Amphiphilic properties of soil organic matter in the first years after stand cutting
V.V. Startsev, A.A. Dymov
Section: Chemistry of natural environments and objects
The cutting industry is one of the factors that makes a significant contribution to the disruption of forest ecosystems. The aim of the work is to study the hydrophilic and hydrophobic components of organic matter in soils after cutting. The paper presents data on amphiphilicity of organic matter of podzolic soils (Retisols) after clear-cutting with the use of multi-operational harvester/forwarder complexes. The study was conducted on different technological elements of clearcutting: apiary plot and drags (3P – three passes of harvesting equipment, 10P – ten passes, 10P – followed by leveling). Hydrophobic interaction chromatography was used to study the amphiphilic properties of soil organic matter (SOM). It was found that for all sites there is a high content of hydrophilic fractions characterized by high migration and reactivity, both in litter and mineral horizons. Their share increases in the process of reforestation. There is an accumulation of hydrophobic lignin-containing fractions formed as a result of decomposition of plant residues in the soils of windrows. It was found that hydrophobic fractions consisting of lignin–containing compounds have a high degree of correlation with total soil carbon (r = 0.69–0.77, p < 0.05), total nitrogen (r = 0.66–0.79, p < 0.05) and water-soluble carbon fraction (r = 0.45–0.74, p < 0.05). It is shown that organic matter reacts sensitively to anthropogenic load at the level of amphiphilic fractions content, as it significantly differs from the initial indicators after clear-cutting. The accumulation of hydrophobic lignin-containing fractions, formed as a result of decomposition of plant residues, occurs in the soils of windrows as a result of mechanical mixing of the upper mineral horizons with the litter as a result of the passage of heavy wheeled machinery.
ISSN 1995-4301
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