Articles

The paper discusses the problem of reducing the content of ascorbic acid (as a plant-protective antioxidant compound in Solanum tuberosum L. potato tubers) while improving the nutritional regime — the use of complete mineral fertilizer in low doses, humidity and temperature conditions and physiologically optimal for potato growth pH values (weakly alkaline). The possibilities of using exogenous antioxidants (humic preparations) to maintain the level of ascorbic acid in commercial products are considered. Experimental data were obtained in fi eld studies on two types of soils and in two climatic regions (Voronezh and Moscow regions). It has been shown that humic preparations can maintain the level of ascorbic acid as an independent top dressing, and against the background of full mineral fertilizer with an increase in yield.

The research demonstrates the cadastral value calculation sensitivity to agroclimatic parameters and (soil conditions/ factors determing soil fertility) in humid, arid and semi-arid territories of the Russian Federation. Thе regularities to decrease the cadastral value of agrolandscapes are determined with an increase of gleying, (soil) erosion, stonyness, salinization, alkalinization, defl ation and over consolidation of soils. Cadastral value of agrolandscapes signifi cantly
increases due to drainage and irrigation.

A detailed review of existing methods of economic assessment of soils in Russia is carried out. It is shown that the
foundations of such an assessment were laid and voiced by V.V. Dokuchaev — in public lectures at meetings of the
Imperial Free Economic Society. Of the domestic soil assessment systems, the most perfect and holistic is the one
created by a group of employees of the V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Institute under the leadership of I.I. Karmanov. The main elements of this system are the soil-ecological index (a bonus score refl ecting the level of soil fertility taking into account specifi c climatic conditions and terrain) and the tariff category of the soil type of the assessed site. Modern methods of assessment, including monetization of ecosystem services of soils in determining the amount of damage from land degradation and assessing the value of soils based on the concepts of «zero soil», are analyzed. It is shown that the most promising approaches to the economic assessment of soils are — the assessment of the cost of individual soil properties, the cost of soil modifi ers used to improve soil quality, the cost of soils, soils and soil mixtures used for the purposes of reclamation, landscaping and landscaping, the assessment of the cost of ecosystem services of soils for lands of various economic use. Examples of approbation of some methods of economic assessment of soils for the territory of the Educational and Experimental Soil-ecological Center of Lomonosov Moscow State University «Chashnikovo» are considered.

The possibility of using microbiological indicators of soil «health» to assess the soils. The fundamental possibility of quantitative characterization of the functional potential of the microbial system with the assessment of «ecological services» is shown. Th ermodynamic criteria of natural microbial system (exergy and specifi c exergy) allow to carry out diagnostics of soil condition with direct estimation of degradation and damage. System characteristics of soil microbiota allow to approach the solution of many topical problems of functional soil science.

In the scientifi c and industrial spheres of the country, to date, there have not been clear ideas about the separation
of the functions of soils and lands in the fi eld of assessment, rationing and quality management, which leads to a
confusion of concepts and some confusion in the management of modern environmental management and environmental
protection. Th e features of the functioning of soils and lands as independent components of the environment
in matters of their assessment, rationing and quality management system established by the law «On Environmental
Protection» are considered. Th ere is a certain scientifi c and regulatory and methodological inadequacy in relation to
the development of indicators for the total assessment of environmental components included in the natural complex
of lands, especially industrial lands and settlements of the country. Th e ideas about acceptable indicators of soil
quality and levels of anthropogenic impact on them are generalized. Some attention was also paid to the issues of land
standardization with the development of ideas for establishing the natural and natural-anthropogenic background
of soils and related features of assessing the quality of soils of lands of various economic purposes. Th e paper touches
upon the issues of the specifi c trinity of the functioning of lands based on the development of ecological, resource
and socio-economic components. At the same time, the analysis of socio-economic regulation of land quality contributes
to the selection of the optimal direction in the organization of sustainable development of the territory and
the functioning of the entire natural resource complex of lands. To separate the concepts of «soil» and «land» at the
scientifi c and practical level, related to the peculiarities of their assessment, rationing and management, it is proposed
to pay special attention to the development and adoption of the federal law «On Soil Protection».

The paper provides a comparison of the various techniques for investigation of radionuclide speciation in soils based on fractionation of radionuclides bonded with different soil components. The dates on speciation of environmentally significant technogenic and natural radionuclides in soils contaminated from testing of nuclear weapons, accidents or incidents at radiation dangerous objects, mining and mineral products processing are presented. The review looks at influence of natural and anthropogenic factors on the forms of the radionuclide compounds like the radionuclide and soil properties, type of radioactive fallout and the time elapsed after fallout on soil. It has been demonstrated that experimental details of radionuclide speciation provide the basis for estimates and projections their mobility in soils, availability for plants and development of recommendations on reducing their penetration into food chains.

