Dynamics of gas condensate removal from an Al-Fe-humus podzol and its effect on the complexes of soil fungi

The time period for the removal of gas condensate from the cultivated and forest Al-Fe-humus podzols in the northwestern region of Russia was determined in an experiment. The content of the light fractions of oil decreased more slowly in the forest soil than in the cultivated soil due to the lower rates of evaporation and photochemical reactions under the forest canopy. During the first five days after applying the gas condensate, its content decreased by nearly 70% in the cultivated soils and by only 8% in the forest soil. In three months of the growing period, the gas condensate was completely removed from the cultivated soils and by 91% from the forest soil. The species composition and structure of the fungal communities significantly changed in the polluted soils with an increase in the portion of conventionally pathogenic fungi from 45% in the control soil to 60–70% in the polluted soil.