The paper investigates the optimization of ecosystem services of podzolized heavy loamy chernozem (black soil) as a result of the cultivation of the perennial energy culture of Miscanthus x giganteus. The research was conducted on an experimental land plot during 2016–2021. No fertilization was applied to the soil during the experiments, and over the years of research, the growing seasons were accompanied by abnormal droughts, but even under such conditions, the plants of Miscanthus x giganteus gradually increased their yield. At the initial stage of research, in the third year of cultivation, dry biomass of Miscanthus x giganteus was obtained at 14.3 t/ha, in the fourth year–18.6 t/ha, and already in the fifth and sixth years, 21.7 and 24.5 t/ha, respectively. That is, energy-wise, the harvest for the last year was equivalent to 15.9 tons of coal or 12,618 m3 of natural gas. Cultivation of Miscanthus x giganteus on black soil for six years has improved the provision of its ecosystem services, regulation, and ecosystem maintenance services. The possibility of growing perennial energy crops on agricultural soils has been proven by obtaining a significant amount of biomass and a positive phytoremediation effect on the soil by reducing erosion, preserving biodiversity, sequestering carbon, and sustainably improving the ecological situation.
The aim of this study is to determine the effects of structural soil restoration on the buffering capacities of these soils, their productivity, and the efficiency of their use as a basis for sustainable management. Based on a review of literature sources and our own experimental research, the proposed article shows the possibility of improving the buffering capacities of sod-podzolic cohesive sandy soils through the use of structural amelioration as an effective measure to protect them from degradation and ensure their resilience to climate change. The use of structural ameliorants (clay and peat) in the studied soils improves the granulometric composition, has a positive effect on the pH-buffering capacities, and contributes to optimizing the moisture capacity of soil. It was found that the efficiency of the application of structural amelioration on sod-podzolic cohesive sandy soils increases significantly with the local application method (e.g., clay in a dose of 10 t/ha or a combined application of clay in a dose of 2 t/ha with lowland peat in a dose of 3 t/ha). The largest yield increase in winter wheat (27.2%) was achieved by the local application of 2 t/ha of clay combined with peat in a dose of 3 t/ha.
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