Specific features of soil organic matter in forest landscapes of Karelia

The organic matter reserves and the soil humus state are assessed in three types of landscapes of the middle taiga (Karelia). Peat soils are the main organic matter reservoir. Hence, the greater their area, the higher the organic matter reserves in a particular landscape. The organic matter stocks in the group of semihydromorphic and hydromorphic soils clearly correlate with the degree of their waterlogging. The distribution of organic matter reserves within these soils depends on the ratio between the areas of boggy forests and open mires. The forest supporting quality of the soil is related to the organic matter composition and parent rock (the properties of the soil mineral horizons) rather than to the organic matter stocks. The data obtained may be used for assessing the forest supporting qualities of the soils and the basis for estimating the carbon budget in the landscapes.