Introduction
Materials and methods
Study area
Vegetation analysis
Soil analysis
No. of samples | Soil horizons | Morphological description of soil horizons | Mean sea level (MSL) | Geographical coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | AC | Mineral horizon, thick matter, under dense scrub (Rosa lutea), slope about 45° | 3470 | 39°15′19.00″N 68°13′14.40″E |
2 | C | Parent rock horizon, degraded topsoil horizon, stone-gravel fraction, eroded soil cover, dominant cushion vegetation, adjacent to juniper forests, slope to 60° | 3546 | 39°15′36.65″N 68°13′27.51″E |
3 | Olh | Organic horizon, poorly decomposed, dense, sodded, alpine meadow with a share of Geranium regelii, intensive grazing, slope 25° | 3511 | 39°15′32.88″N 68°13′23.83″E |
AB | Mixed topsoil and enrichment horizon, high share of herbaceous plant roots, dense structure, dominating fine fractions, alpine landscape | |||
4 | OC | Organic horizon, loose, mixed with bedrock, mixed fraction matter, upper forest line, thickset specimen of J. semiglobosae, forest landscape, slope 40° | 3119 | 39°15′30.18″N 68°12′11.02″E |
5 | OA | Organic-humus horizon, presence of farm animals, very hard crust, clearly layered surface, slope 35° | 3416 | 39°15′41.37″N 68°13′04.56″E |
6 | OA | Organic-mineral horizon, loose structure, within a typical alpine belt of Acantholimon sp., slope 45° | 3536 | 39°15′23.51″N 68°13′12.82″E |
7 | A/C | Humus horizon with features of parent rock, loose structure, various fraction composition, under a meadow with Geranium regelii dominant on the northern slope, directly within the glacier melting zone, slope 45° | 3536 | 39°15′23.51″N 68°13′12.82″E |
8 | OA | Organic-topsoil horizon, loose structure, non-consolidated mineral and organic matter, under Astragalus sp, slope 45° | 3536 | 39°15′23.51″N 68°13′12.82″E |
9 | Olh | Organic horizon, clearly divided into sub-horizons, sub-horizons interspersed with mycelia, built from remains of juniper | 2883 | 39°15′20.57″N 68°11′44.19″E |
AB | Mixed topsoil and subsoil, soil develops on a bottom moraine, coarse-grained limestone matter, soil range is limited by the canopy, slope 5° m a.s.l., juniper landscape | |||
10 | O | Organic horizon built from bark, shells, and juniper berries in various stages of decay, on top of a moraine, under J. semiglobosa
| 2858 | 39°15′25.19″N 68°11′08.61″E |
AB | Mixed topsoil and subsoil, various grain fractions with dominant stone material, slope 5° | |||
11 | A | Humus horizon, various fraction material with dominant gravel, in bush-scrub community within steppified forests, slope 40° | 2026 | 39°15′56.07″N 68°11′02.09″E |
12 | A | Humus horizon, dominating rock fraction, loose structure, numerous roots, under Cerasus verrucosa, slope 60° | 2113 | 39°19′56.07″N 68°07′02.09″E |
13 | AC | Mixed horizon, material of various grain sizes with dominant gravel fraction, loose structure, under J. seravshanica, slope 70° | 2008 | 39°19′47.83″N 68°06′52.15″E |
14 | AB | Mixed horizon with dominating subsoil horizon, rock fractions, under biogroup Ephedra sp., J. seravshanica, slope 35° | 2524 | 39°21′28.43″N 68°06′84″E |
