Dark-humus soils on the updated soil map of Russian Federation scale 1 : 2.5 M

The dark-humus soil type was included in the updated legend of the Soil Map of the Russian Federation at scale 1 : 2.5 M, converted to the system of Soil Classification of Russia. The soil profile starts with the dark-humus horizon gradually merging to the parent rock; any mid-profile diagnostic horizons are absent. Large areas of dark-humus soils are found in the forest-steppe, steppe and taiga zones of the European Russia, Western and Central Siberia, in the Trans-Baikal region, the Altai-Sayany Mountains, and the Caucasus. The type of dark-humus soils comprises both mesomorphic soils (of normal moisture conditions) and soils with additional surface or ground-water moisture. The main prerequisites for the formation of dark-humus soils are, on the one hand, the climatic conditions favorable for the dark-humus horizon formation, and, on the other hand, parent material - mostly derivates of hard rocks, restricting the development of mid-profile diagnostic horizons. In the updated map, the following initial legend units are partially or completely converted to dark-humus soils: several units of chernozems, dark-gray forest and gray forest non-podzolized soils, soddy-taiga base-saturated and slightly unsaturated soils, several mountain soils, a significant part of soddy-calcareous soils, as well as some mountainous forest-meadow soils. The diversity of dark-humus soils subtypes is determined by secondary carbonate features, weak signs of clay accumulation and podzolization, alteration of the mineral mass, gley and cryogenic phenomena

Floodplain soils on the soil map of the Russian Federation, scale 1 : 2.5 M, 1988, in the Russian soil classification, 2004

The largest area of taiga gley-differentiated soils on the Soil map of Russian Federation, scale 1:2.5 M, is located in the north of West Siberia. Small areas are dispersed over the northwestern European Russia, Eastern Siberia and the North-East. Interpretation of taiga gley-differentiated soils in terms of Russian soil classification system (2004) is rather ambiguous owing to high diversity of ecological conditions where these soils occur, аs well as variability of soil morphological, chemical, and physicochemical properties in diverse mapping units. Comparing properties of taiga gley-differentiated soils described in the Program of the map (1972) and in regional publications with the diagnostic criteria for soil types in some orders of the Russian classification system made it possible to find adequate names and taxonomic position for these soils. Thus, taiga gley-differentiated soils in the middle and northern taiga of Western Siberia proved to be allocated to several orders: weakly differentiated and gleyed soils with a brown profile were referred to the order of organo-accumulative soils as shallow-peat gleyic soils; their more hydromorphic variants – taiga gley-differentiated shallow-peat soils were  defined in the order of gleyzems, as peat gleyzems, soil with morphologically differentiated profile having a particular cryogenic structure were qualified for svetlozems and iron-illuvial gleyic svetlozems in the order of cryometamorpic soils, and for eluvial-metamorphic soils of the same order in case of cryogenic structure was absent. Taiga gley-differentiated soils in their northwestern area are confined to varved clays and correspond to (soddy-)eluvial-metamorphic gleyic soils

Floodplain soils on the soil map of the Russian Federation, scale 1 : 2.5 M, 1988, in the Russian soil classification

The development of the digital model of the soil map of Russia derived of the map of the Soviet Russian Federation, 1988, compiled in Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute, comprises the transfer of soil names in the initial legend to those in the new classification system of Russian soils (2004). Floodplain soils (only native) are represented by seven legend units (out of 205) that were named in terms of soil classification of USSR, 1977, and part of their names indicated ‘landscapes’ rather than soils, which disagrees with the principles of the new classification system. Basing on numerous publications and following the rules of the new system, soils were renamed. Most of them were referred to alluvial soil types within the synlithogenic trunk (Fluvisols), and their new names indicate both their properties and their zonal attachment. In order to obtain more adequate patterns of soils in river valleys additional soils were introduced including stratified-alluvial soils in the trunk of primary pedogenesis (Regosols). Simultaneously, the composition of polygons in the database was revised in accordance with regional data; human-modified soils were introduced (agro-soils and urbo-soils)

Arctic and tundra soils on the new digital soil map of Russia, 1 : 2.5 M scale

V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute has initiated a project on compilation of a new Digital Soil Map of Russia on the basis of the Soil Map of the Russian Federation (SMRF) 1 : 2.5 M scale (1988) revised and interpreted in ideology and nomenclature of the new substantive-genetic Classification System of Russian Soils (CSRS). The first stage implies the conversion of soil mapping units on the original map into the CSRS with a corresponding renaming of soils in the attribute database to the digitized version of the map for each soil polygon. During the second stage, a new digital model of the soil cover is developed with the use of digital soil mapping technologies, basic soil map, and new materials, including satellite images and digital elevation models. The legend section “Tundra Soils” contains 16 soil units forming their own areas or found in various combinations (soil complexes). As a result of the reclassification and careful analysis of each soil polygon, the soils of Arctic and Subarctic tundra have obtained a more detailed and differential representation on the new map, and their diagnostics based on the morphology of the profiles and major soil properties have been specified. The most significant changes in the initial content of the map concern the soils referred to as gley soils on the SMRF. A separate group of cryozemic soils has been specified. Weakly developed soils (petrozems, psammozems, and pelozems) and lithozems have been introduced on the map for the first time. Differential decisions are suggested for the soils of “spotty tundra” with sorted and nonsorted circles and for the soils of cryogenic fissures and cracks. The results of the study have made it possible to refine the diagnostics and nomenclature of soils in the CSRS

