Variation assessment of soil biological state in the Central Caucasus (the Elbrusskiy variant of vertical zonation, Kabardino-Balkaria) under agricultural effect

The parameters reflecting various aspects of soil biological properties in agrocenoses and natural biogeocenoses of the plains and foothills in the Central Caucasus (the elbrusskiy variant of vertical zonation within kabardino-Balkaria), are studied. The comparative assessment of humus state and microbial biomass respiratory activity along with parameters of density and acid-base properties in arable and virgin soils (dark-chestnut soils, south chernozem soils, common soils, leached soils, meadow-and-meadow-like chernozem soils and meadow soils), is given. Under long-term agricultural effect on the soil cover of the studied territory significant variations have occurred in humus content and humus resources of agrogenic soils, when density values and acid-base conditions are relatively steady as compared to natural analogs. It is shown that the soils of natural biogeocenoses are referred to the category of low humus content soils (4-6%), and their arable analogs - to the category of lower humus content soils (