The Role of Soil Cover in Maintaining the Structural and Functional Integrity of Northern Taiga Ecosystems of West Siberia
O. Yu. GONCHAROVA, A. A. BOBRIK, G. V. MATYSHAK, M. I. MAKAROV
M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Leninskie gory, 1
Keywords: биологическая активность почв, ботанический состав торфа, микробный углерод, многолетнемерзлые породы, торфяники, эко-физиологические коэффициенты, soil biological activity, botanical composition of peat, microbial carbon, permafrost, peatlands, eco-physiological coefficients
Abstract
The soils of the study area function in different temperature regimes: under the influence of permafrost (turbic histic cryosol and cryic eutric histosol) and long-term seasonаl freezing (Albic Podsol). Sporadic permafrost defines the differences in temperature regimes. All soils were characterized by low values of carbon dioxide effluxes (an average of 160 mgCO2/(m2⋅h)) indicating their low biological activity. The lack of easily accessible carbon for microorganisms was detected in all investigated soils by the Cmic : Corg ratio despite the high stocks of organic matter. The value of CO2 emission and the Cmic : Corg ratio were “site-specific” for the region of investigation and may be used as indicators of environmental changes. Peat cryogenic soils represent a unique natural object and provide functional diversity and integrity of northern taiga ecosystems of West Siberia.
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