Mire peat soils of the taiga and sub-taiga zones of West Siberia on a digital model of the soil map of Russia at a scale of 1 : 2 500 000 in terms of the Russian soil classification

A digital version of the soil map of the Russian Federation, scale 1 : 2.5 M, is being prepared based on the analysis of the attributes of polygons with peat soils in the West-Siberian taiga and sub-taiga zones. The correction was perfomed in 795 polygons (with the total area of 179 483 km2) out of 1 711 polygons considered (with the total area of 262 204 km2). The currently formulated idea of the dominance of oligotrophic bogs in the West Siberian taiga region of mires served as the basis for suggestion to replace the mesotrophic peat soils by oligotrophic ones in 598 polygons of the total area of 87 250 km2. Similarly, the polygons of microcatenas comprising oligotrophic and mesotrophic peat soils (57 polygons, total area of 38 405 km2) were modified: only oligotrophic peat soils were considered to be the dominant ones there. At the same time, a number of polygons with prevailing oligotrophic soils, confined mainly to the sub-taiga zone were proposed to be replaced by polygons with mesotrophic peat soils. The thermokarst pools in ridge-hollow mire complexes that were shown on the soil map of Russia beyond the permafrost zone were eliminated from the map database; the mapping of destructive peat soils was rearranged in accordance with the new interpretation of this taxon in the Russian soil classification. This work should improve the quality of research in the field of assessing the resource potential of peat soils in West Siberia

Actualization of the contents of the soil map of Russian Federation (1 : 2.5 M scale) in the format of the classification system of Russian soils for the development of the new digital map of Russia

The Soil Map of the Russian Federation, 1 : 2.5 M scale (1988) requires updating to include soil data that have been accumulated in the past decades, reflect real changes in the soil cover, including anthropogenic transformation, and ensure precise localization of soil objects and correspondence of the map to satellite data with the use of digital soil mapping technologies. The substantive-genetic classification system of Russian soils (2004, 2008) provides the conceptual basis for this updating. The conversion of soil information from the initial map of 1988 into the new classification system is being performed for each polygon of the digitized map. It is based on the analysis of a vast body of diverse information and includes both the search for analogues of the names of mapping units in the new classification system (renaming of the soils) and the correction of the composition of soils in the polygons: new natural soils, cultivated soils (agrosoils), and urban soils are added to the attribute database. The largest number of new natural soils has appeared in legend sections “Soils of tundra” and “Soils of taiga and broadleaved forests”. Anthropogenic soils (119 legend units) that are shown on the map for the first time, have their maximum representation (36 units) in the section “Soils of steppes”; it is close to the number of natural soils (37 units) in this zone. A considerable percent of anthropogenic soils (> 50% of the natural soils) is also typical of legend sections “Soils of broadleaved forests and forest-steppes,” “Soils of dry steppes and semideserts,” “Salt-affected and solonetzic soils”. The total number of natural and anthropogenic soil units (425) in the new legend is more than twice as large as the initial number of natural soil units in the base map (205). The results of the renaming and updating of soils for each soil polygon are fixed in a separate section of the attribute database to the map and will be used for generating the new map by the methods of digital soil mapping

Soil orders and their areas on the updated soil map of the Russian Federation, 1 : 2.5 M scale

