ORGANIC-MATTER RESERVES AND DECOMPOSITION RATES IN THE BOGGY SOILS UNDER SPRUCE FORESTS OF THE CENTRAL FOREST STATE BIOSPHERIC RESERVE

Boggy soils occupy 23% of the Southern Forestry in the Central Forest State Biospheric Reserve but contain 44% of the total carbon stock in this territory, with 75-90% of the carbon accumulated in the organic h orizons. Soil bogging reduces the rate of peat decomposition, which re sults in nutrient accumulation in the organic horizons. Under laborato ry conditions, the rate of decomposition (mineralization) of peat hori zons was significantly lower than that of organic horizons taken from nonswamped soils. At the same time, the rates of mineralization of str aw added to peat and organic horizons were relatively similar. These d ata and results of field experiments on the decomposition of needle fa ll suggest that potential biological activity in the boggy soils is ra ther high, in spite of the low actual decomposition rate in the peat l ayers.