Authors:
A. P. SOROKIN, candidate of biological sciences,
S. P. STRELKOV, candidate of biological sciences,
A. V. FEDOTOVA, doctor of biological sciences, professor,
Astrakhan State University (1 Shaumyana Sq., 414056, Astrakhan)
Abstract. The purpose of this work was to study the state of alluvial soils of meadow biocenoses of the Volga-Akhtubinsk flood plain and delta of Volga on some agrophysical properties according to the methods of mathematical statistics. Soils of meadow landscape of the Central delta of Volga were chosen as the object of research. The soil cover of the site is composed of alluvial humic (meadow cespitose low-power) soils on friable alluvial deposits. The paper presents the conducted comparative analysis of agrophysical state of the meadow ecosystems alluvial soils of the Volga – Akhtuba flood lands and the Volga delta. It was identified that a specific feature of meadow soils of the Volga-Akhtuba flood lands is total depth of horizons A and AB that varies from 65 to 67cm, which is far more than in the delta ecosystems soils. The soils of the Volga delta and flood lands under study are characterized by good agrophysical state, low salinity level and sufficiently high humus content. However, flood lands soils, characterized by deeper humus horizon, as a result, have a higher content of humus. The conducted comparative analysis of flood lands and delta soils on basic statistical parameters showed that flood lands soils are more wetted, less compressed and have high content of humus both by soil profile and by space distribution over the landscape. The methods of mathematical statistics and comparative analysis allow to identify that the soils of the Volga – Akhtuba flood lands and the Volga delta under study do differ significantly by the examined parameters.
Keywords: alluvial soils, meadow ecosystems, Volga-Akhtuba flood lands, the Volga delta, agrophysical properties, comparative analysis.
