Moscow University Bulletin. Series 17. Soil Science

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Assessment of changes in the intensity of erosion-accumulative processes in small watersheds of the Middle Russian uplands since the beginning of agricultural development

Moscow University Bulletin. Series 17. Soil science. 2024. N 3. p.60-71

Evgenia N. Shamshurina Valentin N. Golosov Alina Rimovna Popova Yerlan Al. Shynbergenov Andrey P. Zhidkin

578

The dynamics of sedimentation in the bottoms of small catchments in the forest–steppe zone of the Central Russian Upland was assessed using the soil–morphological, radiocesium and magnetic tracer methods, which made it possible to calculate the rate of soil loss 1) since 1986, 2) since 1954, 3) since the launch and active operation of the railway, 4) since the mass plowing the entire catchment area. Two groups of small dry valleys have been identified: the catchment area of the first group includes tributaries of larger dry valleys, where the average rate of loss during the agricultural period is 2,1–2,4 t∙ha-1 per year and exceeds modern ones (since 1986) by 0,6–0,7 t∙ha-1 per year. The catchments of the second group include the sources of larger valleys, where the average rate of loss during the agri- cultural period is 0,6–0,9 t∙ha-1 per year and less than modern ones (since 1986) by 0.3–0.8 t∙ha-1 per year. The max- imum rates within all catchments were observed in the period 1954–1986, which is associated with soil compaction by heavy agricultural machinery, as well as the contribution of snowmelt runoff, which was regular for this period.

Keywords: soil flushing; sediment accumulation; magnetic tracer method; radiocesium method; soil morphological method; stratozem

DOI Number: 10.55959/MSU01 37-0944–17-2024-79-3-60–71

Erosion and self-restoration of soils on the Central Russian Upland

Moscow University Bulletin. Series 17. Soil science. 2024. N 3. p.49-59

Andrey P. Zhidkin Daria V. Fomicheva Evgeny Al. Zazdravnykh

558

The article presents an analysis of the thickness of humus horizons of chernozems and gray forest soils, measured at more than a thousand survey points in three areas with an area of about 10 thousand hectares each in the northern (Oryol region), central (Kursk region) and southern (Belgorod region) forest-steppe on the Central Russian Upland. Th e measured thicknesses of the humus horizons was compared with the modeled thicknesses. Modeling of the thickness of humus horizons was carried out based soil erosion modelling and taking into account soils development. An assessment of soil erosion rates was carried out by WaTEM/SEDEM (rainfall erosion) and State Hydrological Institute in the Larionov modifi cation (snowmelt erosion), previously verifi ed on small catchments within or in close proximity to the study sites. Land use history was reconstructed using historical maps. Th e approach made it possible to model with suffi cient accuracy the average erosion losses of soils and calculate the average current thickness of the humus horizon. The obtained results of comparisons of measured and modeled thicknesses of the humus horizon clearly indicate the signifi cant role of soil development in the formation of erosion-accumulative structures of the soil cover. Insuffi cient consideration of soil development leads to a signifi cant underestimation of the calculated thickness of the humus horizon and, as a consequence, to an overestimation of the degree of soil degradation. The rate of development of chernozems and dark gray forest soils is about 0.4 mm∙year–1, which is consistent with literature data from case studies. An increase in diff erences between the modeled and measured thicknesses of the humus layer was noted in the series: chernozem - dark gray forest soil - gray forest soil - light gray forest soil. Perhaps the plowing of gray forest soils contributes to an increase in the fl ow of dissolved humus, as well as pedoturbations, which could potentially contribute to a measurement distortion of the thickness of the humus horizon and an underestimation of the degree of degradation of the soil cover in the northern forest-steppe.

