Open AccessMETHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE ASSESSMENT OF THE ECOLOGICAL STATE OF THESOIL
Author(s) -
Ludmila Z. Shekikhacheva
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
izvestiâ kabardino-balkarskogo gosudarstvennogo agrarnogo universiteta im. v. m. kokova
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2411-3492
DOI - 10.55196/2411-3492-2022-1-35-23-34
Subject(s) - humus , soil functions , environmental science , soil water , agriculture , soil fertility , soil conservation , environmental resource management , ecology , soil science , soil biodiversity , biology
The article substantiates the methodological approaches used to assess the ecological state of one of the most vulnerable natural objects under intensive economic activity - the soil, which is constantly under physical and chemical (technogenic) loads and unbalanced farming systems. An analysis of the state of the problem showed that a few decades ago, the average content of humus in soils was 4,2%, today it is only 3,2%. The main reasons for the loss of humus are its mineralization, the lack of organic matter entering the soil, and water and wind erosion. The physical and mechanical properties of the soil significantly worsened, and with them the water-air and thermal properties worsened too. Based on the fact that the main task of modern agriculture is to increase soil fertility, thanks to the introduction of energy and resource-saving technologies, it is shown that the main component of the methodological basis for assessing the ecological state of the soil is a system of control indicators, the choice of which is due to the need to adequately characterize the main functions of the soil, soil-forming or soil-destroying processes. The basic requirements for indicators of soil biological activity are formulated. Accoding to the results of studies based on the analysis of methods for assessing the ecological state of soils, agroecological monitoring, which involves the study and generalization of statistical materials for the conditions of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, it has been established that promising directions for assessing the ecological state of soils are: taking into account the influence of pollution of various nature on it; combination in the ways of different methods; application of functional-ecological approach; adaptation of methods to certain soil and climatic conditions of territories and specific types of soil; development of methods that have an environmental and economic effect.