CELLULOSOLYTIC ACTIVITY OF SOILS OF THE ODESA CITY
Authors: Domuschy S. V. , Trigub V. I. 
Published: October 2022

Problem Statement and Purpose. Cellulose cleavage is of great importance in the carbon cycle, as it contains more than 50% of all organic carbon in the biosphere. This is a fairly stable organic compound that is destroyed only by very strong oxidants. Under natural conditions, the destruction of cellulose is carried out by various microorganisms that produce cellulase enzymes.
The activation of cellulose decomposition is influenced by temperature, pH level, soil aeration, biological properties of vegetation, etc.
Being very resistant to physicochemical factors, cellulose is easily decomposed by microorganisms with the release of carbon, which in the form of various compounds is involved in creating soil fertility. Cellulose is broken down by aerobic microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) and anaerobic mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria.
The peculiarity of cellulose-destroying microorganisms is their high demand for nitrogen sources. Soil-destroying soil microorganisms are the most important suppliers of organic matter to various groups of microorganisms (including nitrogen-fixing) in the common food chain. Since the activity of cellulose-destroying microorganisms also depends on the presence of available phosphorus and other elements in the soil, the degree of decomposition of fiber can be considered to reflect the direction of microbiological processes in general.
Cellulolytic activity indicates the intensity of biological processes in the soil. The more intensively the cellulose decomposes, the faster the biological cycle of elements takes place and the fuller the plants are provided with nutrients. Therefore, cellulose activity is used as one of the indicators of biological activity of the soil environment.
Data &Methods. The author, in the study of cellulosolytic activity of soils in the city of Odessa, used the method of applications (laying in the soil strips of filter paper or linen cloth fixed on the glass). Applications were laid vertically in the upper 15-cm layer of soil of 5 pieces on the site. A month later, they were dug up, carefully washed from the soil and decay products, dried and weighed again. Cellulolytic activity was determined by weight loss of exposed tissue.
Results. As a result of research on the study of cellulolytic activity of soils in the city of Odessa, it was found that cellulolytic activity is an important indicator of the intensity of destructive processes in the soil. The intensity of cellulose decomposition in the soil is determined by the combined action of several factors: weather conditions, the nature of vegetation, the amount of organic matter entering the soil, soil type, its physical properties, chemical composition. In an urban environment, the intensity of cellulosolytic processes is also regulated by the nature and degree of anthropogenic impact on soil, atmosphere and vegetation. The intensity of cellulose destruction in the city soils is estimated to be very weak, weak and medium. The cellulolytic processes in the soils of the city of Odessa in 2021 were stimulated by abundant precipitation (r = 1,000). The decrease in CA in some parts of the city may be due to minimal anthropogenic impact on the soil cover.