Change of water-physical properties of mountainous meadow-chernozem soils of the republic of Armenia under the influence of anthropogenic factor

Abstract

The aim of the article is to study the direction of negative changes in water-physical properties occurring in meadow-chernozem soils under the influence of anthropogenic factor. The "soil keys" method was used to determine the location of transects. Field researches were conducted on the same-type relief areas, when comparing virgin and arable variants of soils. Soil samples were taken from the main sections by genetic horizons. In the article results of research on the influence of anthropogenic factors on the change of the water-physical properties of the mountain meadow-chernozem soils of the Republic of Armenia are presented. At the present stage the issues of storing and improving fertility of mountainous meadow-chernozem soils are very acute. These soils, under long-term use under agricultural crops, undergo considerable changes in the direction of deterioration, leading to activation of degradation processes of soils. Long-term and unsystematic agricultural use of mountainous meadow-chernozem soils leads to increase of their density. Soil porosity, its moisture capacity, mechanism of moisture movement, etc. depend on soil density. The studies conducted have shown that the density of the tilled layer of virgin soils is generally favourable for the growth and development of plants, but the upper part of the soil profile is somewhat compacted in the tilled variants. The data on porosity of mountain meadow-chernozem soils show that the soils studied are characterised by satisfactory general porosity. High porosity is especially in the whole-loam soil variants. In the arable soils some deterioration of water properties is observed. The results of maximum hygroscopicity, maximum field moisture capacity, and range of active moisture and moisture content of stable wilting slightly decrease.