Geospatial assessment of soil nutrient availability for sustainable land management: a case study of the Don river basin

DOI: 10.35595/2414-9179-2025-2-31-489-496

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About the Author

Sergey S. Ogorodnikov

Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University), Faculty 614,
4, Volokolamskoe hwy., Moscow, 125993, Russia,
E-mail: sir.ogorod@yandex.ru

Abstract

This study presents a geospatial approach to the assessment of soil fertility within a representative agricultural territory in the Don River Basin. The analysis is based on the integration of agrochemical survey data with cartographic modeling using GIS tools, enabling the construction of detailed maps for key soil properties, including humus content, soil pH, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) availability. The results demonstrate a high degree of spatial heterogeneity in nutrient distribution across the study area. Medium-humus chernozems predominate, while high-humus zones in the western sector exhibit lower pH values, indicating enhanced acidity due to the presence of humic acids and reduced calcium buffering. Nitrogen availability shows a patchwork pattern, with medium and high content dominating, although low-nitrogen zones persist in the western part of the region. Phosphorus availability is markedly elevated in the central part of the area, suggesting potential over-application of fertilizers and ecological oversaturation. Potassium, in contrast, is uniformly abundant, indicating non-limiting status for crop production. An integrated fertility index was developed by overlaying the individual nutrient maps, revealing that 20.3 % of the territory represents high-fertility reference soils, while 15.8 % requires fertility enhancement. The findings confirm the utility of geoinformation methods in agrochemical monitoring and support their application for sustainable land-use planning and adaptive management of soil resources. The methodology offers a replicable framework for regional agroecological diagnostics.

Keywords

soil fertility, GIS analysis, humus content, nutrient mapping, sustainable land management, Don River Basin

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For citation: Ogorodnikov S.S. Geospatial assessment of soil nutrient availability for sustainable land management: a case study of the Don river basin. InterCarto. InterGIS. Moscow: MSU, Faculty of Geography, 2025. V. 31. Part 2. P. 489–496. DOI: 10.35595/2414-9179-2025-2-31-489-496