinal gradient, communities of the ass. Corylo avellanae–Pinetum sylvestris differ in the participation of oak and lime and the accompanying species, which is reflected in the identification of two subassociations: Corylo avellanae-Pinetum typicum (with oak), which is common in the zone of broad-leaved forests, and Corylo avellanae-Pinetum tilietosum cordatae (with lime) – in the southern part of the broad-leaved-coniferous forests zone. The origin of composite pine forests is debatable. Some researchers consider them as primary and quasi primary forests, and explain their formation and existence by various types of disturbances, both of anthropogenic (selective logging, anthropogenic fires, pine plantations) and natural (for example, fires) character. Disturbed composite pine forests with lower frequency of diagnostic association species and species of nemoral forest class were classified as variant Sambucus racemosa of the subass. Corylo avellanae–Pinetum typicum. Hazel pine forests with a nemoral composition and spruce in the forest stand and undergrowth (Pinus sylvestris facies of the ass. Rhodobryo rosei–Piceetum abietis) are found in the zone of broad-leaved-coniferous forests in the landscapes of moraine plains and formed in the places of planting pine cultures in the habitats of nemoral-herb spruce forests. It is difficult to assign individual communities to one or another syntaxon, especially near the border of two zones, and their differentiation is best seen when analyzing a large number of relevés.

ЭВРИСТИЧЕСКИЙ И ПРИКЛАДНОЙ ПОТЕНЦИАЛ СОВМЕЩЕНИЯ МИКРОВОЛНОВОГО ВЛАЖНОСТНО-ТЕМПЕРАТУРНОГО ЗОНДИРОВАНИЯ ПОЧВЫ И ФОТОСЪЕМКИ В ФАЦИАЛЬНО-ДИФФЕРЕНЦИРОВАННЫХ АГРОГЕОСИСТЕМАХ

The paper is devoting the discussion of the biocenotic conditions, boundaries and advantages of additional equipment of an airmobile platform (UAV) with a microwave radiometric system for soil moisture and temperature sensing of inhomogeneous arable lands included in the turnover of moraine plain landscapes with photography. The necessity is theoretically justified and an algorithm is given for obtaining and using information on the projective coating of the leaf surface to calculate the corrections of the results of probing soil moisture with a microwave radiometer. Approaches to the rationalization of the survey, methods of statistical analysis of photography data that allow predicting the translocal vector of the dynamics of the weed component of the lands put into circulation are considered. Agro-industrial applications of joint microwave sensing and photographing on plantations of perennial industrial crops are given. The purpose of the work is to discuss the features of the conditions and to show the opportunities and prospects for the agronomic application of the results of combining microwave humidity–temperature sensing of the soil and digital photography in the development of fallow facially differentiated lands planned for the laying of plantations of perennial industrial crops. The following results were obtained. The analysis of the influence of vegetation cover on the results of remote determination of soil moisture using a bipolarization microwave radiometer of the L-band is carried out. A method for correcting radiometric data on soil moisture using additional photography data in the presence of surface vegetation is proposed. A field humidity map obtained as a result of a full-scale experiment with subsequent data processing is presented. The possibility of predictions controlled by agricultural production based on the combination of microwave humidity-temperature sensing of the soil and photographing in facially differentiated agrogeosystems of the repetition of the phytocenotic pattern of root facies heterogeneity is shown. Practical significance. The introduction of the obtained new algorithms for taking into account the shielding effect of vegetation cover on the soil surface during microwave radiometric sensing of the soil surface from a UAV into the technological processes of growing crops ensures the sustainable development of crop production technologies, increasing yields and obtaining additional profits for agricultural enterprises.

Influence of the hydrological factor on the productivity of winter wheat on the drained soils of the moraine plain

In 2010, 2017 and 2019 hydrological conditions and productivity indicators of winter wheat were studied on four groups of soils in a field with hilly terrain within the Sambian moraine plain (Kaliningrad region). The effectiveness of the fertilization system depends on the amount of precipitation and hydrological conditions in the field. The stability of obtaining high yields decreases in the series: Cambisols on hill tops, Stagnic and Gleyic Cambisols on slopes, Gleysols in open depressions, Gleysols in closed depressions.