15 | AB | Mixed horizon, dominant fine sand, high share of rock fraction, under Juniperus seravshanica, slope 25° | 2428 | 39°19′52.40″N 68°07′41.69″E |
16 | Ol | Organic horizon, built mainly from juniper litter, poorly decayed, animal excrement, slope 10° | 2680 | 39°19′47.22″N 68°07′08.21″E |
AB | Mixed topsoil and subsoil horizon, fine grain fraction, dense structure, overgrown with herbaceous plant roots, gradual transition | |||
Bbr | Subsoil horizon, fine fraction material, proliferation of roots, dense structure | |||
C | Parent rock built mainly from fine fraction material, share of limestone | |||
17 | AB | Mixed topsoil and subsoil horizon, dense structure, mixed fraction material, under Artemisia dracunculus, steppified landscape, slope 35° | 2593 | 39°20′05.82″N 68°08′03.248″E |
18 | AB | Mixed horizon with subsoil features, dominant rock fraction, under Juniperus seravshanica, Rosa ecea, slope 30° | 2419 | 39°20′20.08″N 68°07′46.85″E |
Results
Juniper forest landscape
Human impact on juniper landscape transformation
Soil properties
Nr of samples | Soil horizons | Thickness (cm) | Colour of soil | Rock | Grain size composition mm (%) of fine earth | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wet | Dry | Sand | Silt | ||||||||
>2.0 | 2.0–1.0 | 1.0–0.5 | 0.5–0.25 | 0.25–0.1 | 0.1–0.05 | <0.05 | |||||
(mm) | |||||||||||
1 | AC | 0–5 | 5Y4/1 | 5Y6/1 | 34.4 | 13.8 | 13.9 | 11 | 9.3 | 6.4 | 11.2 |
2 | C | 0–6 | 2.5Y5/1 | 2.5Y7/1 | 22.8 | 18.6 | 9.3 | 17.4 | 18.2 | 3.7 | 8.1 |
3 | Olh | 2–0 | 2.5Y3/3 | 2.5Y4/3 | n.d | n.d | n.d | n.d | n.d- | n.d | n.d |
AB | 0–10 | 10YR2/2 | 10YR4/2 | 12.6 | 7.3 | 9.1 | 8.7 | 36 | 13.6 | 12.9 | |
4 | OC | 0–4 | 2.5Y5/2 | 2.5Y6/2 | 15.8 | 11.8 | 10.5 | 12.9 | 17.6 | 17.3 | 14.3 |
5 | OA | 0–10 | 2.5Y3/2 | 2.5Y4/2 | 28.7 | 13.9 | 11.5 | 12.3 | 13.8 | 11.6 | 8.2 |
6 | OA | 0–5 | 2.5Y3/2 | 2.5Y6/2 | 10 | 5.2 | 10.4 | 16.1 | 24.9 | 15.6 | 17.8 |
7 | A/C | 0–4 | 2.5Y3/2 | 2.5Y4/2 | 11.5 | 7.3 | 14.3 | 17 | 19.7 | 13.4 | 16.8 |
8 | OA | 0–6 | 2.5Y3/3 | 2.5Y5/3 | 14.3 | 6.6 | 10.9 | 20.1 | 23 | 15 | 10 |
9 | Olh | 5–0 | 10YR2/2 | 10YR2/3 | n.d | n.d | n.d | n.d | n.d | n.d | n.d |
AB | 0–7 | 10YR2/1 | 10YR3/1 | 26 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 14.1 | 19.8 | 13.5 | 8.6 | |
10 | O | 8–0 | 5YR1.7/1 | 5YR2/1 | n.d | n.d | n.d | n.d | n.d | n.d | n.d |
AB | 0–6 | 10YR2/2 | 10YR3/2 | 46.6 | 12.4 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 8.7 | 6.9 | 8.6 | |
11 | A | 0–8 | 10YR2/2 | 10YR4/2 | 20.5 | 6.3 | 9.9 | 17.7 | 19.5 | 10.8 | 15.3 |
12 | A | 0–4 | 10YR2/2 | 10YR4/2 | 37.6 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 10.7 | 16.8 | 12.4 | 4.5 |
13 | AC | 0–5 | 2.5Y3/3 | 2.5Y5/2 | 19.4 | 16.4 | 18.4 | 17.7 | 14.1 | 7.4 | 6.6 |
14 | AB | 0–5 | 10YR2/2 | 10YR4/2 | 19 | 7.2 | 9.8 | 19 | 17.8 | 11.8 | 15.3 |
15 | AB | 0–8 | 10YR2/3 | 10YR4/3 | 10.4 | 8.9 | 13.8 | 12.8 | 14.7 | 34.1 | 5.5 |
16 | Ol | 4–0 | 10YR4/2 | 10YR5/2 | n.d | n.d | n.d | n.d | n.d | n.d | n.d |
