The use of the species composition of the soil mesofauna in the diagnosis of anthropogenic contaminated biogeocenoses

Abstract

Soil invertebrates are an important driving force behind many basic soil processes, such as the formation of soil aggregates, water retention, and absorption of organic matter. Earthworms, being permanent inhabitants of the soil, play the role of an indicator transmitting information about the state of this environment. In this work, anthropogenic pollution of urban and suburban biogeocenoses was revealed by studying the species composition and abundance of lumbricides. Soil samples were taken from 8 sites in Almaty and the region, physico-chemical parameters were studied. In background and slightly polluted biogeocenoses, the number of earthworms averages 64.6%, and in polluted regions 55.2%. When determining the content of toxic elements in urban and background (natural) biocenoses, four main elements were identified that affect the species and quantitative composition of the mesofauna: lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury. The maximum content of cadmium and arsenic is observed in soils near oil depots: the cadmium content was 0.25±0.0024 mg/kg, and the arsenic content was 2.84±0.05 mg/kg. And in the soil near the thermal power plant of the Algabas microdistrict of the Alatau district, the maximum content of lead and mercury was recorded, which reached 16±0.70 mg/kg and 0.048±0.012 mg/kg, respectively.