The spatial variability of the content of granulometric fraction d > 0,25 mm in the arable layer of soddy-podzolic cultivated soil on an area of 18 hectares was studied. The soil formed in the loess-like loam, underlain by moraine deposits. Samples were taken from the upper (0–10 cm) and lower parts of the arable layer (10–20 cm) following a random-stratified sampling scheme. The total number of samples was 350 cores. The average fraction content was about 22%, the coefficient of variation was 39–41%, the distributions were approximated by a logarithmically normal distribution. The Spearman correlation coefficient between values at different depths equaled to 0,87. The spatial distribution cartograms were constructed by the ordinary kriging method using a spherical variogram model. It is shown that preliminary censoring of high sample values (quantile 0,95) gives better results when constructing a cartogram than removing a linear spatial trend and logarithm of the original data. Spatial structures with reduced and increased values were found on the site, the average linear sizes of which was about 100 m.  Presumably, they were associated with the heterogeneity of soil-forming material.

The practice of using isotope analysis in archaeological research, which has been developing in recent years, requires knowledge of the features of isotope fractionation in cultural layers and buried soils. The structural properties of geoarchaeological monuments are determined by local relief, climate, vegetation, landscape hydrology, physical and chemical properties of soil-forming and underlying rocks, and the existence of crops, and therefore their isotopic signature has a complex cumulative character. The aim of the study was to study the variability of the carbon isotope composition of soils, rocks and cultural layers of various landscape parts of geoarchaeological mounds in different natural zones of the Russian Plain from the standpoint of identifying general climatic trends and the contribution of the anthropogenic factor to carbon isotope fractionation. The defensive ramparts of the Dmitrovsky Kremlin (Moscow region), Davydovsky settlement (Tambov region), Vodyansky settlement (Volgograd region), necropolises of the Zhereno and Kvetun archaeological complexes (Bryansk region) were chosen as objects of study. It is shown that a significant variability in the carbon isotope composition is typical for soils and cultural layers of geoarchaeological monuments of different natural zones and makes it possible to identify the stages of stable soil formation on the surface of embankments and the stages of backfilling structures. The isotopic ratios decrease in the humus horizons of daytime and buried soils. An increase in isotopic ratios is characteristic of the cultural layers of geoarchaeological monuments in all natural zones and marks the epochs of the existence of cultures, however, the mechanisms of this process require further research. Despite the predominant distribution of herbaceous vegetation on the day surface of the sites, the isotope signature of buried soils reflects the type of dominant zonal vegetation and, through features of the type of photosynthesis, makes it possible to reconstruct the climate features of the region at various chronostages of the existence of objects.

For the purposes of ecological monitoring, the features of living ground cover and forest floor in spruce stands within Moscow urban territory were studied. Using ecological scales by Nitsenko, Ramensky, Ellenberg and Landolt, let to consider, that ruderalization of living overground cover is a result of recreation. Independently of spruce forest type, the absence of undergrowth results in increasing light penetrating and increasing species quantity. Variety of ecological spaces is a result of moderate trampling, which is mostly expressed in between-crown spaces. Hight trophy index by L.G. Ramensky is a result of increased weediness of overground cover. It is shown, that living overground cover characterizes the variety of tree layer and the level of anthropogenic impact on phytocenosis.

The forest floor in urban spruce stands is sensitive to changes in functioning conditions and can be used for ecological monitoring. Availability of forest floor studying and simplicity of parameter estimation allows getting information about organic matter accumulation in express-regime under various degrees of anthropogenic impact on urban ecosystems.

Within the system of trunk, crown and open space, the simplification of litter structure and decreasing organic matter total deposit are observed — this can be considered an invariant process.

Maximal uniformity of coverless spaces litter, composed by needles and branches, results from absence of living overground cover, in combination with low recreation in these spaces. This fact let to conclude, that coverless spaces are able to be used as most important objects for comparing spruce ecosystems with different overground cover. Two groups of indexes, characterizing structure-functional litter organization, are proposed. Indexes, characterizing structural litter organization, include the total deposit of litter and L horizon deposit. Indexes, characterizing functional litter features, include deposit and proportion of detritus as well as the same for easy-decomposed components, ratio of thickness (deposit) of L horizon and F horizon. The peculiarities of long-term spatial functioning are characterized by litter typology in the system trunk-crown-open space.