The environmental status of any area is determined by the environment protection value (EPV) of its soils - their properties and functioning. In this work the biological, physical, pedo-climatic and subsoil aspects of the EPV of Estonian post-lithogenic or normally developed mineral soils (72% from total area) have been analysed. The analysis embraces 25 soil groups, the properties of which are presented according to land use (forest, arable and grassland soils) and by different soil layers (humus cover, soil cover and the metric soil layer) on soil matrix tables. On the basis of the results, which were received in the course of the assessment of separate EPV aspects, the EPV class, as an integrated index for soil type, was determined. The soils studied were divided into five classes, according to (I) good, (II) relatively good, (III) satisfactory, (IV) relatively poor and (V) poor EPV.
Bh horizons of Podzols formed from regoliths of sandstones, granites and gneisses in the Sudety Mountains are dark in colour, rich in organic substance, strongly acidic and slightly saturated with basic cations. They are also significantly enriched with organic and amorphous compounds of iron and aluminium. They meet all the morphological and physicochemical requirements of illuvial spodichorizons. Despite the evidence of lithological stratification of slope covers and possible polygenesis of B horizons, it is justifiable to classify these soils as Podzols, as adequately describing their morphology, basic properties and tendencies for present development.
The aim of the study was to compare the effect of poplar clones Hybrid 275 and Robusta on soil cover, based on their litter fall. In 2000-2002 studies on plant litter fall and leaf decomposition were conducted at two 17-year-old poplar plantations in the Wierzbiczany forest district (Northern Poland). Both clones produced similar amounts of litter fall per tree of about 11 kg/year. Leaves were the main component of the litter fall (about 80% of total mass). Plant litter fall at the poplar plantations was rich in nutrients, lacking only phosphorus. Litter fall of the analysed poplar clones decomposed rapidly. Leaves of Hybrid 275 decomposed slightly faster than those of Robusta. Leaves of Robusta decomposed more slowly because of their lower content of nitrogen, higher content of lignin and their morphology – harder and waxier. Over the 20 month period more than 70% of the mass of Hybrid 275 leaves and 50% of the Robusta leaves decomposed. The absolute accumulation of nitrogen was observed in the decomposing leaves, along with a narrowing of the C/N ratio and a more rapid decrease in potassium content than the loss of mass. Based on the properties of litter fall, we can conclude that both poplar clones would have a favourable effect on soil cover.
Catchment of the Mielnica Stream is situated in Trzebnica Mills area, covered with loess soils and under an intensive agricultural use, Bathometrical and hydrometrical measurements were taken in the hydrological years 1982/83-1993/94. Daily and periodical masses of a suspended load carried out through the hydrometrical cross-section, flow and unit run-off rates were analysed. The weight of total measured annual sediment ranged from 2.56 Mg to 295.94 Mg. Value of the mean annual flow rate, at the catchment closing cross-section, ranged from 8 to 191s-1 and the maximum daily values from /8 to 434 /s-1. Additional analyses of water chemical composition were made in the years 1988-1990. Sixteen different chemical compounds and elements were investigated. Calculated chemical denudation indices were determined by the hydrometeorological conditions.
The differentiation of the properties of soils at the level of pedons constitutes one of the most essential elements of the functional-structural analysis of the ecosystems. The purpose of the studies presented in this paper was to assess the spatial variability of the soil cover as conditioned by the micro-habitat differentiation and expressed through the variability of thickness of the genetic horizons for individual pedons, as well as spatial differences in acidity, moisture, conductivity, and organic carbon content. The studies were conducted on podzolic soils covered with forest vegetation. The results of studies carried out and described here indicate an influence of the local topo-habitat conditions on the spatial variability of soil properties. The following results can be drawn on the basis of the results obtained: 1) within the organic horizon the highest spatial differentiation of the properties considered was observed in the soils of Finland and Norway, while within the humus and enrichment horizons it was greater in the soils of the Polish part of the study area; 2) an exception to the above regularity is constituted by moisture; the highest spatial differentiation at this factor within all the genetic horizons was always observed in the soils characterised by its highest values; 3) spatial differentiation of the properties analysed is greater within the organic and humus horizons than in the enrichment horizon; 4) the biggest differences between the particular variants of the experiment, implemented during the four years of study, were displayed by: a) within the organic layer - the pedons of the northern and central parts of the study area, from Norway to Latvia, b) within the humus layer - the marginal pedons of FN1 and PL3, as well as the pedons of the central part of the study area - from Lithuania and Latvia, c) within the enrichment layer - the pedons of the Polish part of the study area; 5) interdependence was observed between the length of the micro-transects and the variability of the soil properties analysed; and 6) the strongest interrelation between the analysed properties were registered for the moisture - organic carbon content and moisture - conductivity.
In Poland, soil cover has been identified in detail in terms of spatial variability which resulted in soil records that comprise data on soil properties put in order according to the criteria of administrative and physiographic division. These data were not available in the numerical format till quite recently which meant that their application did not fully meet present requirements of agriculture, environment and landscape conservation, modification of functions, etc. The newly created numerical soil map at the scale of 1.500 000 corrects this difficulty. The main information content of the map at the scale of 1:500 000 covers complexes of soil usefulness and soil types and subtypes. Basic characteristics such as granulometric composition, origin of the parent rock and land use attributes, i.e.: forest, grassland, arable land, waters or barren land, are also included. Apart from the soil coverage, the map contains 13 topographic coverages.
Specific, humid climate of mountain areas has a great influence on the properties of soils and vegetation, as well as on the mutual relations between these inseparable elements of ecosystems. Research on the interdependence between soils and natural vegetation was carried out on ' the mountain meadows of the Bieszczady National Park. In conditions of the cooler and more humid mountain climate the peculiar character of the soils lies in the presence of organic surface horizon of properties varying considerably from the properties of deeper mineral horizons. This horizon is of great importance in the protection of scarce elements. It prevents pollutants from reaching the ecosystem. It influences the soil water economy. It prevents erosion. This buffer element of the mountain soils requires special protection - in the Bieszczady Mountains the erosion of the mountain meadow soils is only noticeable where the covering vegetation and the organic surface soil horizon were destroyed, e.g. on tourist tracks. The plants of the Bieszczady mountain meadows, together with their direct product - the organic surface soil horizon, prevents the chemical erosion of the mountain meadows, reducing the leaching of many biogenous elements, e.g. calcium.
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