Retrospective Monitoring of Soil Waterlogging on Arable Land of Tambov Oblast in 2018–1968

Abstract

A hypothesis about an increase in the area of waterlogged soils on arable lands of Tambov oblast in the recent decades was tested by the methods of retrospective monitoring of the soil and land cover. The period of retrospection was 50 years (2018–1968) according to remote sensing data and more than 60 years according to archival materials. It was found that waterlogging of rainfed soils has a periodic character without definite trend for an increase in their area, i.e., the area of waterlogged soils has not changed over the past 50–60 years. The area of periodic influence of overmoistening on land use of arable land was estimated at 181 000 ha, or 8.5% of the arable land area. It was also shown that official statistical data significantly underestimate the area of waterlogged soils, as these soils on arable land are not taken into account. The total area of soil waterlogging reached about 16% of the agricultural land in Tambov oblast, including about 6% of waterlogged soils within the arable land. It was also found that the decrease in the area of arable during that period because of the economic reasons significantly exceeded the influence of natural factors.