Biological indices of degradation and self-recovery of soil-vegetation cover in tundra

Relationship between the characteristics of vegetation (above-ground and underground phytomass, above-ground biomass, species composition and projective cover) and soil properties (power of organogenic and root-inhabited layers, humus content in the 1–20 cm layer, thickness of abiotic alluvium) allowed developing biological indices and criteria for quantitative estimation of stability, degree of physical and general degradation, and dynamics of self-recovery of disturbed soil-vegetation cover in tundra. An analytical description of the process of vegetation and soil self-recovery is given to determine duration of various degradation levels and total duration of recovery under different conditions of water regime with the accessible minimum of initial information.