TRANSFORMATION OF GRAY-HUMUS SOILS OF PINE FORESTS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF FIRES IN SOUTHWESTERN LAKE BAIKAL BASIN

ISSN: 0024-1148 Russian Journal of Forest Science. 2011, No. 2, pp. 3-12

TRANSFORMATION OF GRAY-HUMUS SOILS OF PINE FORESTS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF FIRES IN SOUTHWESTERN LAKE BAIKAL BASIN

Krasnoshchekov Yu. N.  Forest Institute, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FI SB RAS):Academgorodok 50 bldg. 28, Krasnoyarsk, 660036

E-mail: kyn47@mail.ru

Received: 28 july 2009

The experimental data on the postpyrogenic dynamics of the soils under pine forests of southwestern Lake Baikal basin are analyzed. Surface fires of the litter-humus kind transform type-diagnostic surface organic horizons and lead to the formation of new pyrogenic organic horizons (O_pyr). An adverse effect of surface fires of different intensity on changes in the carbon reserves, qualitative and fractional composition of soil organic horizons and their chemical composition are shown.