The influence of anthropogenic trampling of gray forest soils on their physical properties

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of the study was to determine quantitative and relative indicators that significantly affect the physical properties of gray forest soils within the park ecological trail, to show changes in the compacted soil during natural recovery. Physical properties were determined in 3-fold repetition with the help of three-dimensional cylinders, followed by the calculation of their density and porosity. Population of physiologically active roots of the upper 0.5-meter layer of gray forest soils was determined by the monolith method in 5-fold repetition. It was found out that under the influence of anthropogenic trampling, the greatest degradation changes of the studied physical indicators are manifested in the upper 10-centimeter layer of gray forest soils. An increase in the density by 32.1–38.0% and solids content of the soil by 14.1–22.8%, as well as a decrease in the volume of pores by 32.0–44.3% was recorded and mass of physiologically active roots of woody plants by 84.6–91.2%. The natural restoration of soil occurs most intensively in the upper 5-cm layer. At the same time, over a 15-year period, the following changes were observed – a decrease in density by 19.5%, the content of solid particles by 9.9%, an increase in the content of pores by 39.1% and physiologically active roots woody plants by 330.0%. Quantitative and relative indicators of their physical properties obtained for anthropogenically compacted gray forest soils explain the changes in the mass of physiologically active roots of deciduous woody plants that grow in the centers with anthropogenically compacted soils.