Comparative Analysis of Soil Temperature‑Moisture Regime and Hydrothermal Potential (HTP) in Different Ecosystems

Nazaket Alizade

Abstract. In the brown mountain-forest soils of the Greater Caucasus, the formation features of the hydrothermal potential of the soil environment under different ecosystems (forest, xerophytic forest, and meadow) were studied. The research was aimed at determining the regularities of temperature and moisture changes along the profile in the 0–20 cm soil layer. The impact of vegetation cover on the dynamics of soil temperature and moisture, and consequently on the formation of hydrothermal potential, was evaluated. The purpose of the study was to identify the influence of vegetation cover on the formation of the hydrothermal potential of the soil environment and to assess the functional characteristics of soil cover under various ecological conditions. The obtained results are significant for the study of soil processes in mountain-forest ecosystems, the evaluation of soil fertility, and the improvement of ecological monitoring systems.

Keywords: hydrothermal potential (HTP), temperature regime, moisture regime, brown mountain‑forest soils, forest ecosystem, meadow, xerophytic forest