Effect of Water and Wind Erosion on Buffering Capacity of Soils in Steppe Regions of the Republic of Bashkortostan

The effect of wind and water erosion on the aggregate composition, chemical properties, and acid-base buffering capacity of steppe chernozems of the Republic of Bashkortostan (Russia) has been studied. The research was performed on Haplic Chernozems, Haplic Chernozems Endosalic, and Luvic Chernozems located in the Cis-Urals and Trans-Urals characterized by intensive agricultural use. Long-term soil cultivation results in the development of water and wind erosion. The aggregate composition of eroded soils changes: the portion of aggregates smaller than 1 mm decreases from 49.8 to 22.1% and that of aggregates coarser than 1 mm increases from 50.2 to 77.9% as compared to noneroded analogs. Aggregates less than 1 mm comprise 76.8% in redeposited erosion deposits. There is also a decrease in humus content (by 1% on average) and in calcium and magnesium amount in the composition of absorbed bases (by 14 and 2 cmol(equiv)/kg, respectively). Changes in the aggregate status and chemical properties of eroded soils contribute to the transformation of acid-base buffering capacity. Buffering properties of Haplic Chernozems Endosalic remain at the level of noneroded analogs in the acid interval (buffer area is 29.3 cm 2 on eroded plots and 30.1 cm 2 on noneroded plots) but decrease in the alkaline interval from 17.5 to 14.9 cm 2 . Haplic Chernozems and Luvic Chernozems are, on average, characterized by a decrease in buffering in both acid (from 22.2 to 10.2 cm 2 ) and alkaline (from 25.1 to 18.5 cm 2 ) ranges.