PRIMARY DATA ON SOIL FERMENTATION ACTIVITY FOLLOWING FOREST FIRES

Abstract

This article presents the results we have obtained from the analysis of literature sources that describe the disruption of ecosystem services of the forest as a result of forest fires. For example, changes in forest ecosystem services are evidenced by data that describe the influence of forest fires on hydrological parameters (run-off and infiltration) of mercury. The loss of forest regulatory services describes studies of the carbon balance in forest soils. Among supporting ecosystem services, the greatest changes occur in the response of the soil environment (pH). This affects the availability of nutrients through soil microbial activity, the decomposition of organic matter and minerals, the charge of soil colloids, soil buffer capacity and other factors. The effects of the flames also affect the disruption of soil biological activity, which can be restored in the future. We have conducted determination of fermentative activity of the ground-central soddy-middle podzolic surface-gleyed loamy soil in the first months after burning of the forest area within the limits of village Ivanіvka Rivne district, Rivne region. For this purpose, the linen fabric for determination of enzymatic activity was laid, soil samples were taken and the catalytic activity was determined by gas-metric method. From the results of the measurements an arithmetic mean (M) with a standard deviation (±m) was found, the statistical reliability of the results was evaluated by the Scientific criterion at p≤0.05. The results of the determination of celluloseolitic activity of the test soil show that the average weight loss of the canvas over the exposure period in the soil was 13.11±4.1%. The catalytic activity of the test soil was 0.92±0.18 mO2/g/min. According to the rating scale, such values characterize the degree of soil enrichment with enzymes as «very poor». Our data are raw and cannot be compared to the state of fermentation activity in the soil before the forest fire in the study site. We envisage the possibility of further observation of adaptive capacity of soil microbiota in the extreme consequences of forest fires.