TY - JOUR

T1 - Micromorphological soil assessment in abandoned quarry dumps of the Central Caucasus, Russia

AU - Tembotov, Rustam

AU - Abakumov, Evgeny

AU - Ji, Xiaowen

N1 - Tembotov, R. , Abakumov, E. & Ji, X. (2023). Micromorphological soil assessment in abandoned quarry dumps of the Central Caucasus, Russia . Eurasian Journal of Soil Science , 12 (2) , 127-140 . DOI: 10.18393/ejss.1212167

PY - 2023/4/1

Y1 - 2023/4/1

N2 - This study compared the micromorphological and agrochemical metrics in soils fromthe quarry dumps and zonal soils, the Central Caucasus. Soil micromorphologicalinvestigations are important tool for evaluation of soil dynamics after anthropogenicimpacts on terrestrial ecosystems. The results showed that the carbon content in theprimary soil of the sand and gravel quarries was lower than that in the reference soil.The differences detected were statistically significant for both the Urvan plot soils (t =11.95; p = 0.000) and the Progress plot soils (t = 18.73; p = 0.000). In contrast, in thequarry with clay bottom substrate (Gerpegezh), no significant difference was foundbetween the reference and postmine soils. The reference soil around the sand andgravel quarries was slightly more acidic than the primary soil. In the clay quarry, theprimary soil was more acidic with a strong acidic value, while the reference soil wasneutral. The difference of nutrients (P, K, NH4+, NO3-) between the primary andreference soils were negligible. The only exception was the NO3- content in thereference soil of Progress settlement, where it was significantly higher (t = 4.19; p =0.002) than in the original soil of the site. No difference was observed for the mineralcomponent of the primary soil. Investigation of key zonal soils of the region. ZonalCaucasus soils: Phaeozem Gleiyc, Phaeozem and Umbric Retisol are different in termsof micro texture. Thus, Phaeozem Gleiyc characterizes by microstructure composed byprimary angular mineral forms. Phaeozem and Retisol demonstrated formation ofbiogenic structure with alteration of mineral particles. Data obtained show that rapidself revegetation of the quarries results in initialization of primary soil formation andtransformation of the soil microstructure and organization on the micro level.

AB - This study compared the micromorphological and agrochemical metrics in soils fromthe quarry dumps and zonal soils, the Central Caucasus. Soil micromorphologicalinvestigations are important tool for evaluation of soil dynamics after anthropogenicimpacts on terrestrial ecosystems. The results showed that the carbon content in theprimary soil of the sand and gravel quarries was lower than that in the reference soil.The differences detected were statistically significant for both the Urvan plot soils (t =11.95; p = 0.000) and the Progress plot soils (t = 18.73; p = 0.000). In contrast, in thequarry with clay bottom substrate (Gerpegezh), no significant difference was foundbetween the reference and postmine soils. The reference soil around the sand andgravel quarries was slightly more acidic than the primary soil. In the clay quarry, theprimary soil was more acidic with a strong acidic value, while the reference soil wasneutral. The difference of nutrients (P, K, NH4+, NO3-) between the primary andreference soils were negligible. The only exception was the NO3- content in thereference soil of Progress settlement, where it was significantly higher (t = 4.19; p =0.002) than in the original soil of the site. No difference was observed for the mineralcomponent of the primary soil. Investigation of key zonal soils of the region. ZonalCaucasus soils: Phaeozem Gleiyc, Phaeozem and Umbric Retisol are different in termsof micro texture. Thus, Phaeozem Gleiyc characterizes by microstructure composed byprimary angular mineral forms. Phaeozem and Retisol demonstrated formation ofbiogenic structure with alteration of mineral particles. Data obtained show that rapidself revegetation of the quarries results in initialization of primary soil formation andtransformation of the soil microstructure and organization on the micro level.

KW - Central caucasus

KW - primary soils

KW - soil micromorhology

KW - Central caucasus

KW - primary soils

KW - soil micromorphological feature

KW - quarry dumps

KW - Zonal soils

KW - primary soil

KW - zonal soil

KW - Central Caucasus

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/bc54cd35-82b1-3e5a-8047-56528173c4b6/

U2 - 10.18393/ejss.1212167

DO - 10.18393/ejss.1212167

M3 - Article

VL - 12

SP - 127

EP - 140

JO - Eurasian Journal of Soil Science

JF - Eurasian Journal of Soil Science

SN - 2147-4249

IS - 2

ER -