Assessment of the effects of transgenic plants on microbiota and soil fertility is an important part of the overall assessment of their biosafety. However, the environmental risk assessment of genetically modified plants has long been focused on the aboveground effects. In this review, we discuss the results of two decades of research on the impact of transgenic plants on the physicochemical properties of soil, its enzyme activities and microbial biomass. These indicators allow us to assess both the short-term effects and long-term effects of cultivating transgenic plants. Most studies have shown that the effect of transgenic plants on the soil is temporary and inconsistent. Moreover, many other factors, such as the site location, weather conditions, varietal differences and management system, have a greater impact on soil quality than the transgenic status of the plants. In addition to the effects of transgenic crop cultivation, the review also considers the effects of transgenic plant residues on soil processes, and discusses the future prospects for studying the impact of genetically modified plants on soil ecosystems.

The studied plantation is a post-mining sites of Kursk magnetic anomaly located in the northeastern part of Belgorod region in a iron-mining district of European part of Russia. The objects of this study are afforested external slope heaps produced by iron open-pit mine in Gubkin. Research work focused on 13-years old pure stands of birch (Betula pendula), sea buckthorn (Hippóphae rhamnoídes), locust tree (Robinia pseudoacacia), oleaster (Elaeágnus angustifólia) and grey alder (Alnus incana) growing on the different substrates. Soil physical and chemicals properties of substrates were analyzed and forest litter stocks were calculated in different slope parts. Substrate quality varied considerably. Forest litter stock depends on site characteristics, tree species and substrate. Study results show that vegetation is the important factor facilitating soil development, the impact of forest litter stock that the surface structure determined is higher with such N-fixing tree species as alder, locust tree and oleaster.

Известия высших учебных заведений «Лесной журнал» входит в список ВАК. Внешнее рецензирование, публикация для авпирантов бесплатная. «Лесной журнал» публикует научные статьи по всем отраслям лесного дела, сообщения о внедрении законченных исследований в производство, о передовом опыте в химико-лесном комплексе, информации о научной жизни высших учебных заведений, рекламные материалы и объявления. Предназначается для научных работников, аспирантов, инженеров химико-лесного комплекса, преподавателей вузов и техникумов, студентов старших курсов лесотехнических вузов.

Forests play a crucial role in climate change mitigation by acting as a carbon sink. Understanding the influence of soil properties on carbon stocks in forests is essential for developing effective forest management strategies. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of soil texture on carbon stocks in the biomass of deciduous and coniferous tree stands of a forest-steppe ecotone. Soil samples were collected from 55 soil pits, and forest inventory data were obtained from eight permanent sample plots. The results showed that the distribution of mechanical particles in soils, particularly the stocks of silt and clay, significantly influenced the accumulation of carbon in tree stands. The stock of silt and clay was shown to increase with an increase in the diversity of tree species in forests and carbon stocks in forest stands. While soil organic carbon stocks did not exhibit a clear relationship with tree stand carbon stocks, a strong positive correlation (r = 0.802, p < 0.05) was found between the stocks of fine particles in the 2 m root-inhabited soil layer and the carbon stocks in tree biomass. The study provides a classification of forest types based on soil texture, which can facilitate differentiated forest management strategies for enhancing the carbon sequestration potential of forest ecosystems in the forest-steppe zone.

Various types of vegetation were tested on the dumps of the Kursk magnetic anomaly (KMA), composed of various rocks and their mixtures, with the improvement of forest growing conditions by land use and without this technique, including five types of shrubby species: sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), siberian peashrub (Caragana arborescens Lam.), golden currant (Ribes aureum Pursh.), tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica L.) and red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa L.). Growth indicators, safety and productivity of breeds were studied. Golden currant was one of the first to be tested, which turned out to be an unsuitable breed for creating protective plantings on dumps without measures to improve their forest growing conditions. On chalk-marl mixtures and quaternary loams, it completely fell out by the age of 12-15 years. Shrubs used in forest reclamation on two-component post-technogenic areas are characterized by different preservation. By the age of 43, the greatest preservation, equal to 50.5%, was noted in the sea buckthorn. It also has the highest growth rates. When choosing shrub species for forest reclamation, it is necessary to take into account their biological productivity, which increases the concentration of nutrients in the substrates and improves their physical properties. The sea buckthorn at the age of 9 has a large phytomass (2368 g), the heaviest leaf mass (396 g) and a total supply of phytomass (143.9 kg /ha) in the stand. The authors recommend using shrub species for laying preliminary crops at the initial stage of reclamation or introducing them into complex plantings in an amount of no more than 50%. Taking into account the soil-improving role of shrub species, it would be advisable to further introduce more durable tree species.