Basal respiration as an integrative indicator of soil health degradation in a sloping vineyard landscape of Fruška Gora, Serbia

This study presents the results of a comprehensive agroecological assessment of soil conditions, using an intensively managed vineyard and adjacent areas within the slope catenas of the Fruska Gora Mountain (Vojvodina, Serbia) as a case study. The spatial distribution patterns of soil basal respiration were investigated, utilizing this parameter as an indicator of soil health under the combined influence of natural and agrogenic factors. The organic matter content was determined to demonstrate the level of soil degradation in the vineyard under conditions of a pronounced erosional landscape. It is substantiated that long-term erosion within the vineyard catena has led to an inversion of the organic matter content in the upper soil profile, depleting the surface layer (0-15 cm) and enriching the subsurface layer (15-30 cm). It was established that the agroecological status of the vineyard soils, road track soils, and fallow meadow soil is characterized by pronounced spatial heterogeneity. The leading role of a complex of factors (hillslope position, microclimatic conditions, and the intensity of agrotechnical management) in shaping this heterogeneity was revealed. A quantitative decrease in basal respiration in the vineyard soil by 1.2–2.0 times was established compared to the maximum value recorded in the fallow soil (0.893 μg CO2-C g−1 soil h−1). It was shown that on the south-facing slope, basal respiration was 1.2–1.5 times higher, where a favorable microclimate partially compensated for the influence of surface runoff. The most stressful conditions for soil microbiota were identified in the compacted road tracks, where the basal respiration rate (0.219 μg CO2-C g−1 soil h−1) was 4.1 times lower than in the fallow. Basal respiration is proposed to be considered a valuable integrative parameter, effective for assessing the current functional state of soil ecosystems and forecasting the ecological risks arising from long-term agricultural use of sloping lands.