Assessment of the Ecological State of Soils in the Baikal Region under Industrial Air Pollution

Abstract

Pedochemical characteristics such as acid–base properties, state of organic matter, and composition of the soil adsorption complex (SAC) in the forests surrounding large industrial enterprises in the Baikal region have been studied. The contaminated soils have been found to exhibit considerably increased alkalinity [pH (H₂O) 7.6–8.5], reduced rate of mineralization of organic matter to humic compounds (2.5-fold increased C/N ratio and 2–6-fold increased CO₂ emission), and disturbed ratio of exchanging Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, and Na⁺ ions. A grading scale of soils in the Baikal region with respect to their ecological state has been developed on the basis of pedochemical characteristics.