Changes in the biological properties of an ordinary chernozem exposed to gamma radiation

The dynamics of changes in the number of microorganisms and biochemical properties of an ordinary chernozem were studied in model experiments 3, 30, and 90 days after the soil was subjected to gamma radiation at doses of 0.12–2.0 Mrad. The microscopic fungi are the most radiosensitive soil microorganisms. In 90 days of incubation after the gamma radiation, the number of microorganisms remained lower than that in the control variant by 31–96% in accordance with the dose. The enzyme activity of the ordinary chernozem, as compared to that of the microorganisms, was more resistant to the gamma radiation. The integral index of the soil biological state (ISBSI) decreased by 20–63% upon the radiation depending on the dose applied. After 90 days, the ISBSI value was close to the control variant (doses of 0.1–0.5 Mrad), whereas, in the variants with high doses of radiation (1.0 and 2.0 Mrad), its values were 46 and 59% lower, respectively, than in the control. The rate of restoring of the biological properties was related to the dose of radiation: the less the dose, the quicker the rate of restoration of the biological properties of the ordinary chernozem. However, at the high levels of gamma radiation, some biological properties were not restored even after 90 days.