Features of the migration of heavy metals in the forest landscapes of the ’Kamennaya Steppe’

The article examines the influence of woody vegetation on the change in some soil properties. Numerous studies have confirmed the change in the water regime under forest belts. Such dynamics entails the transformation of morphological characteristics and the following basic soil properties: pH of the soil solution, carbon of organic compounds. The evolution of properties causes changes in the total content of heavy metals: nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and their exchange compounds. The features of the profile distribution of Ni, Pb and Cd in the chernozems of the forest belt have been studied. Elements were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Carbon of organic compounds - by titrimetric method, pH of soil solution - by potentiometric method. Wood species affect the profile distribution of heavy metals. Correlation analysis revealed a close relationship in the profile distribution of carbon of organic compounds, pH, Ni, Pb. Variational analysis of spatial heterogeneity showed the differences in the studied indicators between arable land and forest belt. A decrease in the coefficient of variation from the forest belt to arable land is noted. The phenomenon is explained by plowing, mixing the soil mass and leveling out spatial differences in the content of carbon of organic compounds, pH, heavy metals.

Enzymatic activity of the Kuyavia Mollic Gleysols (Poland) against their chemical properties

The research results have shown that the enzyme pH index (0.49–0.83) confirmed the neutral or alkaline nature of the soils. Neither the changes in the content of available phosphorus nor in the activity of dehydrogenases, catalase, alkaline and acid phosphatase in soil were due to the factors triggering soil salinity; they were a result of the naturally high content of carbon of organic compounds, which was statistically verified with the analysis of correlation between the parameters. There were recorded highly significant values of the coefficients of correlation between the content of available phosphorus in soil and the activity of alkaline (r = 0.96; P < 0.05) and acid phosphatase (r = 0.91; P < 0.05) as well as dehydrogenase (r = 0.90; P < 0.05). To sum up, one can state that Mollic Gleysols in Inowrocław are the soils undergoing seasonal salinity; however, a high content of ions responsible for salinity is balanced with a high content of organic carbon, humus, phosphorus and calcium directly affecting the fertility of the soils analyzed. The activity of the enzymes depended on the natural content of carbon of organic compounds and not on the factors affecting the soil salinity, which points to the potential of such tests for soil environment monitoring.