The influence of military operations on the properties and quality condition of irrigated typical chornozem

Abstract

Goal. To assess the impact of military operations on the properties and quality of the typical chornozem based on the results of the survey of the irrigated lands of the Chkalov Territorial Community, to identify the peculiarities of the manifestation of degradation processes, and to propose measures for the restoration of the stu­died soils at the stage of the war and during the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. Methods. The method of remote sensing of the Earth — to assess the impact of military actions on the state of the soil; field — to conduct field monitoring studies; laboratory-analytical — to determine the chemical composition of irrigation water and indicators of soil properties; analysis, theoretical generalization, synthesis — to assess the state of irrigated soils of the pilot facility. Results. An assessment of the ecological and agro-melioration state of the irrigated lands of the Chkalov community was provided based on the main diagnostic indicators — salt composition, composition of exchangeable cations, content of humus, and mobile compounds of heavy metals. The typical irrigated chornozem (layer 0–25 cm) was characterized as weakly salinized with the content of salinizing sodium and potassium cations of 3.1–6.0%, and the subsoil soil was characterized as weakly saline (2.0–3.0% Na+K from the sum of exchangeable cations ) and unsalted (3.2–4.3% Na+K from the sum of exchangeable cations). In the affected zone, the salinity of the upper arable layer of the soil may increase due to the upturning of the soil stratum. According to the content of toxic water-soluble salts (0.01–0.06% in a meter layer), the irrigated soil was classified as non-saline. The content of humus in the arable layer was 3.4–5.6% and was assessed as elevated and very high. It was determined that the content of mobile compounds of the studied metals did not exceed the established maximum permissible concentrations, but local areas with a moderately dangerous category of contamination (its total Zc index was 19–25) were found in the affected areas due to exceeding the background content of lead and chromium. Manifestations of mechanical military degradation and abiotic impact (territory of fires) on irrigated lands with an area of 169 hectares were identified. Conclusions. Measures to restore irrigated chornozems of the community are proposed, which should be aimed at eliminating the development of degradation processes and increasing soil fertility at the stages of the war and post-war development. These are differentiated measures for structural reclamation, clearing fields of ammunition and weapon residues, detoxification, and agrotechnical and agro-melioration works.