Soil Science Institutenamed after V.V. Dokuchaev
Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Mathematical Modeling of Soil Systems

Current projects

Dynamic model of a spherically-symmetrical soil aggregate.
 

Soil heterotrophic respiration model as nonlinear dynamics of micro-processes.
 

Dynamic model of formation mechanisms for soil profile aggregate structure.
 

Development of the agricultural data base integration and analysis system (SoilDrive).
 

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Research overview

The research projects are aimed to study biosphere balance stability through studies of the soil cover as a complex self-organized system. Its relation with atmosphere is estimated through outgoing carbon dioxide flux, formed as a result of organic matter decomposition by microorganisms (heterotrophic respiration). Studying the nature of soil cover stability and probabilities of abrupt changes in it requires interdisciplinary system approach.

We carry out various soil regimes numerical simulations basing on regulation of microprocess dynamics. We study optimal agrophysical regimes, capable of maximal increase in soil fertility without danger of degradation. Present approach involves soil physics, chemistry, microbiology and methods of mathematical and statistical physics, nonlinear dynamics, numerical methods, programming.

Up to now there is no theoretically based computational model of stable soil aggregate structure formation. Development of fundamental approach to solution of this problem is being carried out with the help of dynamic modeling. Existing hypothesis of qualitative statistical character do not provide predictive models and thus regulation of aggregation process is not yet possible.

Model under development can be used for prediction of changes in soil properties, in particular, physical structure, multiparametric calculations at various perturbations (mechanical, chemical, hydraulic and etc.), as well as in carbon dioxide flux with climate change. Such dynamic model of soil structure is supposed to perform a theoretical basis for quantitative prediction of relationship between soil structure and rates of soil organic matter decomposition, soil progradation and degradation processes with natural-climatic and anthropogenic factors.