Biological Indicators of Degradation and Self-Recovery of the Soil-Vegetation Cover of Tundras
V. D. VASILYEVSKAYA, V. Ya. GRIGORYEV
Abstract
Relationship between the characteristics of vegetation (above-ground and subterranean phytomass, above-ground biomass, species composition and projective cover) and soil properties (power of organogenic and root-inhabited layers, humus content of the 0-20 cm layer, the thickness of abiotic alluvium) has permitted developing biological indicators and criteria of quantitative estimation of resistance, degree of physical and general degradation, and time course of recovery of disturbed soil-vegetation cover of tundras. An analytical description of the process of vegetation and soil self-recovery is given which permits determining, by the accessible minimum of initial information, the duration of various degradation levels and of the total duration of recovery under different conditions of water regime.
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