Volume 49, Nº 8 (2016)

The coefficients of the soil line are often taken into account in calculations of vegetation indices. These coefficients are usually calculated for the entire satellite image, or are taken as constants without any calculations. In both cases, the informativeness of these coefficients is low and insufficient for the needs of soil mapping. In our study, we calculated soil line coefficients at 8000 lattice points for the territory of Plavsk, Arsen’evsk, and Chern districts of Tula oblast on the basis of 34 Landsat 5, 7, and 8 images obtained in 1985–2014. In order to distinguish between the soil line calculated for a given image and the soil line calculated for lattice points on the basis of dozens of multitemporal images, we suggest that the latter can be referred to as the temporal soil line. The temporal soil line is described by a classical equation: NIR = RED a + b, where a is its slope relative to the horizontal axis (RED), and b is the Y-axis (NIR) intercept. Both coefficients were used to create soil maps. The verification of the maps was performed with the use of data on 1985 soil pits. The informativeness of these coefficients appeared to be sufficient for delineation of eight groups of soils of different taxonomic levels: soddy moderately podzolic soils, soddy slightly podzolic soils, soddy-podzolic soils, light gray forest soils, gray forest soils, dark gray forest soils, podzolized chernozems, and leached chernozems. The b coefficient proved to be more informative, as it allowed us to create the soil map precisely on its basis. In order to create the soil map on the basis of the a coefficient, we had to apply some threshold values of the b coefficient. The bare soil on each of Landsat scenes was separated with the help of the mask of agricultural fields and the notion of the spectral neighborhood of soil line (SNSL).

The transformation of humus substances resulting from artificial drainage of the surface-gleyed soddy-podzolic soils under conditions of pronounced microtopography and different agrogenic loads was studied. The studied soil characteristics included acid–base conditions, the content and group composition of humus, the ratios between the fractions of humus acids, and optical density of humic acids. The features attesting to humus degradation were found in the soils of microdepressions periodically subjected to excessive surface moistening, in the soils of different landforms upon the construction of drainage trenches, and in the plowed non-fertilized soils. The response of humus characteristics to the changes in the ecological situation in the period of active application of agrochemicals for reclamation of the agrotechnogenically disturbed soils was traced. It was shown that the long-term dynamics of the particular parameters of the biological productivity of the soil depend on the hydrological and agrogenic factors, as well as on the weather conditions.

Lead (Pb) pollution in and around Ulaanbaatar is of national concern, given that the Mongolian capital is home to nearly half of the country’s entire population. By comparison, Mongolian countryside is a pristine environment because of its sparse population and low industrial activity. The concentration of Pb in urban soils (average of 39.1 mg kg^–1) was twice the values found (average 18.6 mg kg^–1) in background territories (i.e., Mongolian rural sites). Furthermore, Pb contamination was examined by using Pb stable isotopic composition, and covariance of Pb isotopic ratios showed two groups between rural and urban soils as pristine and disturbed sites. The ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratio, the most prominent fingerprint for Pb pollution, was 1.163–1.185 for the urban whereas values for rural soils (1.186–1.207) were analogue to the regional Pb isotopic signatures. Local coal sources and their combustion products, one of the potential Pb pollution sources in Ulaanbaatar, have significant radiogenic properties in terms of Pb isotopic composition and revealed an average of 1.25 for ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb and 19.551 for ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios. Thus, contributions from coal firing activity to Pb pollution lower than it was assumed, and smaller range of these values measured in urban soils may be attributed to the mixing of less radiogenic Pb as a constituent of the leaded gasolines.

