Application of an Integral Index to Evaluate the Spatial Differentiation of Biological Properties of Soils Along an Aridity Gradient in the South of Russia
K. Sh. KAZEEV, Y. S. KOZUN’, S. I. KOLESNIKOV
Southern Federal University, 344006, Rostov-on-Don, Bolshaya Sadovaya str., 105
Keywords: arid soils, biological properties of soils, biodiagnostics, climate, spatial differentiation
Abstract
A close correlation between the degree of aridity and biological properties of soils in southern Russia was detected. The number of microarthropoda and microorganisms, humus content, enzyme activity and the integral index of biological state (IIBS) of soils were decreasing with the increasing aridity in the following sequence: chernozem → chestnut soils → light chestnut soils → brown desert-steppe soil. IIBS value variation range for surficial units was 41 %. The difference between the soils increased when biological activity of the whole soil profile was taken into account. In this case the difference in IIBS between the soils increased to 75 %.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1134/S1995425515010060
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