Soil microbiome makes a significant contribution to the implementation of ecosystem services, which are necessary for the sustainable functioning of ecosystems. Soils of central Yakutia develop under dynamic physical and chemical conditions (long-term freezing/thawing processes, redistribution of nutrients), which ensures the formation of a specific microbial community in natural and anthropogenically transformed areas. The object of the study was the natural, fallow, and agricultural soils of central Yakutia. The method of high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene fragment on Illumina MiSEQ sequencer was used to analyze the microbial community. As a result, in fallow lands a decrease in nutrients was revealed if compared to the lands involved in agricultural turnover. Based on the composition of the microbiome it was observed that the most common phyla are Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobiota, Pseudomonadota (Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria), Bacterioidota, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetota. The presence of a core set of microorganisms for the studied soils was recorded, up to 17.8% of phylotypes are unique and up to 25.7% are common to fallow lands and background plots. Microbial communities vary depending on geographical locations and on types of natural resource use. The most distinct microbial communities are formed in hydromorphic soils with the development of gley processes, as well as in agricultural soils.

In the field experiment, the intensity of decomposition and release of nutrients was studied for six types of plant residues – leaves, panicles and straw of oats (Avena sativa), as well as whole plants of lupine (Lupinus angustifolius), phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) and vetch (Vicia sativa) in the arable horizon of Anthrosols on the Kola Peninsula. Samples in mesh nylon bags were sampled after 8, 12 and 24 months of exposure in soil. The loss of weight, the content of C_org and N_org, as well as ash elements – Si, Al, Fe, K, Ca, Mg, P, S and Mn were determined in all plant residue samples. As the results showed, despite the low temperatures, the decomposition of green manure in soil occurred with a high intensity, comparable to the southern chernozem zone: after a year of exposure in the soil, plant residues lost from 47% (oat straw) to 75% (lupine) of their initial ash-free weight. After 2 years, weight loss reached 68% in oat straw and 90% in lupine. The distribution of losses of C_org, N_org, and P between the types of plant residues and decomposition periods correlated significantly (at p≤0.01) with the distribution of weight losses. Changes in the content of other ash elements did not depend on weight loss: depending on the type of material and the stage of decomposition, the samples could not only lose them (K – by all plant residues; Mn – by lupine; S, Ca and Mg – by all plant residues, except straw and oat panicles), but also accumulate them in quantities exceeding the initial ones (Fe – by all species, Mn – by all species except lupine; Ca and Mg – by straw and oat panicles) at certain periods. The accumulation of elements above initial level means that the transformed plant residues can accumulate additional amounts of elements from the soil solution, while the irregular alternation of increases and decreases in Ca, Mg, S, Fe and Mn indicates the reversible nature of the process. Due to the significant differences between the types of green manure in terms of chemical composition, rate and dynamics of decomposition and release of nutrients, their use provides great opportunities for managing soil fertility and the intensity of elements cycling in agrocenoses through the species selection.

Pine forests growing on psammozems, found on sandy Kama terraces above the floodplain within the territory of Perm, encompass roughly 2 thousand hectares. The study was conducted on psammozems under the influence of advancing pollution caused by heavy metals, highlighting the significance of soil’s buffering capacity in preserving the ecosystem’s stability. It is of great interest to investigate the morphogenetic properties of psammozems and evaluate the risks linked to the accumulation of Cu and Cd in these soils through the analysis of changes in soil enzyme activity (catalase, urease, and invertase) and the occurrence of phytotoxicity. The psammozems found in the Kama region originated from periglacial sandy alluvium, which was deposited during glacial melting in the Mesozoic era. The variety of humus psammozems includes typical, podzolized, illuvial-ferruginous, and pseudofibrous subtypes. These soils are highly acidic, have a very low absorption capacity, low base saturation, and reduced activity of soil enzymes. The contents of Cu, Cd, Zn, and Pb in psammozems are notably lower compared to the regional soil clarks; however, in the underdeveloped humus horizons, the concentrations of these metals are slightly higher than in soil-forming sands. The experiment was conducted to determine the ecotoxicological load, where mixed soil samples from a 0–20 cm layer of humus psammozems were treated with solutions containing copper acetate and cadmium acetate. The application of solutions was done individually, with Cu and Cd ranging from 2.5 to 250 mg/kg of soil. Upon introducing Cu and Cd into the soil at the rate of 2.5–10 mg/kg, a decrease in invertase activity, deterioration of the physiological and biochemical parameters of the test crop (Lepidium sativum L.), along with the inhibition of Cd catalase activity, were observed.

