Variation in the micromorphological indices of pore space in loamy soils of the southern taiga and forest-steppe of European Russia

摘要

The idea of G.V. Dobrovol'skii about the spatial variability of microscopic soil features was tested by the example of the micromorphological indices of soil pores (d = 0.2-2.0 mm) visible in thin sections in separate soil horizons and in the vertical soil profiles. For this purpose, 4-m-long soil trenches with a depth of 1.5-1.8 m were examined in the virgin soddy-podzolic and gray forest soils of Moscow and Tula oblasts of Russia. It was shown that most of the micromorphometric indices of soil pores are characterized by the medium and high intrahorizon variability (the coefficient of variation V = 11-33%). The minimum variability (V = 5-14%) was found for the average values of the form factor of soil pores in thin sections, which attests to a relative stability of the shape of soil pores within the given horizons. The variability of the geometric parameters of soil pores in the studied soil profiles was also examined. Variation in the parameters of soil pores within separate thin sections was used as an additional characteristic of the studied soil objects.