Rheological parameters of humus horizons from typical chernozems under different land use—on a virgin land (unmown steppe) and under an oak forest, long-term black fallow, and agricultural use—have been studied by the amplitude sweep method with an MCR-302 modular rheometer at water contents corresponding to swelling limit and liquid limit. From the curves of elastic and viscous moduli, the ranges of elastic and viscoelastic (plastic) behavior of soil pastes—as well as that of transition from viscoelastic to viscous behavior—have been determined. It has been shown that the rheological behavior is largely determined by the content of organic matter, which can act as a binding agent structuring the interparticle bonds and as a lubricant in the viscous-flow (plastic) state of soil pastes. Soil samples enriched with organic matter (virgin land, oak forest, forest belt) have a more plastic behavior and a higher resistance to loads. Soil samples with the lower content of organic matter (long-term fallow, plowland) are characterized by a more rigid cohesion of particles and a narrower range of load resistance. Soil pastes at the water content of liquid limit have a stronger interparticle cohesion and a more brittle behavior than at the water content of swelling limit. Methodological aspects of testing soil pastes at the constant sample thickness and the controlled normal load have been considered. For swelling soil samples, tests under controlled normal load are preferred.

Meadow-chernozemic soils (Turbic Chernozems Molliglossic) in the western Trans-Baikal Region are dissected by large cryogenic cracks penetrating to the depth of 100–120 cm and filled with humified material. The depth of humus pockets is 50–80 cm, and their width in the upper part is 50–90 cm. The lower boundary of most of the humus pockets lies at the depth of 60–70 cm. The development of cryogenic cracks proceeded due to their penetration into the frozen ground, which is evidenced by their sharply narrowing lower part. The fraction of physical clay (<0.01 mm) constitutes a considerable part of the material filling the cracks, which explains the significant humus content in this material. The contents of humus and adsorbed bases sharply decrease down through the soil profile in the soil mass between the cracks and remain relatively stable in the material filling the cracks. The soil mass in humus pockets is less compact that that in the background soil mass at the same depth, which is explained by the higher humus content in the pockets. Humified soil material in the pockets is also characterized by a higher porosity and, hence, higher water permeability than the surrounding soil mass.

Data on the input of plant falloff and organic matter decomposition on the surface of the peaty podzolic-gleyic humus-illuvial (Gleyic Podzol) soil under a mature blueberry pine forest in the middle taiga are presented. The fractional composition of the falloff was determined, and constants of decomposition for its components were calculated. The carbon flux to the atmosphere due to the mineralization of plant residues is estimated at 251 g/m². A close positive correlation (r = 0.71; P < 0.05) was found between the carbon dioxide emission measured using a gas analyzer and the soil temperature at the depth of 10 cm. The CO₂ emission for a growing period calculated from the data on its dependence on soil temperature in different years varied from 243 to 313 g C/m² and was related to weather conditions.

About two-thirds of the Iran’s area is located in the arid and semiarid region. Lack of soil moisture and vegetation is poor in most areas can lead to soil erosion caused by wind. So that the annual suffered severe damage to large areas of rich soils. Modeling studies of wind erosion in Iran is very low and incomplete. Therefore, this study aimed to wind erosion modeling, taking into three factors: wind speed, vegetation and soil types have been done. Wind erosion sensitivity was modeled using the key factors of soil sensitivity, vegetation cover and wind erodibility as proxies. These factors were first estimated separately by factor sensitivity maps and later combined by fuzzy logic into a regional-scale wind erosion sensitivity map. Large areas were evaluated by using publicly available datasets of remotely sensed vegetation information, soil maps and meteorological data on wind speed. The resulting estimates were verified by field studies and examining the economic losses from wind erosion as compensated by the state insurance company. The spatial resolution of the resulting sensitivity map is suitable for regional applications, as identifying sensitive areas is the foundation for diverse land development control measures and implementing management activities.

Regional estimates of changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) pools during the historical period were obtained according to a unified approach for Kostroma (southern taiga) and Kursk (forest-steppe) oblasts. The potential pools of soil carbon were calculated with due account for the classification position of particular soils, their texture, and the character of natural vegetation. In the estimates of actual SOC pools, land use patterns and the age structure of forest stands were taken into account. It was shown that modern pools of organic carbon in the soils of Kostroma oblast are only 1–2% smaller than the potential pools; for the soils of Kursk oblast, this difference reaches 23–27%. Mean weighted values of the actual SOC contents in these oblasts decreased by 0.1–0.2 and 6.5–7.6 kg C/m² in comparison with the potential SOC contents, respectively, which is related to their environmental specificity and to different types of land use at present and in the historical past.