Scientific ideas of pedologist-geographer V.M. Fridland, their origins and development (to the 100th anniversary)

V.M. Fridland (1919–1983) – distinguished Soviet pedologist-geographer and cartographer, graduated from Moscow State University, Doctor of geographical sciences, Professor, laureate of the Dokuchaev Prize of USSR Academy of Sciences. He developed the doctrine of the structure of soil cover. Editor-in-chief and author of Soil maps: RSFSR, scale 1 :2 500 000 (1988); Educational Soil Map of the World, scale 1 : 15 000 000 (1984). One of the first Russian soil researchers of humid and arid tropics and subtropics, author of the USSR soil classifications, and of a number of books on soils

F. Yu. Levinson-Lessing (1861-1939) -V. V. Dokuchaev apprentice and follower and his role in Soil Science Institute foundation

The world-class geologist and petrographer - Frants Yul’evich Levinson-Lessing (1861-1939) was one of the followers and apprentices of V.V. Dokuchaev, the founder of the Soil Science. In 1882-1892 he took part in Dokuchaev’s expeditions. Thereafter, Levinson -Lessing carried out research in the field of petrography; he assumed various administrative positions and constantly lent support to his teacher’s life-work. He was the chairman of the Soil Commission of the Russian Free Economic Society (1905-1912), one of the founders of Dokuchaev Soil Committee and its council member (1912-1916), headed Soil Science Department and Soil Science Institute of the Commission on Natural Production Forces affiliated with Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1917-1925), V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute (1926-1929). In 1927 in cooperation with V.I. Vernadskiy and K.D. Glinka he gained recognition of the Soil Science as a fundamental science in Academy of Sciences of the USSR, which resulted in establishment of special Soil Science Institute of Academy of Sciences of the USSR

Anthropogenic and post-Anthropogenic transformation of soils of l’gov region of kursk oblast

In this work we consider the processes of degradation and changes of properties of gray forest soils and migration-mycellar chernozems as a result of agrogenesis and erosion. We also consider progradation processes, which lead to forming of anthropogenic deeply transformed soils, and post-agrogenic processes, which are characterized by reclamation of the natural parameters of soils. The most dramatic changes occur in the composition of profiles, and also in morphological, physical and agrochemical properties. The results of investigations allowed us to determine four trends of the development: agrogenically-degradational and also agrogenically progradational, which is familiar for large areas of arable lands, and also postagrogenic nature-like, which is typical for laylands. The most of the soils, involved in agricultural activivities, are affected by degradation as a result of agrogenesis. This is manifested in the developments of processes of surface and linear erosion, in the decrease of humus content and the thickness of humus layer of the soil mass. There are also observed such processes as forming of compaction under the arable layer, the changes in structure and the decrease of water resistance of aggregates. In the agro-gray soils of agrogenically-degradational trend we observe the significant decrease of the thickness arable layer and humus content, and as contrary, the increase of silt and physical clay content, and also the increase of solidity values in comparison to the gray soils. In the same agrogray soils of agrogenically-erosional trend, we observed the increased density and solidity, the increase of non-agregated material content, the decrease of humus content, the decrease of melkozem content and the decrease of fine fraction content, which are valuable for plants. The results obtained are the additional information base for the convertion of Uniformed State Register of the soil resources of Russia on a regional and local level