Large-scale geomorphological mapping of the Malaya Sosva
 state nature reserve

The Malaya Sosva State Nature Reserve is situated in the west of the Khanty-Mansiysk Au-tonomous Region — Ugra. Lake-alluvial, lake-glacial and moraine plains are the prevalent relief’s types on that territory. The main specificity of the reserve’s relief in the central and southern parts is a chain of hilly watersheds — the Malososvinsky Amphitheater. The central, western, and southern parts of the reserve are distinguished by the greatest depth of dissection, while in the northern and south-western regions, a finely divided relief prevails. To study natural conditions and resources of the reserve, a complex mapping was carried out. Based on the results of field researches organized in the summer of 2017, as well as on the data obtained during the processing of topographic maps of scale 1 : 100 000, a Sentinel-2A satellite image, digital terrain models ASTER GDEM, ALOS World 3D and ArcticDEM, the following large-scale maps were constructed for the area under study: hypsometric, the range of dissection and horizontal dissection of the relief, steepness of slopes, as well as a map of «red relief» (Red Relief Image Map). According to those local maps and taking into consideration all the previously issued maps of a smaller scale, a general geomorphological map of the territory of a scale of 1 : 100 000 has been created.

Monitoring-based investigation of Cambisols moisture regimes for areas in autonomous relief positions

In 2012 - 2018 water regime monitoring was carried out at two areas of Cambisols (non-gleyic and Gleyic) in autonomous relief positions (hill tops) of the Sambian hilly moraine plain (Kaliningrad region). Differences between soils in duration of the desiccation period (moisture content < lento-capillary point) and overmoistening period (moisture content > field capacity) in the 0 - 20 cm and 0 - 100 cm layers are established. Formation of zones with critical air supply (aeration porosity below 10%) has been studied.

SOIL-AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE ARABLE LAND OF THE VALDAI UPLAND BASED ON THE GENERAL SURVEY

A methodical approach to the digital mapping of the arable lands area depending on their soil-agroecological and positional conditions is proposed. The approach was tested on a model plot located on the Valdai Upland with an area of 160 thousand ha. Small-scale agricultural development of the poorly dissected moraine plains is limited by the wide distribution of overmoistened soils. Using the traditional discriminant analysis, a measure of the topographically determined duration of soil overmoistening was calculated based on a comparison of the morphological diagnostics of water regime and topography runoff properties according to the grid elements of 30 × 30 m. The drainability range was determined for the arable lands of XVIII century, reconstructed according to the materials of the General Survey. This allowed us to determine the potential area of the arable lands for this period. The area of arable lands, which is characterized by favorable conditions of transport accessibility and soil drainability, was 12 %. At the same time, reconstructed area contained 5 %. In the subsistence economy of the XVIII century more than a half of the potential arable lands of the model region turned out to be undeveloped.

ПРОЕКТОВАНИЙ МІЖНАРОДНИЙ ГЕОПАРК «ПОЛІССЯ» (УКРАЇНА –ПОЛЬЩА–БІЛОРУСЬ) ЯК ФОРМА ЗБЕРЕЖЕННЯ ГЕОРІЗНОМАНІТНОСТІ І ПОПУЛЯРИЗАЦІЇ ГЕОСПАДЩИНИ ТБР «ЗАХІДНЕ ПОЛІССЯ»

