Humus Content and Composition in the Water-Stable Aggregates of Dark Gray Forest Soils

Abstract

Humus distribution and composition in different fractions of water-stable soil aggregates isolated from the samples of the humus horizon of dark gray forest soil were studied by the Han method. Total humus content and the content of its most hydrophobic and low-molecular fractions in the water-stable aggregates tend to decrease with a decrease in aggregate size. This regularity is less manifested in the lower layers of the humus horizon in comparison with its upper layers.