The distribution of stable iodine and humus in the upper horizon (0–20 cm) of various types of soils of the Bryansk and Oryol regions used as pastures has been studied. Soil sampling was carried out with a hand stick drill in layers in the depth interval: 0–5 cm, 5-10 cm and 10–20 cm. Iodine content was determined by kinetic rhodanide-nitrite method. Corg content was determined by the bichromate method of Tyurin. The work includes data from both long-term studies of the iodine content in the soil cover of the Bryansk region (2008–2020) and new data from expeditionary studies in the Oryol region (2022). It is shown that the soils of the Bryansk pastures are depleted of iodine and organic carbon (OC) in comparison with the Oryol region, which corresponds to the change of soil cover composition from west to east. The humus content in soils was determined and statistically significant correlation between iodine and C org. content in pasture soils were obtained (from r = 0.28 in Chernozems to r = 0.49 in Haplic Albeluvisols; in addition, for the whole sample (n = 48) the correlation coefficient ranged from 0.31 in the 0–5 cm layer to 0.43 in the 10–20 cm layer). The dependence of iodine accumulation on the OC content in different types of soils (Chernozems, Grey-Luvic Phaeozems, Umbric Albeluvisols, Haplic Albeluvisols) and their hydromorphism has been established. The identified differences in soil iodine fixation should be considered as they may influence iodine intake levels in pasture animal milk and local rations.

Studies were carried out in the most affected by the Chernobyl accident part of the Bryansk region, in the ecosystems of floodplains of the Iput, Besed and Unecha rivers, in zones with different ¹³⁷Cs pollution density. The purpose of the work is to study the peculiarities of the vertical distribution of ¹³⁷Cs in the soil–plant system of the floodplain landscape long after the Chernobyl accident. As a result of studies, it was revealed that the vertical distribution of ¹³⁷Cs, in the 0–20 cm layer, is determined by the position on the relief and the genesis of the soils of floodplain subsystems. The distribution character can be uniform, decreasing with depth, or with accumulation in certain layers. In the floodplain ecosystem, the concentration of ¹³⁷Cs in the 0–20 cm layer increases from the river channel to the terrace above floodplain subsystems. Currently, the use of the territory of the west of the Bryansk region with a ¹³⁷Cs pollution density above 555 kBq/m² in feed production is strictly limited. The coefficient of ¹³⁷Cs transition from soil to plants decreases from the central part to the near-channel one and to terrace above floodplain.

There was studied the influence of soddy-podzolic light loamy soil of different cultivation status on the agronomic efficiency of mineral fertilizers application with varying doses of nitrogen and biological preparations applied against the mineral background, in Pskov region. On moderately cultivated soil the linear dependence of grain yield on nitrogen rates was established. An increase in nitrogen doses from 20 to 80 kg a. i./ha resulted in obtaining an additional yield compared to the control variant, which is dependent on soil pH: yield growth by 6% to 42% was recorded on soil with pH of 5.6; from 8% to 73% – on soil with pH of 5.3; from 32% to 69% – on soil with pH of 5.2; from 66% to 175% – on soil with pH of 4.8. Payback from applied fertilizers rose with increasing doses of nitrogen. Soil properties also influenced the payback value. The maximum payback, 12 kg of grain per 1 kg of NPK, was recorded when N₈₀P₄₀K₇₀ with split nitrogen fertilizing was applied to the soil with pH = 4.8. The introduction of biological products to the variant with mineral fertilizers (N₂₀P₄₀K₇₀ + N₂₀) contributed to an increase in grain yield : the introduction of microbiological preparation Bisolbifitis provided additional 7.55%; spraying of foliar fertilizers – 3.67%–8.78%. On the soil with long-term cultivation status the dependence of yield on the doses of applied nitrogen in the range from 20 to 80 kg a. i./ha looked like a polynomial. Maximum yield was obtained in different years when nitrogen was applied at rates from 40 and 60 kg a. i./ha. An increase in the dose of nitrogen from 20 to 40 kg was accompanied in 2019 by an increase in the yield of grain from 11.2% to 22.6%. An increase in nitrogen rates from 20 to 60 kg in 2020 and 2021 resulted in the growth of grain yield from 20% to 65%. Respectively. When the most effective doses of nitrogen were applied the payback from fertilizers was 5 kg of grain per 1 kg of NPK in 2019; 7 kg of grain per 1 kg of NPK in 2020; and 10 kg of grain per 1 kg of NPK in 2021. On the soil cultivated and improved for a long-term the effect of foliar fertilizers with biological preparations Kodamine B-Mo and K-Humate-Na was less significant (3–3.5%).

