Physical and microbiological properties of alluvial calcareous Çumra province soils (Central Anatolia, Turkey)

Alluvial calcareous soils in Central Anatolia (Konya province, Çumra district) has a heavy granulometric composition (average clay), low organic carbon content (less than 1%), but stable pore space structure and favorable agrophysical properties. Studies of the water regime in drip irrigation confirm favorable hydrological properties of these soils. It is assumed that the favorable structure of the pore space due to vigorous activity a large and diverse soil biota. Four phyla dominate in soil biota, among which predominate Actinobacteria. The higher (Streptomyces), and lower (three species Rhodococcus) actinobacteria are predominant in large amounts as a part of this phyla. Large biodiversity at a sufficiently high bacteria richness formed the structure of the microbial community that contribute to the balanced production of specific metabolites, including gases (CO2, N2), which allows the soil to function actively, preventing compaction of the pore space and maintaining optimal density, porosity, hydrologic properties of the studied silty clay soils. m the uppermost soil horizons. Analyses of heavy mineral fraction show presence of metamorphic and igneous minerals which indicate participation of weathering products from other rock types in the nearby area. The types of heavy minerals in soils depend more on composition of parent rocks and geomorphic position than on climate type. Soils from Nova Lovcha show similar composition, but the quantity of goethite and hematite significantly increase in soil from plain. Typical high-metamorphic minerals as andalusite, kyanite and sillimanite present only in Nova Lovcha, while garnet dominates in Petrovo and opaque minerals - in Dobrostan. Red soils, formed on slopes, where erosion prevails over accumulation, contain more illite, smectite and vermiculite-smectite, and very few or no kaolinite, whereas the kaolinite is dominant in soils formed on plain. The mineralogical composition of clays in different polygons depends on geomorphic position (altitude, slope or plain), and less on climate type. The weathering processes in the highest polygon Dobrostan (more than 1200 m) are in early stage (illite, vermiculite-smectite, and smectite), whereas in Nova Lovcha (above 700-900 m) and Petrovo (1000 m) the domination of kaolinite suggests an advanced weathering processes.

___

  • McLeod, M.P., Warren, R.L., Hsiao, N., Araki, N., Myhre, M., Fernandes, C.,Miyazawa, D., Wong, W., Lillquist, A.L., Wang, D., Dosanjh, M., Hara, H., Petrescu, A., Morin, R.D., Yang, G., Stott, J.M., Schein, J.E., Shin, H., Smailus, D., Siddiqui, A.S., Marra, M.A., Jones, S.J.M., Holt, R., Brinkman, F.S.L., Miyauchi, K., Fukuda, M., Davies, J.E., Mohn, W.W., Eltis L.D., 2006. The complete genome of Rhodococcus sp. RHA1 provides insights into a catabolic powerhouse. PNAS 103 (42): 15582–15587.
  • Shein, E.V., 2005. A Course of Soil Physics (Izd. Mosk. Gos. Univ., Moscow) [in Russian].
  • Shein, E.V., Erol, A.S., Milanovskiy, E.Yu., Verkhovtseva, N.V., Mikayilov, F.D., Er, F., Ersahin, S., 2014. Agrophysical assessment of alluvial calcareous soils of the Cumra Region of Central Anatolia in Turkey. Eurasian Soil Science 47(7): 694–698
  • Shein, E.V., Milanovskii, E.Yu., Molov, A.Z., 2006. The effect of organic matter on the difference between particle_size distribution data obtained by the sedimentometric and laser diffraction methods. Eurasian Soil Science 39 (S1): 84–90.
  • Sokolova, T.A., Dronova, T.Ya., Tolpeshta, I.I., 2005. The clay minerals in soils. Textbook. Tula. Grif&Co. 336 p. [in Russian].
  • Verkhovtseva, N.V., Milanovskiy, E., Osipov, G., Kuzmina, N., Kubarev, E., 2004. Humus substance andmicrobial community of soil texture and ped fractions. Europ. Geosci. Union, 1st General Assembly, Nice, France.