AB | 0–10 | 10YR2/2 | 10YR3/2 | 7.9 | 14.2 | 12.9 | 14.4 | 15.3 | 28.7 | 6.6 | |
Bbr | 10–30 | 10YR2/2 | 10YR3/2 | 7.4 | 6.2 | 12.8 | 22 | 21.2 | 13.9 | 16.5 | |
C | 31–40 | 10YR5/2 | 10YR7/2 | 16.8 | 3.3 | 6.3 | 8.9 | 27.4 | 23 | 14.3 | |
17 | AB | 0–6 | 2.5Y3/2 | 2.5Y4/2 | 18 | 6.8 | 12.3 | 13.5 | 16.6 | 14.9 | 17.9 |
18 | AB | 0–4 | 10YR2/2 | 10YR4/2 | 17.8 | 9.1 | 11.5 | 21.8 | 14.8 | 14.4 | 10.6 |
Number of samples | Soil horizons | Thickness (cm) | pH | CaCO3
| Corg. | Nt | C/N | Pt | P avail. | Mg avail. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2O | KCl | (%) | (mg kg−1) | ||||||||
1 | AC | 0–5 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 0.16 | 0.85 | 0.168 | 5 | 810 | 14.04 | 137 |
2 | C | 0–6 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 4.70 | 0.26 | 0.036 | 7 | 816 | 2.62 | 732 |
3 | Olh | 2–0 | 5.6 | 5.4 | – | 4.3 | 0.636 | 7 | 726 | 40.46 | 177 |
AB | 0–10 | 6.0 | 5.5 | 0.09 | 3.18 | 0.284 | 11 | 394 | 9.59 | 154 | |
4 | OC | 0–4 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 0.16 | 1.9 | 0.189 | 10 | 810 | 37.23 | 352 |
5 | OA | 0–10 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 0.47 | 11.4 | 1.072 | 11 | 9696 | 1739.6 | 964 |
6 | OA | 0–5 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 0.60 | 6.2 | 0.358 | 17 | 764 | 35.40 | 230 |
7 | A/C | 0–4 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 0.00 | 1.8 | 0.257 | 7 | 637 | 13.95 | 165 |
8 | OA | 0–6 | 6.6 | 6.4 | 0.00 | 3.1 | 0.321 | 10 | 716 | 44.73 | 258 |
9 | Olh | 5–0 | 7.0 | 6.9 | – | 25.5 | 1.284 | 20 | 1036 | 207.01 | 232 |
AB | 0–7 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 0.79 | 5.2 | 1.014 | 5 | 779 | 32.18 | 460 | |
10 | O | 8–0 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 0.00 | 19.0 | 1.149 | 17 | 1214 | 32.1 | 223 |
AB | 0–6 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 22.68 | 9.5 | 0.418 | 23 | 968 | 17.09 | 472 | |
11 | A | 0–8 | 7.5 | 7.3 | 18.1 | 2.6 | 0.549 | 5 | 796 | 20.57 | 220 |
12 | A | 0–4 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 64.53 | 4.5 | 0.298 | 15 | 760 | 9.68 | 271 |
13 | AC | 0–5 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 35.78 | 6.8 | 0.313 | 22 | 1040 | 12.21 | 464 |
14 | AB | 0–5 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 1.03 | 4.9 | 0.551 | 9 | 620 | 57.46 | 242 |
15 | AB | 0–5 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 0.04 | 0.88 | 0.426 | 2 | 524 | 24.33 | 189 |
16 | Ol | 4–0 | 6.7 | 6.7 | – | 18 | 1.246 | 14 | 1276 | 211.3 | 259 |
AB | 0–10 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 0.04 | 5.81 | 0.415 | 14 | 491 | 58. | 234 | |
Bbr | 10–30 | 7.3 | 7.1 | – | 3.83 | 0.344 | 11 | 424 | 13.53 | 161 | |
C | 31–40 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 4.67 | 0.19 | 0.070 | 3 | 679 | 5.76 | 116 | |
17 | AB | 0–6 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 0.00 | 4.19 | 0.442 | 9 | 598 | 119.12 | 223 |
18 | AB | 0–4 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 12.95 | 6.72 | 0.457 | 15 | 640 | 27.38 | 568 |