Soils of the Gazakh-Tovuz Economic Region of Azerbaijan and their Diagnostic Indicators

The ecological characteristics of the economic region Gazakh-Tovuz are presented. The current soil-ecological state of the soil types of the region is described. The data on the physical and chemical properties of mountain-gray-brown soil varieties by the exposure of mountain slopes are analyzed. It was revealed that dark mountain gray-brown (Kastanozems) soils of shaded northwestern slopes with optimal moisture and well-developed grass cover are characterized by the formation of a relatively thick accumulative-silt layer (AUv=45-50 cm), a high degree of humus content (4.3-5.4%), nitrogen content (0.34-0.38%), absorption capacity (50-53 mmol-100 g of soil), slightly alkaline environment (pH+7.0-8.1), clayey granulometric (<0.01 mm=53.8-64.4%; <0.01 mm=26.1-33.2%) and other diagnostic indicators. The leaching of humus layer (AU+45-50 cm) from carbonates, accumulation of its maximum quantity in middle and deep layers (CaCO3=11.6-20.8%) was determined. The bulk density in the upper layer (0-25 cm) is 0.12-0.15 g/cm3, and at a depth of 50-80 cm — 1.35-1.38 g/cm3.