An analysis of the soil cover of Russia as presented on the soil map on a scale of 1 : 2.5 M with the use of a new substantive-genetic soil classification system has been performed at the level of soil orders. The high level of classification-based generalization makes it possible to assess the most general patterns of soil geography and soil resources and to identify changes that have occurred as a result of renaming of each polygon on the map with the use of the new classification. The areas occupied by soil orders have been calculated. In total, there are 24 soil orders on the new map, including 21 orders of natural soils and 3 orders (agrozems, turfzems, stratozems) of anthropogenically transformed soils. Soils of the orders of agro-abrazems, chernozems, and turbozems are not presented on the map. As on most small-scale soil maps of Russia, the zonal regularities of the soil cover in the East European Plain and high lithogenic mosaicity in Central and Eastern Siberia are clearly seen. The new map includes soil orders that were absent on the initial map: cryozems, cryometamorphic and hydrometamorphic soils, lithozems, cryoabrazems, cryoturbozems, urbostratozems, and organo-accumulative soils. Soils characteristic of humid conditions predominate: Al-Fe-humus soils (Podzols) (319.2 M ha, or 19% of the land fund of Russia), gley soils (Gleysols) (223.9 M ha, 13%), texture-differentiated soils (Luvisols and Regosols) (190.8 M ha, 11%), and peat soils (Histosols) (143.5 M ha, 8%) and occupy more than a half of the territory of Russia. The area of humus-accumulative soils most suitable for arable use is 103.6 M ha (6%). Considerable areas are occupied by soils of the orders of cryozems (Turbic Cryosols) (111.4 M ha), iron-metamorphic soils (Chromic Cambisols) (92.7 M ha), structure-metamorphic soils (Cambisols) (47.3 M ha), pale-metamorphic soils (Cambic Cryosols) (12.8 M ha), hydrometamorphic soils (Calcic Gleysols) (4.3 M ha), and cryometamorphic soils (Cambisols Gelic) (3.4 M ha), which corresponds to the vast continental territory of Russia with balanced moisture conditions. Separate place belongs to the soils with strict limitations for use (lithosols (Leptosols), weakly developed soils (Regosols, Nudilithic Leptosols)) but playing important biospheric functions and requiring special protection

SOIL-LANDSCAPE PECULIAR AREAS IN THE NORTH OF CENTRAL SIBERIA (ACCORDING TO INTERPRETATION OF SPACE-BORNE IMAGES)

When correcting the lists for the State soil map of the northern part in Central Siberia in electronic format using visual satellite images obtained by SAS Planet, it was possible to specify the boundaries of old soil contours and recognize new ones. Interpretation of aerospace images for sloping landscapes within the northern taiga subzone as confined to compacted rocks of trappean complex, loose Quaternary rocks and Jura sedimentary non- carbonate rocks permitted to enlarge the knowledge about the component composition of the soil cover at the above territory

Soil cover of the north of central siberia as displayed on the soil map of the russian federation (1988) and on the state soil map

A brief history of the development of notions about the soil cover of the north of Central Siberia and their cartographic representation is outlined. The role of the Soil Map of the Russian Federation (SMRF) (1988) as the document synthesizing knowledge about Russian soils accumulated by the 1980s is shown. It is stressed that the work of I.P. Gerasimov about the genetic specificity of Siberian soils was of fundamental significance as a clearly stated call for discovering new regularities of the genesis and geography of soils in relation to the broadening factual base of soil studies. For the territory of Central Siberia, soil cover patterns displayed on the SMRF require certain corrections. Such corrections have been reflected on the corresponding sheets of the State Soil Map of Russia (SSMR). The most significant of them concern the representation of cryohydromorphic nongley soils (cryozems) as modal soils of the considered region. On the SMRF, these soils were represented by a single type of taiga high-humus nongley soils. On the SSMR, two different types of cryozems (thixotropic and homogeneous cryozems) are distinguished, and their further subdivision with respect to the character of organic horizons, manifestation of gleyic features, possible differentiation of surface horizons, and the presence of residual carbonates is suggested. A different picture of the soil cover is shown for the territories composed of hard calcareous rocks. The area of metamorphic pale soils developing from the carbonate-free substrates has been extended. The major regularities of the soil cover patterns as displayed on the SSMR are illustrated by a schematic small-scale map. Information about ecological niches of the soils displayed on the SSMR and SMRF is presented in a tabulated form

Palevye soils with a bleached horizon developing from carbonate-free rocks in the classification System of Russian Soils

The position of palevye soils with differentiated profiles and with podzolized horizons developing from carbonate-free rocks under conditions of the cold extremely continental semihumid climate in the permafrost zone of Central Siberia in the New Russian Classification system is analyzed. The profile of these soils consists of the raw-humus horizon, bleached podzolic or eluvial horizon, and iron-illuvial or clay-illuvial horizon with some features typical of the metamorphic pale soils. According to the character of their middle-profile horizons, they can be attributed to the orders of Al-Fe-humus soils (sandy and loamy sandy varieties) and texture-differentiated soils (loamy sandy and clay loamy varieties). According to the character of their organic profiles, they can be separated as raw-humus subtypes among podzols and podzolic soils, respectively. Their specific regional characteristics - a tendency for the formation of a cryohumus horizon, clay illuviation, iron illuviation, and specific pale metamorphism of the mineral mass (pale metamorphized) (clay-illuvial subtype) - are also reflected at the subtype level. These characteristics can be present in different combinations reflected in the corresponding names of complex subtypes. In the geographical space, these soils form a transition from typical pale soils of the cold ultracontinental semiarid climate to the soils of cold moderately continental humid climate