Keywords: soil formation; chernozems; gray forest soil; humus horizon; erosion modeling

DOI Number: 10.55959/MSU01 37-0944–17-2024-79-3-49–59

Is it possible to achieve sustainable land management on land aff ected by erosion: issues of modeling options

Moscow University Bulletin. Series 17. Soil science. 2024. N 3. p.38-48

Olga V. Andreeva Herman S. Kust

521

Despite the large number of diff erent anti-erosion practices used in the country, the dynamics of the areas of eroded
lands remains multidirectional and unstable. Th e goal of the work was to propose a methodological approach for semantic modeling of sustainable land management with a focus on anti-erosion measures, the methods for such modeling and land management in the areas prone to soil erosion in order to maintain and restore degraded lands. A variety of erosion control techniques, methods, approaches, technologies and activities described in diff erent sources, including databases on best practices, educational and scientifi c literature serves as objects of the study. Th e study was based on the integration of several working hypotheses and approaches proposed by the authors in earlier publications. Th e methodological basis of these approaches is the concept of land degradation neutrality (LDN) and the principles for assessing the «sustainability» of environmental management based on it. Using the example of several sites, methods for semantic modeling of the sustainability of anti-erosion land management are considered. These methods are based on assessing the achievement of LDN using the so-called «good» practices. For the assessment, the following parameters of the model were applied: «natural potential» (refl ecting resource potential, adaptive potential and the ability to self-recovery of land), «expanded potential» (refl ecting human improvements in natural potential and the suffi ciency of socio-economic conditions); «actual adverse impacts», including natural processes and phenomena and those caused by human impact; «potential adverse impacts», including natural and anthropogenic risks. Model parameters can be combined in the required combination and refl ect diff erent modeling tasks in order to determine the adequacy of erosion control practices, including general approaches and techniques for regional models, methods and technologies for sub-regional and local ones, specifi c activities and measures for
local models implemented for individual land plots and farms. Th e proposed method for visualizing models, based on the construction of radar diagrams, is a fl exible solution that provides opportunity to consider the suffi ciency of practices, combine them into groups, and also generalize sustainability parameters depending on the goals of modeling.

Keywords: soil erosion; land degradation; good practices; semantic modeling.

DOI Number: 10.55959/MSU01 37-0944–17-2024-79-3-38–48

The influence of erodibility degree of sod-podzolic soil on the abundance and diversity of fungi and actinomycetes

Moscow University Bulletin. Series 17. Soil science. 2024. N 3. p.28-37

Valery V. Demidov Tatyana A. Gracheva Polina M. Perebasova Alla V. Golovchenko Alexey L. Stepanov Oleg A. Makarov

503

The paper presents the results of assessing the eff ect of the degree of soil erodibility on the abundance and diversity of cultivated fungi and actinomycetes in diff erent seasons of the annual cycle. The objects of the study are sod—podzolic soils (Umbric Retisols (Abruptic)) of diff erent degrees of washout, located on the slope of the southeastern exposure (Moscow region, Solnechnogorsk district), used for a long time for the cultivation of agricultural crops. The indicators of microbial abundance were determined by the cup method, identifi cation was carried out on the basis of phenotypic characters. It is shown that the decline in physical and agrochemical parameters of the soil, which is a result of erosion processes, leads to a change in microbiological parameters. A decrease in the abundance and species diversity of fungi and actinomycetes was found with an increase in the degree of soil erosion. Significant diff erences were found in the taxonomic composition of microbial communities of non-eroded and washed away soils (the Sorensen species similarity coeffi cient does not exceed 0.42 for fungi and 0.30 for actinomycetes). Taxonomic units of mycelial microorganisms have been identifi ed. Among the fungi are representatives of the species Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Scopulariopsis, among the actinomycetes are Streptomyces malachitospinus, S. candidus and Micromonospora aurantiaca.

Keywords: water erosion; erodibility; abundance; indicator species

DOI Number: 10.55959/MSU01 37-0944–17-2024-79-3-28–37

Features of the humus state of gray forest soil depending on exposure and slope steepness