The paper analyzes the elemental composition of soils and plants of agrocenosis on the gray forest soil of Vladimir opolye under long-term application of mineral and organic fertilizers. The content of total and mobile forms of Ni, Cu, Zn, Co, Mn, Fe and the content of these elements in aboveground plant organs, as well as changes in the main agrochemical characteristics that can affect the availability of elements to plants were evaluated. It is shown that the application of mineral fertilizers contributes to soil acidification, increase in the content of organic carbon, mobile forms of phosphorus. At the same time, the variants with joint application of mineral and organic fertilizers are subject to less change of these characteristics, which may be due to the increased buffering capacity of the soil with respect to the components coming with mineral salts, due to the applied organic matter. Introduction of Ni, Cu, Zn, Co, Mn, Fe into agrocenosis with fertilizers (organic and mineral) did not affect the gross content of metals in soil. There was a change in the content of mobile forms of metals in the soil due to changes in agrochemical parameters of soils. Changes in the content of trace elements in plant products were recorded. The reduction of Zn, Cu content in plants on the variants with more intensive use of fertilizers (and with higher yield) is explained by "dilution effect". The low content of Co in the soil and its insufficient supply to the plants must be controlled. The joint use of data on changes in the elemental composition of soils and plants allows better differentiation of experimental variants in the space of principal components when analyzed by this method and is promising for monitoring the consequences of agrogenic load of different degrees. The results obtained can be taken into account in the formation of criteria for assessing the mineral nutrition of plants and fertilizer application rates.  

Frozen peat soils in the north of Western Siberia are vulnerable to the on-going climate changes. The increase in temperature which affects the permafrost thaw returns the huge carbon stocks to the global element cycle. Its export in the form of dissolved organic matter from peatlands is determined by a number of factors, among which hydrological conditions are the least studied. The influence of hydrological regimes on carbon export from oligotrophic peat soils in discontinuous permafrost zone was investigated in laboratory conditions. The model column experiment allowed estimating the carbon yield from undisturbed (monolithic) peat samples of different degrees of decomposition. Three types of mesocosms were considered: undisturbed samples of the TO horizon, as well as the TO horizon with underlying material of different texture (sand and loam). The concentration of dissolved organic carbon in the lysimetric waters of a fibric peat does not differ for the “precipitation” and “snowmelt” simulating modes, and in the “stagnation” mode it is 1.4 times less. Sapric peat lysimetric waters show no differences under simulating hydrological regimes. The total export of organic carbon for three successive extractions for fibric peat is 32% higher than for sapric peat. An increase in carbon in the sandy material after three cycles of the experiment was revealed, the loamy material did not show significant differences. The carbon adsorption by mineral soil layers of the study area can be a protective mechanism that prevents increased runoff from the soils.

Intensive industrial development in the form of metallurgical plants and quarries for mining of mineral resources in the vicinity of the city of Yazd resulted in significant dustiness of the ground layer of atmosphere and accumulation of industrial dust on the soil surface. At the locations of alloy steel production facilities, dust composition was dominated by particulate matter less than 1 μm (PM1), while near sand quarries, dust particles less than 10 μm (PM10) were predominant. The dust from these sources also differs in chemical composition (iron/silicon content ratio, pH). Registration with a pyranometer with a dark green filter with transmittance at a wavelength of 550 nanometers with a time interval of 20 seconds at a speed of 30 km/h during the movement along the specified routes allowed authors to identify zones with a stable increased content of particles of different sizes in the near-surface atmosphere. Sampling soil pits in these zones confirmed the presence on their surface of layers of dust deposits with a thickness of more than 5 cm, which allows them to be attributed to Technosols in accordance with the WRB soil classification. The soil map of the research area was compiled at a scale of 1 : 25 000 with the reflection of Technosols participation in the soil patterns. According to the map, more than three quarters of the study area are soil complexes including Technosols. Arid climatic conditions of the region lead to the accumulation of dust on the soil surface, which are practically not transformed and not removed from the soil, which results in their degradation and deterioration of the environmental conditions. Dust accumulation on the soil surface affects the state of vegetation cover of the region, which serves as a basis for indirect satellite indication of dusting zones. The method of revealing the dust layer on the soil surface based on the assessment of dustiness of the near-surface atmosphere using pyranometer can serve as a good complement to remote sensing methods.

Among the various repositories of soil spectral data, the Brazilian Soil Spectral Library (BSSL, https://bibliotecaespectral.wixsite.com/english), created and maintained by the GeoCiS research group, is representative of the pedodiversity of the region, since it combines soil spectra from agricultural and environmental research. The BSSL database contains 16,084 observations with soil-harmonized surface layer physicochemical and spectral data in the visible, near-infrared, short-wave infrared (Vis-NIR-SWIR, 350–2,500 nm) and mid-infrared (MIR, 4,000–600 cm-¹) ranges from all 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District. The idea of creating the BSSL was born in 1995, completed in 2019 and opened to users in 2023. This database is currently available online at https://zenodo.org/records/8361419. During oppening process, data filtering was performed to ensure reliable and valuable information provided to society. Then consistency and quality assessments were executed using Pearson's correlation and the Cubist algorithm in the R environment. Modeling analysis revealed the robust predictive power of the spectral database, facilitating the modeling of key soil attributes. An open-access BSSL will help researchers validate their results by comparing measured data with predicted data, enabling the development of new models or the improvement of existing ones. The BSSL is a globally significant spectral library due to its broad coverage and representation of different tropical soil classes. Soil spectral data can help governments and corporations by providing information to decision-makers regarding the conservation or exploitation of natural resources to monitor soil health.