Improvement of methods of estimating the change in the ecological state of soils under the influence of external loads

Aim. The aim of this work is to optimize and facilitate current methods of ecological diagnostics of soils of different genesis under the infl uence of various external loads. Methods. Laboratory-modelling (physical- chemical, biological): determination of acid-base buffer ability of soil (DSTU 4456:2005); determination of the activity of calcium ions (DSTU 4725:2008); determination of the activity of protease was performed by modifi ed Mishustin’s method. Results. The methods, proposed by us, speed up the ecological diagnostics of soils considerably regardless of their origin and external factors. This facilitates monitoring of soil resources and reveals the factors that infl uence the course of soil processes negatively or positively. These methods have already become the basis of “Methodology of operational diagnostics of the infl uence of natural and anthropo- genic loads on the functional stability of acid soils”. The proposed methods can be used not only by the scien- tists of specialized scientifi c institutions, but also by farmers (in case of available minimal instrumental equip- ment). Conclusions. A modifi ed photoautography method has been developed on the basis of the laboratory of hydromorphic and acid soils fertility of the NSC ISSAR named after O.N. Sokolovsky, NAAS of Ukraine, for the determination of enzymatic activity by the parameters of the protease enzyme. The abovementioned tech- nology is based on Mishustin’s method of determining protease activity. In addition, this method may be used to determine the rate of protease action in different soils under various tillage conditions and under different loads. The diagnostics of acid-base state of soils by ion-selective methods with the determination of the levels of activity of calcium ion and soil pH, modeling of the loads on soils (natural and anthropogenic), determina- tion of acid-base buffer capacity change of soil under the infl uence of loads and determination of biological activity due to the activity of protease allow to determine the functional stability of each soil in rather a short period of time in order to further increase/maintain it. As the fi nal stage of the diagnostics, we proposed a for- mula of calculating the coeffi cient of functional stability of soils (K f.st.), based on their genetic features. It is also very important that this scientifi c development does not require high fi nancial costs, and gives the fullest possible picture of the soil state in the current period.