In this article we offered a creation of international geopark «Polesie» (Ukraine-Poland-Belarus) within a Threelateral Biosphere Reserve «West Polesie» and adjoining territories. Future geopark will embrace the biggest lake-marsh Europe massif (polish Lęczna-Włodawa lake group, ukrainian Shatsk lake group and belarusian Brest lake group) with complicated geological structure and interesting combination of different genetic types of relief. Geoheritage of Shatsk lake group consists of the biggest number of natural water-divided lakes of Polesie lake belt (28 lakes; the biggest lakes are Svitiaz, Luky, Liutsymer, Pulymetskie, Somynets and others; lakes that are significant in area, upper part of Pripyat and small fragment of valley of West Bug, aeolian forms (dunes) with different morphology, fluvial and glacial deposits and forms (eskers, kames), glacial deposits (moraine) of Riss glaciation).Geoheritage of Lęczna-Włodawa lake group consists of 17 lakes (the most famous are Ustswiez, Piaseczno, Bzesichno, Lukietek, Charne Goscinieckie; the most used in recreation – Piaseczno, Roguzno, Krasne, Lukcze, Zaglebocze), flat and hilly relief with reminders of terminal moraines (in the areaof lakes Miske and Kleszczow) and a small number of sand dunes, and different types of lowland swamp (Korovyache Boloto, Dubechynske Boloto, Bolota over Chorne swamp and others) and the upper reaches of rivers (Pivoniya, Tysmenytsia and Bobrivka). Geoheritage of Brest lake group consists of: 130 lakes (the biggest 7 of them create Brest lake group: Seliahy (the biggest), Rogoznianske, Bile, Tajne, Chorne, Mednianske, Stradechske), system of artificial basins «Stradoch» (Tovarnyj, Dovgyj, Kutjevo, Rakovo and others), famous water reservoir Orhovo; areas with flat and hilly relief of moraine plain and flat and wavy fluvial and glacial, floodplain and overfloodplain terraces; many sand dunes on the river and lake banks; parts of river plains of West Bug, Stepanivka, Seredova Richka, Kopayivka, many small streams and systems of amelioration channels. We consider that there are all preconditions for creating this geopark: outstanding geodiversity of territory (wide spectrum of geological (rocks, minerals, fossils), geomorphological (relief forms, processes) and soil features); substantive concentration of geoheritage objects; different protection forms of natural, historical and cultural heritage; availability of clear management and strategies of constant development. Newly created geopark will give an allowance for effective management of geoheritage of West Polesie region, implementation of new forms and methods of geoconservation, active development of geoeducation and geotourism.

The dynamics of the central russian meadow steppes and the problem of their preservation

The structure and dynamics of vegetation of the zonal central Russian meadow steppes have been studied with the example of the Privolzhskaya Forest–Steppe State Nature Reserve. Under the influence of a completely protected mode, the vegetation of the studied meadow steppes on the watershed surfaces was subjected to varying degrees and mesophytization and sylvatization. It was noted that these processes occur more intensively in the meadow steppe landscapes of secondary moraine plains (Poperechenskaya steppe and Ostrovtsovskaya forest–steppe) than in the meadow steppes of erosion-denudation plains (Kuncherovskaya forest–steppe).

Aerial LiDAR analysis in geomorphological mapping and geochronological determination of surficial deposits in the Sodankylä region, northern Finland

Geomorphological mapping based on an aerial light detection and ranging (LiDAR)-derived digital elevation model, field observations, ground penetrating radar measurements and test pit surveys was carried out in a glaciogenic environment in Sodankylä, central Finnish Lapland. The mapping area covered about 370 km2, with the LiDAR data having a pixel size of 2 m × 2 m and vertical resolution 0.3 m. The geomorphology of the area consists of large till-covered hills, ground moraine plains, glaciofluvial sand and gravel deposits composed of esker systems and related delta and outwash formations of the Weichselian cold stages, followed by pro-glacial glaciolacustric and post-glacial lacustric and fluvial sand/silt deposits. Furthermore, large areas in topographical depressions are covered by Holocene mires. The benefits of LiDAR data compared to traditional aerial-photo-based interpretation were in more detailed identification of surface deposits and more precise edging of the morphologies. This reflected more accurately the true ground surface in areas of dense vegetation. As an example, based on the LiDAR mapping it was possible to distinguish several till-covered delta and sandur deposits which based on OSL dating date back to the Early Weichselian stadial (74–89 ka). The results of the mapping project have been collated and published in a Quaternary geological map of the Sodankylä region.

Clay minerals in weakly podzolised soils of abraded moraine plains in northwestern Russia

Two profiles of weakly podzolised, well drained soils of abraded moraine plains in northwestern Russia are studied. The profiles are located at the edges and on the upper parts of slopes. They are developed upon two-layered rocks: stony sand-sandy loam deposite of complex genesis, underlain with reddish brown bouldery moraine loam. This determines a clear differentiation of the profile in terms of particle size distribution and bulk chemical composition, and also in terms of the mineralogical composition of the clay fraction.

Środowisko przyrodnicze i zagospodarowanie form eolicznych w gminie Szadek

Sand hills, dunes and sand sheets are eolian landforms, on which specific sensitive ecosystems develop. They are characteristic feature of many areas situated in central Po­land. Sandy areas with dunes are also found in the commune of Szadek. Wind-deposited sand bodies have accumulated on moraine plains, outwashes and floodplain terraces in the valleys of the Pichna and Brodnia rivers. Eolian formations have various shapes, with predominance of parabolic dunes, ridges and sand hills. They are built offine-grained and coarser sands 1-10 meters thick. Quartz dominates in their mineral composition. Sand-deposits are characterized by high permeability, which is why they produce dry ecosystems. Arid sands are covered by low-class pod sols, easily eroded by wind. For that reason this type of ecosystems should remain afforested, as the cutting down of trees can result in blowing away the soil and eventually destruction of the entire formation. Such situations are known to have happened in the past. In the commune of Szadek, the majority of the dunes are overgrown with forest, which is the most advantageous solution.

