Assessment and intra-regional differences in the soil vulnerability of the agricultural lands of Belarussian Polesye to droughts under warming climate

A quantitative assessment of the areas of vulnerable soils to droughts was presented for the first time and a series of maps was compiled to identify soils of agricultural lands in the zone of the most pronounced risk on the basis of the most complete agrometeorological information in comparison with other studies. The article presents the results of assessing the soil vulnerability (predisposition or susceptibility) of agricultural lands to droughts in the region of Belarusian Polesye. To determine the degree of its manifestation, it is proposed to use such soil-hydrological constants of soil moisture availability as maximum field capacity moisture, rupture of capillary bonds and dynamics of change in their indicators during the growing season (April–October) over a 30-year period (1989–2018). The series of digital maps of the vulnerability of agricultural land use soils to droughts at the level of the region, administrative districts and individual agricultural organizations was compiled using the GIS technologies. The grouping of the administrative regions of Belarusian Polesye according to the ratio of agricultural land areas with varying degrees of soil vulnerability to droughts was carried out in order to develop territorially differentiated measures for adaptation and mitigation of their negative impact on agroecosystems. The obtained research results have found practical application in the development of measures to mitigate the negative impact of soil droughts on agricultural production. It is concluded that in the context of an increase in the number and duration of atmospheric droughts in the region, the need to apply the results of assessing the vulnerability of soils to their adverse effects is mandatory when substantiating and applying measures to adapt agricultural activities to mitigate the negative effects of droughts.