Changes in the Physical Properties of Soils in the Kamennaya
Steppe under the Impact of Shelterbelts

V. A. Korolev, A. I. Gromovik, and O. A. Ionko

Voronezh State University, pl. Universitetskaya 1, Voronezh, 394006 Russia

E-mail: agrom.ps@rambler.ru

Received February 28, 2011

Abstract—The physical properties of ordinary chernozems and meadow-chernozemic soils under different
land management practices (maple, larch, birch, and pine sections of the shelterbelts; continuous (since 1959)
fallow; and arable field (since 1952)) were studied in the Kamennaya Steppe. The soils had favorable physico-
chemical properties, light clayey texture, and high microaggregation independently from the type of land man-
agement. The long-term impact of the shelterbelts improved the soil structure in the upper part of the humus
horizon: the content of agronomically valuable aggregates increased, the content of coarse aggregates (>10
mm) decreased, the aggregation coefficient increased by 3.7–4.3 times, and the water stability of the aggregates
became by 8–12% higher. The soils under the shelterbelts were characterized by minimum values of the bulk
density and solid phase density and by maximum values of the total, active, and air porosities. At the same time,
no considerable differences between water reserves in the studied range of soils were detected. The ratio of the
optimum productive water range to the active (productive) water range (OPWR/AWR) within the upper soil
meter varied from 0.42–0.44 to 0.45–0.54. This points to changes in the character of perched water: the content
of intra-aggregate capillary-perched water decreases, and content of film perched water increases down the soil
profile.

DOI: 10.1134/S1064229312030064

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