Analysis of Specific Ecological and Genetic Soil Properties for the Forest Ecosystem Monitoring in the Zone of Coniferous–Broadleaved Forests

Abstract

Abstract A reliable assessment of the composition and properties of soils in forest ecosystems is the basis for environmental monitoring, including monitoring of carbon pools and fluxes, which is of particular importance in the context of global changes in the environment and climate. The specific ecological and genetic features and classification of soils are analyzed at permanent monitoring sites in the main types of forest ecosystems of the Zvenigorod Biostation of Moscow State University and the Sima Quarry state nature reserve (Moscow oblast, Russia). Soil monitoring is organized and conducted on the basis of national experience and recommendations of the International Cooperative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests). The eluvozems and soddy eluvozems on two-layered deposits predominate in the soil cover of the nature reserve; these soils have a loamy sandy texture (content of clay fraction of <0.002 mm is 3.3–7.0%), acidic media ($${\text{p}}{{{\text{H}}}_{{{{{\text{H}}}_{{\text{2}}}}{\text{O}}}}}$$ 4.6–5.7), low cation exchange capacity, low content of exchangeable bases (30–52 cmolс/kg in organic and 0.6–7.5 cmolс/kg in mineral horizons), and low base saturation (49–67 and 11–51%, respectively). The contents of potentially toxic metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn) in the soils of the nature reserve do not exceed background levels. The ecological state of soils assessed according to their chemical and physical properties improves in the following order: contact-bleached eluvozem—pseudofibrous soddy eluvozem—ferruginous soddy eluvozem. This determines the functioning and stability of forest ecosystems to external impacts under increasing anthropogenic pressure and climate change.