Moscow University Bulletin. Series 17. Soil science. 2024. N 3. p.19-27

Elena V. Dubovik Dmitry V. Dubovik Nina P. Masyutenko

476

The humus state of gray forest soil formed on loess-like loams on the slopes of the northern and southern exposures at slopes of 1, 3, 5° was studied. Soil samples were taken in sections laid in the middle part of the horizon (Apax, A1, A1A2, B), in three-fold repetition. The determination of organic carbon and the fractional group composition of humus was carried out according to the scheme of I.V. Tyurin, modified by V.V. Ponomareva and T.A. Plotnikova. The content of mobile humic substances was studied in 0,1n NaOH extraction from soil without decalcification in the modification of the V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Institute with preliminary composting.
Gross nitrogen was determined by the Ginzburg wet salting method with ammonia distillation according to Kjeldahl. It was found that the content of organic carbon in gray forest soil was higher on the northern slope than on the south- ern one. At the same time, the process of mineralization of organic matter occurs faster in the soil of the southern slope, which is due to a narrower ratio of C:N compared to the soil of the northern slope. It was revealed that for gray forest soil, the degree of mobility of humic substances depends more on the exposure of the slope than on its steepness. At the same time, the ratio of organic matter components in the studied soils is determined by agroeco- logical conditions, therefore, the regulation of the qualitative and quantitative composition of organic matter must be carried out taking them into account.

DOI Number: 10.55959/MSU01 37-0944–17-2024-79-3-19–27

Economic assessment of eroded soils: current state and development prospects

Moscow University Bulletin. Series 17. Soil science. 2024. N 3. p.7-18

Oleg A. Makarov Valery V. Demidov Dina V. Karpova Pavel S. Shulga Dina R. Abdulkhanova Elena N. Yesafova Evgeny N. Kubarev Victor Il. Mikhailovsky

611

Summary Soil erosion as one of the types of land degradation aff ects various economic interests of people. It is shown that the most promising areas of erosion studies, where economic methods can be applied, are — assessment of actual damage fr om soil erosion, determination of the magnitude of probable damage from the occurrence of erosion
processes in soils, economic analysis in the development of sustainable land use systems for territories whose soils are subject to erosion. Th e group of methods for determining economic damage is characterized by the greatest development, including taking into account ecosystem services that soils «lose» as a result of erosion processes. Methods for assessing the risk of soil erosion have signifi cant development potential, since by now a powerful database of predictive models and equations (USLE, RUSLE, RUSLE2, WEPP, EUROSE, CREAMS, EPIC, VNIIZiZPE, etc.) has been created, allowing to assess indicators of soil erosion in the future. Th e neoclassical theory of capital is used in the development of sustainable land use systems, which requires that the fertility of the soil and the net social benefits from non-market goods and services from agricultural land should be maintained over time. Th us, it is possible to
create compensatory taxation mechanisms for territories wh ere soil erosion processes occur.

Keywords: soil erosion; soil protection; damage; risk; economic and ecological-economic methods; sustainable land use

DOI Number: 10.55959/MSU01 37-0944–17-2024-79-3-7–18

Overview

Moscow University Bulletin. Series 17. Soil science. 2024. N 3. p.5-6

Oleg A. Makarov Valery V. Demidov

421

Hygroscopic water content as an indicator of soil dispersity: thermodynamic basis and experimental verifi cation

Moscow University Bulletin. Series 17. Soil science. 2024. N 2. p.3-14

Andrey V. Smagin Nadezhda B. Sadovnikova

598

The adsorption properties of dispersed systems are determined by their surface energy, therefore the indicators of hygroscopy (adsorbed water content) and dispersity (specific surface area of the solid phase) of soils and sediments are in close mutual correlation. This well-known empirical fact received a new fundamental interpretation based on the theory of disjoining water pressure according to Deryagin in the form of a thermodynamic equation connecting the specific surface area, hygroscopic water content of soil samples and the relative humidity of the air in the laboratory room. The theoretical equation allowed us to substantiate the methodology for quantifying the hydrophilic specific surface area of soil samples based on widespread data on their hygroscopy. A comparison of the new method with the standard BET-analysis of the specific surface area, as well as with the previously proposed physically based method for its determining by the slope of thermodynamic water retention curves, showed their statistically reliable agreement in a wide range of estimated specific surface area values from 5 to 340 m²×g^-1 for soil samples of different genesis and texture.

