Physical and Mechanical Degradation of Soils due to Military Operations in the Special Military Operation Zone

Abstract

Soil is an exhaustible natural resource and it is inexhaustible on the human time scale. Its most important and irreplaceable value is fertility, the ability to provide plants with nutritional elements. Soil degradation under the influence of natural factors over time leads to a decrease in the productivity of individual crops by 20–80 %.

During military operations, the process of soil degradation accelerates many times over. Physical and mechanical destruction of soil due to military operations can be considered as a complex anthropogenic factor. The current special military operation provides a unique opportunity to study the degradation of one of the main components of the environment – soil based on real facts and observations.

The article evaluates the influence of the main negative factors of military operations on the territory, landscape and soil in the special military operation zone. The results of the complex influence of all components of anthropogenic factors of military operations, as well as quantitative indicators of soil degradation, are presented. The assessment of the physical and mechanical degradation of the landscape and soil is carried out. It is noted that the movement and mixing of huge masses of soil, pollution and littering of the territory, fires, etc. cause changes in the biogeochemical balance of the soil. The scale and consequences of this impact on the ecology of the region are assessed. The data obtained are unique; their reliability is confirmed by the results of a few studies. They require appropriate reflection and response to resume and ensure normal life in the territories.