Soil conditions and vegetation cover of the «Oruku-Shynaa» cluster of the «Ubsunurskaya Hollow» reserve (southern part of the Republic of Tyva)

A study of the Oruku-Shynaa cluster within the Ubsunur Hollow Biosphere Reserve reveals significant insights into soil dynamics and vegetation cover, crucial for its potential UNESCO World Heritage Site status. The research highlights complex soil interactions, including neutral meadow-peaty soils with high humus content (9.24%) and strongly alkaline solonchak soils with negligible humus (0.42%). Saline soils exhibit high magnesium levels (up to 29 mmol/100 g), while nitrogen is abundant in meadow-peat-humus soils (1.10%), though phosphorus remains scarce across all soil types. The cluster's vegetation cover, a mix of glycophytic, halophytic, and woody shrub communities, reflects arid Central Asian floodplain-channel dynamics. Long-term environmental monitoring under protected conditions shows signs of waterlogging, peat accumulation, increased dead plant mass, and active soil salinization. These findings underscore the cluster's ecological significance and the need for sustained conservation efforts.

Kurbatskaya, S. S., Samdan, A. M., & Oorzhak, C. O.-o. (2022). Soil conditions and vegetation cover of the «Oruku-Shynaa» cluster of the «Ubsunurskaya Hollow» reserve (southern part of the Republic of Tyva). Samara Journal of Science, 11(4), 57–63. https://doi.org/10.55355/snv2022114108