Ecological and Geochemical Features of Meadow-Chernozem Soils of Crimean Peninsula

Aim. The aim of this work is to determine the ecological and geochemical characteristics of the reference meadow-chernozem soils of Crimea for environmental monitoring. Methodology . The soil profiles were laid on weakly transformed areas, on floodplains and above-floodplain terraces of rivers in typical conditions of formation of meadow-chernozem soils. A field description of soil sections was completed, and samples were taken from each soil horizon. The key geochemical methods for studying soil samples are IR spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Statistical processing of the obtained results and calculation of geochemical indicators (concentration coefficient, total soil pollution coefficient) were performed using the software packages Statistica, Origin, Excel. Results . The morphogenetic features of the soils of the meadow-chernozem series of the foothills of Crimea have been determined, including formation under conditions of increased moisture, high humus content, effervescence throughout the profile from HCl, and gleization of the lower horizons. The chemical composition of the examined soil sections is dominated by Ca, Fe and Si, which is due to the natural processes of their formation – the properties of carbonate and quartz-containing rocks, the mobility of iron in periodically waterlogged reducing conditions. The calculated concentration coefficients reflect the tendency for the dispersion of the analyzed chemical elements (Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Ni, Fe, Zn, Rb, Sr, Zr) and the accumulation of such elements as As (Kk 5-26), Br (Kk 25-33), Cu (Kk 1-2), Co (Kk 1-2) in the upper soil horizons, which may be associated with the indirect influence of agriculture. The total pollution coefficient of the studied soils is within acceptable limits (the highest values for the section R1=9.0 and R3=11.3), which is characterized by a satisfactory ecological and geochemical state of the soils. Research implications . The theoretical and/or practical significance lies in the possibility of using the obtained results for monitoring the state of the environment and modeling the behavior of individual elements in the nearby agroecosystem.