The results of the research of degradation of dark gray podzolized soils (Luvis Greyzemic Phaeozems) of the Chyzhykiv ridge are presented. The causes and consequences of this dangerous natural and anthropogenic phenomenon are analyzed. It has been established that the intensive agricultural use of soils caused the activation of water erosion processes, the development of physical degradation processes, which lead to soil compaction, deterioration of their general physical properties, and loss of humus. Degradation processes lead to a decrease in soil fertility and unprofitability of agriculture, worsen the ecological state of the environment.
In the study of degradation processes and their consequences in dark gray podzolized soils, the following methods were used: comparative-geographical, comparative-profile, catena method, analytical, statistical. Soil field explorations were carried out after the growing season.
The most dangerous among the degradation processes are erosion degradation, which leads to a decrease in the capacity of the soil profile and deterioration of the soil agrophysical properties. The results of the studies demonstrated that the capacity of the profile of poorly eroded soils decreased on average by 14.5 cm compared to the standard, in medium-eroded – by 28.3 cm, in highly-eroded – by 50.8 cm. Soils underwent erosion from low to very high (crisis) degree.
Degradation processes of anthropogenic genesis caused a deterioration of the structural and aggregate state of the soils, which is manifested in a decrease in the content of agronomically valuable soil aggregates and the dominance of the sloping fraction. According to the research results, the content of agronomically valuable aggregates with a size of 10–0.25 mm in the arable soil layer is 18.65–33.86 %, which indicates a high and very high (crisis) level of degradation. Soils also undergo degradation due to re-compaction, which is manifested in an increase in the density of the structure and a decrease in the overall porosity of the soil.
Long anthropogenic pressure on soils and erosion degradation processes have led to a decrease in humus content. In particular, in poorly eroded soils the humus content is 2.03 %, in medium-eroded soils – 1.45 %, in highly eroded – 1.06 %, which is 16.9–64.6 % less than the standard.
Measures are proposed to minimize the degradation of the dark gray podzolized soils of the Chyzhykiv ridge, which consist in the application of anti-erosion measures and soil-protective methods of soil processing, conservation of heavily degraded lands. The introduction of basic and crisis monitoring of the state of soils in the research area is recommended.
Key words: the Chyzhykiv ridge, dark gray podzolized soils, erosion, degradation, soil protection.
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