Geographical features of the distribution and renewal of easily decomposable organic matter in virgin and arable zonal soils of European Russia

A decrease in the depth of organic surface horizons (forest litters and steppe mats), the reserves of organic matter in them, and an increase in their renewal rate were noted for virgin and fallow soils when going from the southern taiga to the dry steppe zone. Zonal changes in the content and reserve of easily decomposable soil organic matter showed a similar tendency: these parameters regularly decreased from soddy-podzolic soils of the southern taiga to chestnut and light chestnut soils of the dry steppe. An exception from this series is provided by fallow chernozems of the steppe zone noted for the lowest content and reserve of labile organic matter in the series of soils studied. Similar, although less pronounced, tendencies were observed for the arable soils.