Impact of old - growth protective forest belts on slope agroforest landscape condition
Authors:   Federal scientific centre of agroecology, complex meliorations and protective afforestation of Russian Federation Academy of Sciences, Kulik Anastasia , Gordienko Oleg ,   Federal scientific centre of agroecology, complex meliorations and protective afforestation of Russian Federation Academy of Sciences, Shaifullin Maxim ,   Federal scientific centre of agroecology, complex meliorations and protective afforestation of Russian Federation Academy of Sciences
Published: January 2025

Introduction. Slope lands are less resistant to external influences and more prone to degradation. Their agricultural use is possible only with the creation of complex agro forest ameliorative protection, the basis of which are forest belts. In hard climatic conditions, old - growth forest belts (even with changes in their composition and preservation) contribute to the improvement of microclimatic conditions on the entire slope. The aim of the research was to study the condition of old - growth protective forest belts placed on soils of limited forest suitability and their impact on the sustainability of the slope agro forest landscape. Research methods and materials. The research was conducted within the slope agro forest landscape on the territory of Kletsky district of Volgograd region (Russia) on the right side of the Don River with slopes of 1.8-3.1°. The study of ameliorative influence of forest belts was carried out along the profile in the direction from top to bottom of the slope perpendicular to the forest belts at control points. Mixed soil samples (0-30 cm) were taken for further determination: hydrogen index of water extract, organic carbon content, salinity. Soil color was determined in the field. Soil transects were laid out to characterize soils on the inter - band space and in forest belts. During the taxation of forest belts, we determined the average stand height, average trunk diameter, stand forest site and fullness, stock, and degree of preservation. The study of their microclimatic influence was carried out at a distance multiple of the distance of their influence. At the same time we determined: relative humidity and air temperature; soil surface temperature; wind speed at the height of 0-5 cm, 50 cm and 150 cm, soil moisture every 10 cm to the depth of 1 m (or to the depth of opoka). Statistical processing of the results was carried out in XLstat. Research results. Soil cover of the fields of inters trip spaces is homogeneous and is represented by agro - temporal agro - dark - chestnut soils of skeletal clay - carbonate, clayey - alluvial skeletal deep - salty underlain by polka. In general, soils belong to the category of limited forest suitability. Limiting factors are depth of polka bedding, high content of salts and carbonates. Forest belts made of squat elm were less durable than those made of petiole oak. Long - term use of the area in two - field crop rotation influenced the accumulation of organic matter. Forest belts contributed to the reduction of soil surface heating. The influence of forest belts on wind regime regulation is stronger when the wind flow speed increases (more than 2 m/s). Discussion of the research results. Soils in forest belts are transformed to the greatest extent. In soils of forest belts in soil - forming and transitional to it rock depressing content of chlorides (0,01-0,03%), and sulphates toxic (more than 0,3%). The inters trip soils from the BMK horizon also showed a depressing chloride content increasing down the profile. In the soil - forming and transitional to it rock the content of sulphates increases up to toxic. Increase of organic carbon content with approach to forest belts was found, and its correlation with the development index of humus - containing layers (ADI) (R2 = 0.94) was noted. The difference between the soil surface temperature on the inters trip space and in the forest belt reached more than 9.5°C in May and 6.2°C in August. The difference in air humidity values inside the forest belts compared to the field was more than 3% in spring, and in summer it did not exceed 1%.