eastern forest-steppe of Ukraine will allow to disclose complex origin of black soils [5,
7, 8], the formation of their profile and soil fertility indicators.
Objects of research. In order to study particular soils, there was selected a station
within boundaries of eastern forest-steppe of Ukraine – Research Field (Kharkiv
Region, Kharkiv District) of Study, Research and Production Center (SRPC), which
was laid in 1946 under the guidance of Professor O. M. Grinchenko. Here dominate
the deep typical black soils, which were being tilled for more than a century, and since
1946 were allocated for rotation land (natural herbs) and variants with zonal system of
field crop shifts. Since 1946 there has been founded an oak forest belt.
We investigated rotational black soils (section 1), arable black soils (section 2),
and black soils beneath oaks – the field-protective forest belt (section 3). Also for the
research there were selected deep typical black soils, which were being tilled until
1972, and then (after the foundation of the arboretum of Kharkiv State University of
Agriculture named after V.V. Dokuchaev) started to form under crowns of its plantings
of larch, birch and pine, and here were laid cuts: 4 – larch, 5 – birch, 6 – pine, as well
as cut 7 – screen of grasses (mowned rotation land).
Research methodology. The research was carried out by field and laboratory
methods within the eastern forest-steppe of Ukraine, on the territory of "Research field"
SRPC and land-use of agricultural enterprises adjacent to the station.
For analytical studies, there were gathered individual samples from each genetic
horizon of black soils according to generally accepted techniques. The average samples
were prepared from the individual samples, which were afterwards used for analyzes
according to DSTU 4287:2004, DSTU ISO-1:2004, DSTU ISO 10381-2:2004, and
DSTU ISO 10381-3:2004.
In order to receive reliable data in the course of basic characteristics and soil
properties studying at the research sites, there were distinguished common soil plots
for the selection of soil samples. At each of them we described the vegetation, the
nature of the soil surface, etc., and laid the soil cuts.
Soil analytical studies were carried out according to the generally accepted and
up-to-date methods in soil science: – granulometric composition of soil – by pipette
method in N.A. Kachinsky's modification (MMV 31-497058-010-2003); – the density
of soil’s solid phase – pycnometricaly (DSTU 4745: 2007); – the density of soil
consistency – by N. A. Kachynsky; – general porosity and pore size – calculated; –
microaggregate composition of soil – by the pipette method in the modification of N.A.
Kachynsky (MMM 31-497058-011-2005); – the coefficient of dispersion and
structuredness – according to N. A. Kachynsky (calculated); – structural and aggregate
composition of soil – by the method of N. I. Savinov (MVB 31-497058-012-2005); –
water resistance of macrostructure (wet sieving) – by N. I. Savinov's method; – the
content of hygroscopic moisture, total moisture content, capillary moisture content, as
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