A systematic approach to the comprehensive assessment of environmental risks of soil degradation in the Ukrainian Forest-Steppe

Lishchuk, Alla (author), Karachynska, Nadiya (author), Parfenyuk, Alla (author), Beznosko, Irina (author), Yare-Menko, Pavlo (author)

This article investigates soil degradation risks in the Ukrainian Forest-Steppe driven by climate change and agricultural intensification. The study develops and validate the Integrated Index of Environmental Risk (IIER) for a comprehensive assessment and mapping of agroecosystem stability. The methodology employs a systemic approach and additive modeling of three components: climatic exposure, anthropogenic pressure (arable land share, erosion), and soil vulnerability (humus content and NPK balance). Analysis over recent decades reveals that a 1.2 °C increase in average annual temperature leads to aridification in the eastern Forest-Steppe and moisture instability in the west. Critical land cultivation (80.8 %) causes erosion to 27.5 % of the area. A progressive decline in soil organic matter (with an average humus content of 3.20 %) and a significant macronutrient deficiency (36–72 % of optimal levels) were recorded. The developed IIER framework enabled the identification of critical degradation zones in the Kharkiv, Poltava, and Cherkasy regions, where the synergy of natural and anthropogenic factors threatens the irreversible loss of soil fertility. This methodological approach serves as a predictive tool for identifying unstable agroecosystem components and substantiating regenerative agriculture.

• Language: English
• Keywords: environmental risk, soil degradation, Integrated Index of Environmental Risk (IIER), induced systemic resistance (ISR), climate change, agroecological indicators, regenerative agriculture
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 12 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 122, no. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-189517
• UDC: 631
• ISSN on article: 1854-1941
• DOI: 10.14720/aas.2026.122.3.27328
• COBISS.SI-ID: 294221315
• Publication date in RUL: 08.10.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Acta agriculturae Slovenica
• Publisher: Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za agronomijo in Oddelek za zootehniko, Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za agronomijo in Oddelek za zootehniko, Univerza v Ljubljani, Biotehniška fakulteta, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 1854-1941
• COBISS.SI-ID: 219581184

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Sistematični pristop k celoviti oceni okoljskih tveganj degradacije tal v ukrajinski gozdni stepi
• Keywords: okoljsko tveganje, degradacija tal, integrirani indeks okoljskega tveganja (IIER), podnebne spremembe, agroekološki kazalniki, regenerativno kmetijstvo