Influence of Forest Shelter Beltson Local Pedodiversity (Belgorod Oblast)
Detailed mapping of soils under a multi-row 50 years old shelter belt (4 km long) crossing diverse landforms was performed as well as of soils of adjacent croplands; this key site was chosen in the Belgorod oblast in the south of the Central Russian Upland. Samples were collected in 30 points both in the central part of the forest belt and at a distance of 30 meters on both sides of the belt. Maps of humus horizon depth, organic carbon content, depth of carbonates in soil profiles, and soil map were compiled; indices of richness, diversity (Shannon, Simpson, Rao) and taxonomic distances (as a quantitative indicator of soil cover contrasts) were calculated. It has been shown that soils under shelter belts are less contrasting among each other and more diverse than in adjacent croplands. The forest belt effect on pedodiversity in the key site extends over adjacent areas affected by periodic waterlogging due to the barrier function of the belt.