Biological Activity of Mountain and Plain Chernozems in the Central Caucasus (within Kabardino-Balkaria)

Abstract

Abstract—A comparative analysis of the biological properties of several subtypes of mountain and plain chernozems in the Central Caucasus (within Kabardino-Balkaria) has been performed. Statistically significant differences between the parameters of biological activity in the top horizons (from 0- to 20-cm-thick) of the studied soils have been determined. Mountain chernozems are characterized by increased humus content (by 38%, on average), the activity of dehydrogenase (by 42%) and urease (by 35%), and the values of all microbial parameters (by 12–53%). The invertase activity is higher in plain chernozems (by 47%, on average). The dispersion analysis has shown that the effect of soil-forming conditions (mountain or plain) is a more significant factor for some of the parameters studied as compared to features of the studied soils at the subtype level. The effect of the factor of genetic differences is in the range of 1–5%, while the impact of soil-forming conditions ranges from 15 to 33%. The total biological activity of the top horizons of mountain and plain chernozems has been evaluated by an integral index of the ecological–biological soil status (IIEBSS), which shows a higher biological activity of the top horizons in mountain soils (IIEBSS varies within 5–18%).