Keywords: dispersed systems; specific surface area; hygroscopicity; soil water potential; surface energy; disjoining pressure

DOI Number: 10.55959/MSU0137-0944-17-2024-79-2-3-14

Organic farming: development prospects in Russia, taking into account the international market

Moscow University Bulletin. Series 17. Soil science. 2024. N 1. p.136-146

Maxim V. Dabakhov

739

The production of organic agriculture products has become one of the most growing areas of economic activity, with projected annual growth of 10-12%. At the same time, the demand for organic products significantly exceeds the supply, which is largely due to the lack of land that can be allocated for this production. Russia, which has significant areas of virtually unused land on which mineral fertilizers and pesticides have not been used for a long time, reaching 19.7 million. ha, has a significant potential for development in this direction.
At the same time, considering that a significant part of unused territories is located within the zone of risky agriculture, and also has soils with a low level of natural fertility, degraded, arid, waterlogged, etc., the actual amount of land resources that can be involved in organic agriculture is significantly less. For the most complete introduction into circulation of unused agricultural lands, it is necessary to increase the knowledge intensity and manufacturability of organic agriculture, for which research work in the following areas is highly relevant: 1) optimization of the balance of humus and nutrients in soils, 2) breeding and seed production of crops for organic agriculture, 3) development of biological products for disease and pest control, 4) development of optimal farming systems taking into account local soil and climatic conditions, 5) optimization of agricultural landscapes based on increasing the diversity of agricultural land use.
Along with the involvement of unused lands in the organic production system, the development of the industry largely depends on the system of training qualified personnel in this area, which should take into account the specifics of the technologies used, which differ significantly from traditional farming systems. To do this, it is necessary to upd ate existing professional standards, which should include generalized labor functions related to the development and implementation of organic farming technologies, as well as knowledge and skills in organizing organic production. On the basis of updated professional standards, universities should form new professional competencies and a corresponding se t of academic disciplines. The personnel training system for the industry should include various levels of training: agricultural classes, higher education, additional professional education.

Keywords: organic products; land resources; biological products; organic farming system; organic farming system; clean products; chemical load

DOI Number: 10.55959/MSU0137-0944-17-2024-79-2-136-146

Features of soil-vegetation cover of revegetated oil-pollutanted areas of oligotrophic bogs in the middle Ob region reclaimed by the cutting method

Moscow University Bulletin. Series 17. Soil science. 2024. N 2. p.119-135

Ekaterina A. Shishkonakova Ruslan R. Kinzhaev Nikolay A. Avetov Anna V. Arzamazova Mikhail Ar. Melnik Olga B. Rogova

762

The article provides data on a comparative analysis of the features of vegetation restoration in areas of oligotrophic bogs with a high degree of oil product pollution, located on the territory of an oil field in the Middle Ob region, reclaimed according to standard schemes, widely used in the 2000s, and by cutting off oil-contaminated soil. The total projective vegetation cover (TPVC) of all reclaimed areas mostly reaches standard values (above 30%). The TPVC in areas without cutting is slightly higher than in areas with cutting due to the difference in recovery time in favor of the former. At the same time, the average number of all recorded species in areas with cutting is slightly higher, and they include some oligotrophic vascular plants (heather shrubs, Drosera rotundifolia, Eriophorum vaginatum), which spread much less frequently in areas without cutting. The projective cover of the herb-shrub layer is higher in areas without cutting. The content of oil products in the surface layer of 0‒20 cm in areas with cutting is generally lower compared to areas reclaimed by traditional methods. However, even high concentrations (more than 250 g×kg^-1) do not have a significant negative effect on the total projective cover of the grass/herb-shrub layer, while its minimum values are primarily associated with a lack of moisture on high microrelief elements. Similarly, high concentrations of hydrocarbons do not serve as an obstacle to the development of moss cover dominated by sphagnum mosses in areas of cut-off hollows. At the same time, polytrichous and brown mosses were much more sensitive to oil pollution in the form of bitumen crust, and thus avoided areas without cutting.

Keywords: Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra; oligotrophic peat soils; total projective vegetation cover; moss layer; grass-shrub layer

DOI Number: 10.55959/MSU0137-0944-17-2024-79-2-119-135

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