Global Soil Changes (Report of an IIASA-ISSS-UNEP Task Force on the Role of Soil in Global Changes)

The present report is one of a series of documents by soil scientists in preparation of a coordinated input by the various national and international centers on soil research and management into the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programs (IGBP or "Global Change" Program) initiated by the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU)

Oberflächen von Steinen in Böden: Archive der Pedogenese und Umweltentwicklung

Untersuchungen von Oberflächen in Böden gelten normalerweise der Feinerde, vor allem Tonmineralen. Die Oberflächen von grobklastischem Material werden meistens nicht in Betracht gezogen. Dieser Beitrag setzt sich zum Ziel, die bisherigen Kenntnisse über die Zusammensetzung und Morphologie pedogenetisch modifizierter Oberflächen von Steinen in Böden zu systematisieren und mit eigenen neuen Forschungsergebnissen zu ergänzen. Die Produkte der Veränderung von Oberflächen fester Gesteinsfragmente durch Bodenentwicklung – Kutanen, können in zwei Gruppen unterteilt werden: autochthone und allochthone. Die autochthonen Kutanen stellen Verwitterungskrüstchen von Steinen dar, sie entwickeln sich in oberen Schichten eines Gesteinfragments und arbeiten sich allmählich zu seinem Zentrum vor. Die autochthonen Kutanen können als Indikatoren chemischer Verwitterung in einzelnen Bodenhorizonten auftreten, insbesondere in problematischen Fällen der Pedogenese mit inhomogenen Ausgangssubstraten oder polygenetischen Böden. Die allochthonen Kutanen sind Überzüge, die durch Ablagerung von Substanzen aus Lösungen und Suspensionen auf den Oberflächen von Steinen entstehen. Gröbere Partikel (z.B. Schluff) setzen sich meistens auf oberen Seiten von Steinen ab, während echte und kolloidale Lösungen ihr Material auf untere Steinoberflächen auftragen. Die letzteren weisen ein sehr breites geochemisches Spektrum auf, wie z.B. Humus, Sesquioxyde, Karbonate, Kieselsäure. Einzelne Typen von allochthonen Kutanen, wie z.B. aus Sekundärkarbonaten, können eine Mikrostratigraphie besitzen und datierbar sein. Solche allochtonen Kutanen speichern spezifische Informationen über die Zusammensetzung der Bodenlösungen über Jahrtausende hinweg und stellen eigenartige Archive der Pedogenese und Umweltentwicklung dar

Endolithic and hypolithic soil-like systems: structure and composition from the macroto submicro-levels

The paper presents a detailed study on structure and composition of endolithic and hypolithic systems. The following issues are discussed: morphology at macro to submicro levels, biochemical weathering, formation of carbonates and oxalates in situ, migration of Fe compounds, and spatial patterns of endolithic systems. Endolithic and hypolithic systems have major features attributed to soils: (a) rock layer exposed to external abiogenic factors, (b) lithomatrix inhabited by living organisms which are synthesizing and decomposing organic matter, (c) as a result initial parent rock (lithomatrix) is transformed in situ by biogenic and abiogenic factors, the products of transformation are retained and/or removed, the vertical heterogenity is established in a form of microhorizons composing microprofile. Examined profiles of endolithic systems in granitoids of East Antarctica with high quartz content had clear eluvial-illuvial differentiation patterns. Similar patterns have been discovered in different landscapes from the Plateau Ozark in Missouri to the Table Mountain in South Africa

soil system and pedogenic processes: self-organization, time scales, and environmental significance

The essence of pedogenesis, as a synergetic process, consists in generation, selection, accumulation and differentiation of the solids produced in the course of bio-abiotic processes functioning within a soil body. Soil formation in the broad sense is the result of synergetic processes of self-organization of an in situ soil system during its functioning in time and space. Soil formation, sensu stricto, is the transformation of the solid-phase lithomatrix (parent material) of the soil system into the pedomatrix (soil body, soil mantle). Pedogenesis is perceived as an integration of specific pedogenic processes (SPP

Contribution of academician I.P. Gerasimov to soil science (early 1920s-1985)

In 2015, we celebrate the 110 anniversary of Academician Innokentiy Petrovich Gerasimov - one among the most prominent scientists in the world of Earth Sciences. For 30 years from the moment he is no more with us, his contribution to soil science and soil geography became more discrete and continues to astonish people by the diversity of problems he touched on, by the perfect choice of most actual research spheres, by the in-depth comprehension of the essence of many phenomena. The milestones of his scientific activity are the following: perception of soil science as an interdisciplinary geo-biological and geographic science addressing to the origin, evolution and geography of soils, as well as to the mechanisms of pedogenesis, and all this is a core of the Dokuchaev School as Innokentiy Petrovich understood it. He was absolutely sure of the enormous and not fully disclosed potential of Dokuchaev soil science, which can efficiently synthesize the ideas of adjacent sciences concerning Earth and Life. The collection of articles in this issue represents the main lines in the scientific activity of I.P. Gerasimov in the field of soil science. This is soil genesis, cartography and geography, first of all, the huge work on compiling the State soil map of the country, scale 1 : 1 M; soils of arid lands and “distinctive” soils of Siberia, elementary soil-forming processes as driving forces of pedogenesis, soil classification, age and evolution of soils, fundamentals of radiocarbon dating of soil age. It is also worth to remind that Innokentiy Petrovich was permanently involved in soil science organization activities as Editor-in-Chief of the State soil map, President of the USSR Society of Soil Scientists, member of the Editorial Board of “Pochvovedenie” journal and Head of numerous scientific commission

Soil memory: Types of record, carriers, hierarchy and diversity." Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geologicas 21

ABSTRACT The concept of palimpsest-wise soil memory and record is generally characterized in comparison with the book-wise memory and record of sedimentary rocks. Soil systems have a capacity for storing information about environmental factors and pedogenic processes tha