Changes in the biological properties of sod-calcareous soils in protected areas of the Western Caucasus resulting from Buxus sempervirens L. drying

Abstract

The destruction of Buxus sempervirens L. in the Krasnodar region, Adygea, and Abkhazia resulted from the invasion of Cydalima perspectalis Walker introduced accidentally with planting stock in 2012. The loss of B. sempervirens L. caused substantial changes in the vegetation cover and biological properties of sod-calcareous soils of the studied biogeocenoses. The analysis of the dynamics of biological properties in the soil profiles showed an increase in the absolute values of most biological parameters of soils under the dry B. sempervirens. After the destruction of B. sempervirens, the humus content and reserves in the upper horizons (0–20 cm) increased (t ˃ 2.14; p ˂ 0.05). A persistent trend of growing respiratory activity of soil microbiota was registered, and the carbon content of microbial biomass got higher by 18% on average. Phosphatase activity reduced significantly from the high to average level (t = 3.2; p = 0.009), while catalase activity remained average. The data obtained testify to the fact that the B. sempervirens drying in the forest communities affects the vegetation cover and the biological properties of upper soil horizons.

Keywords

• humus
• vegetation cover
• respiratory activity of microbial biomass
• enzymatic activity