Comparative analysis of native properties retention in meadow-steppe chernozems of the Central Russian upland: long-term pastures – hayfields vs. protected areas
https://doi.org/10.55959/MSU0579-9414.5.80.6.12
Abstract
The study presents a comparative analysis of the morphological and physical properties of never-ploughed automorphic chernozem profiles from the long-term pastures and hayfields, as well as virgin chernozems from protected meadow-steppe landscapes (nature reserves) in the forest-steppe zone of the Central Russian Upland. The similarities in key characteristics, including the thickness of chernic and chernic+mollic horizons, the intensity of zoogenic turbations, the vertical distribution of mole rat burrows, the particle-size distribution and bulk density were revealed. The differences were observed in the upper soil layers: chernozems from pastures and hayfields show higher compaction and lower total porosity compared to their protected counterparts. The Central Russian Upland’s forest-steppe region has very few undisturbed, high-quality chernozems left due to agricultural use, so we suggest considering unploughed pasture and hayfield chernozems as a close-to-natural reference or benchmark ones to compare them with anthropogenically transformed soils located nearby.
Keywords
forest-steppe,
soil bulk density,
Belgorod oblast,
automorphic chernozems,
humus horizons,
carbonates,
Haplicl Chernozems,
Luvic Chernozems,
grain-size distribution in soils
Supporting agencies: The study was financially supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 24-17-00154)
About the Authors
Yu. G. Chendev
Belgorod State University, Institute of Earth’s Sciences, Department nature management and land cadastre
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Professor, D.Sc. in Geography
M. A. Smirnova
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Geography, Department of landscape geochemistry and soil geography
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Associate Professor, Ph.D. in Geography
A. N. Gennadiev
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Geography, Department of landscape geochemistry and soil geography
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Professor, D.Sc. in Geography
A. V. Solyanoy
Belgorod State University, Institute of Earth’s Sciences, Department of Geography, Geoecology, and Life Safety
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Post-graduate student
T. L. Salova
Belgorod State University, Institute of Earth’s Sciences, Department nature management and land cadastre
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Assistant
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Review
For citations:
Chendev Yu.G., Smirnova M.A., Gennadiev A.N., Solyanoy A.V., Salova T.L. Comparative analysis of native properties retention in meadow-steppe chernozems of the Central Russian upland: long-term pastures – hayfields vs. protected areas. Lomonosov Geography Journal. 2025;(6):154-169. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.55959/MSU0579-9414.5.80.6.12
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