Current State of Haplic Chernozems in Specially Protected Natural Areas of the Steppe Zone

Abstract

The current ecological state of Haplic Chernozems has been studied in three Specially Protected Natural Areas (SPNAs) of the Steppe zone in South of Russia. It has been found that the content of organic matter, texture and elements content of soils depend on the period and conditions of reservation in the SPNA. In accordance with the content and reserve of organic matter, the thickness of the humus-accumulative (A) and humus (A + B) horizons and the supply with macro-and micronutrients, the Haplic Chernozems of the SPNAs under study can be arranged in the following series: Persianovskaya Reserved Steppe > Botanical Garden of the Southern Federal University > Reserved Fallow land "Priazovskaya Steppe", which corresponds to the duration of their reservation periods. The Botanical Garden, which is located in the center of a megalopolis (Rostovon-Don, Russia), has higher contents of lead in the upper horizon of Haplic Chernozem than other soils on the plots considered.

Assessment of extraction methods for studying the fractional composition of Cu and Zn in uncontaminated and contaminated soils

“…The bulk content of Zn and Cu in soil of the virgin sector matching the background metal content in Haplic Chernozem (Mandzhieva et al, 2017) was almost two times lower than in the soil located under the influence of aerosol emissions (Tables 3, 4). The sum of fractions obtained by all sequential fractionation methods under consideration was very close and similar to the bulk content of Cu and Zn in soil, suggesting credibility of the data obtained by different methods (Tables 3, 4).…”

“…Under conditions of anthropogenic load, this fraction accumulates up to 6-9 % Cu and 9-12 % Zn. Although the carbonate content in the studied soil samples is <1 % (Table 1), they demonstrate high activity in the retention of metals because of a highly dispersed mycelial form of carbonate occurrence in Haplic Chernozem, which is a specific feature of these soils (Minkina et al, 2017). The dispersed carbonates have a high specific surface area, which increases their interaction with PTM.…”

Toxic Effects of Thallium on Biological Indicators of Haplic Chernozem Health: A Case Study

“…Soil samples were collected from the top layer of Haplic Chernozem from the territory of the Persianovskaya steppe reserve (Rostov region, Russia) [39,40]. The Persianovskaya Steppe Nature Reserve is virgin soil, and the site is listed in the Red Book of Russian Soils [41].…”