Soil-Assimilation Potential as a Component of the Soil Passport and the Assimilation Potential of Landscapes

The study object is represented by the dominant soil types of different bioclimatic landscape zones of Azerbaijan. The main research methods were comparative soil-biological. The mean annual assimilation of hydrocarbon contaminants in soils of various bioclimatic landscape zones of Azerbaijan is evaluated for the first time. The results of the studies show that it is possible and necessary to introduce data on the soil-assimilation potential in relation to a particular contaminant into the soil “passport.” The proposed approach is based on the assessment of the assimilation potential of soil ecosystems as an integral part of the ecological framework of the country. The introduction of these parameters into soil passports will enable an objective assessment of the degradation rate of the soil cover as a natural capital and of the intensity of its degradation or restoration. It will also contribute to the development of a scientific basis for nature use with the minimal ecological risk according to the paradigm of sustainable development.