Correspondence of vegetation boundaries to redox barriers in a Northern European moraine plain

Abstract Little attention has been devoted to the investigation of the formation and functioning of ecotones at the interfaces between the upland and riparian zones. The margins of riparian mires act as redox geochemical barriers. Such biogeochemical hot spots retain elements that have leached from upland soils, favouring the growth of mesomorphic plants in hydromorphic soils. This paper aims to clarify the correspondence of vegetation borders to horizontal redox barriers of a Northern European moraine plain in Estonia. 24 random transects were surveyed on the moraine plain, sampled across sharp soil moisture boundaries as proxies of redox barriers. The shifts in vegetation perpendicular to the boundaries were investigated. Curves of Euclidean distance were computed by moving a 20 m split-window along transects. The curves showed peaks of high dissimilarity a few metres below the redox barriers in the sites of natural soil moisture. In artificially drained sites, the relict redox barriers poorly corresponded to the vegetation borders. We conclude that in the studied moraine plain, the vegetation boundaries between riparian mires and uplands correspond to the redox barriers. The same can be set as a hypothesis for Northern European moraine plains. Related ecotones can be observed on the footslopes, revealing redox barrier in the landscape and related hot spots in cultural landscapes. In field margins, the redox barriers and corresponding ecotones occur below cultivation terraces. The ecotones may represent functional boundaries for delineating wetlands. Man-made drainage removes soil redox barriers and corresponding vegetation boundaries, making the landscape uniform and therefore vulnerable to disturbances. As a management implication, footslope ecotones should be preserved in their natural condition.

Nutrient dynamics of riparian ecotones: A case study from the Porijo˜gi River catchment, Estonia

The transformation of nitrogen and phosphorus was studied in various riparian ecotones of the moraine plain and moraine-hilly landscapes in the Porijo˜gi River catchment area, southern Estonia. Soil water and ground water samples were collected once per month between 1992 and 1993 from piezometers installed between plant communities located along topo-edaphic gradients from moraine uplands to stream valleys at six sites. The production rate, as well as the N and P content in plant biomass from the 1 m2 plots located near the piezometers was analyzed.Results show that various riparian ecotones had a significant influence on soil water quality. In the arable land, the mean annual concentration of total inorganic nitrogen (NH4+NO2+NO2) in piezometer water was 3–40 mg N1−1, but in the grey alder forest (Alnus incana) total inorganic nitrogen never exceeded 1 mg N1−1. The most significant reduction was in the average concentration of NO3-N content which was reduced from 25 mg 1−1 under the arable land to 0.5 mg 1−1 within the alder forest. The average total phosphorus (orthophosphate phosphorus + organic phosphorus) concentration also decreased under the alder stands, being 0.2-1.5 mg P1−1 in the arable land and less than 0.2 mg P 1−1 in the alder forest (less than 0. l mg P1−1 in loamy soils and 0.2 mg P1−1 in sandy soils). Wetland herb communities (Carex elata association and Filipendula ulmaria-Cirsium oleraceum-Aegopodium podagraria community) also had a significant influence on soil water quality. Plant biomass (sum of above- and below-ground biomass) of riparian and wetland communities accumulates up to 70 g N m−2 and up to 6 g P m−2during the growth season. Harvesting of riparian herbaceous communities may remove 20–30% of nutrient input. In the cultivated grasslands on sandy colluvial soils with a deep humus layer and sedge fens the content of NH4-N and total-P in groundwater toplayer significantly increased, rising to 3 mg and 0.5 mg−1, respectively. Also, it has been assumed that vertical penetration of deep groundwater (contaminated with nitrate and phosphate), may increase the nutrient load to surface water bodies, despite the physical presence of a wide buffer zone (e.g. sedge fen) along the river corridor. From the observations of this work, alder forests and/or willow bushes as buffer strips on and adjacent to the stream banks are recommended to control diffuse water quality.