Environmental Soil Assessment of Urban Ecosystems of the Central Chernozem Region of Russia

To enhance the effectiveness of ecological functions performed by urban soils in the Central Chernozem Region of Russia, a comprehensive ecosystem approach to their assessment and management is proposed, taking into account region-specific typological features of soil genesis, functioning, and regimes of anthropogenic use. The study was conducted in the cities of Kursk and Lgov, as well as in the Zheleznogorsk and Gubkin urban agglomerations in the Kursk and Belgorod oblasts. We assessed the ecological status, degree of degradation and contamination of soils (integrated contamination index Zc up to 101.6), protective and regulatory functions (assessed via capacity and contrast of soil geochemical barriers), heavy metals vertical migration rates in the soil profile, the status of plants, fungi, and soil microbiota, and the level of anthropogenic impact. High spatial variability of key soil properties was established (Corg 0.4–8.9%; pHKCl 3.2–7.9; P2O5 18–845 mg/kg; K2O 7–500 mg/kg; and readily hydrolyzable nitrogen 28–157 mg/kg), influencing the delivery of ecosystem services and associated with topography features, contamination levels, and anthropogenic pressure. It is shown that the decline in the quality of soil ecosystem services is driven by heavy metal contamination in industrial, residential, and, to a lesser extent, recreational zones of Kursk and Lgov; maximum total concentrations stood at Pb 2894 mg/kg, Cd 53 mg/kg, Zn 2777 mg/kg, and Cu 1320 mg/kg. High ecological risks characterize approximately 40% of urban soils in the western part of the Central Chernozem Region. It is proposed to incorporate regionally adapted environmental quality standards, as well as selective remediation and reclamation technologies, into strategies for managing ecosystem services of urban soils.