Forest-growing properties of soils under Siberian cedar forests in the Altai Mountains

The results of studying the forest-growing properties of typical mountain brown forest soils under Siberian cedar (Pinus sibirica) forests in the upper belts of the Altai Mountains are considered. The main forest-growing properties of these soils are shown to be the high contents of humus, total nitrogen and phosphorus, and mineral nutrients, as well as a relatively high base saturation and weakly acid reaction in the upper soil horizons. The redox potential ranges from 200 to 400 mV along soil profiles. During the growing period, the moisture reserves in the soils are rather high (442 mm in the upper 50-cm layer, July). The minimum water capacity in the upper horizons of the soils reaches 89.7% and available moisture amounts to 69.7% of the soil volume.