Over the past 40 years, a clear trend towards an increasing humidity and a rising groundwater table has been observed in the south-eastern semidesert part of European Russia. According to the published data, two clear periods of climate are distinguished: 1950s-1970s and 1970s-2000s. The thin sections of a Solonetz sampled in different periods of time (1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1982, 2002 and 2013) at the Dzhanybek research station were studied micromorphologically to observe how these natural changes influenced soil pedofeatures. A comparison of thin sections showed no significant changes in soil properties between 1950s and 1982, when the hydrological (ground water table) and climatic parameters remained relatively stable. However, between 1982 and 2013, due to a significant increase in climatic moisture and rising groundwater, the following changes in soil microfeatures took place: the activation of humus accumulation and biogenic structuring, the eluviation of the silty clay-humus matter, the development of solodic features, gleyization of the soil mass, and the accumulation of opaque black organic grains about 2-3 µm formed in the topsoil due to the long stagnation during the springtime after snow melting. The water table rise leads to the consequent rise of the upper boundary of the accumulation of gypsum and carbonates.

The specificity of stationary is in the possibilities of direct investigation of micro- or particular (according to A. A. Rode) processes on relatively small homogenous (stationary) soil area which stayed unchanged for 10 years and more. The results of comparative analysis of macro-and micromorphologic properties of basic genetic layers of Gypsic Salic Solonetz (Albic, Siltic, Columnic, Cutanic, Differentic) are presented. On the basis of these results, the trends of major elementary soil forming processes are settled for the last 11 years (2002-2013) on Djanybek stationary. In general, the direction of elementary soil forming processes has been preserved since 1982. Such a conclusion may be made on a basis of pattern of changes of diagnostic elements of microcomposition (microforms of the organic matter, the amount of plant residues, the state and composition of fine matter, the character and relative composition of different soil new formations (gypsic, carbonatic, humic and ferric, and ferro-manganese)). According to the changes of micro-specificities which were marked within the over-solonetzic and solonetzic layers, there occurs the intensification of the following processes: humus accumulative, biogenic and cryogenic aggregation; the migration of clayey-humic fine matter; the cracking of the soil and penetration of organic matter and plant roots into solonetzic layers; the active assimilation of illuvial cutanas into the interped mass. The under-solonetzic layers are characterized by the compaction of the soil material due to the destruction of the pseudo-soil microaggregates with the emergence of the massive dusty-clayey- carbonatic mass with ferric micro-patterns and carbonatic cutanas. The increasing of moistening in the sub-solonetzic layers is, supposedly, connected with periodic local wetting in lateral cracks on the background of the fixed increasing of the amount of precipitations during the spring and summer. The emergence of the low amount of the number of mobile salt neoformations (gypsic and carbonatic) is related to biogenic pore channels and is connected to the destructive indraught of solutions. The strong and long-termed moistening within the transitional layer to the parent rock due to the capillary indraught of the ground waters, located close to this layer, promotes forming of large gypsic neoformations and increasing of migration of iron and manganese. Also it is accompanied with forming of numerous dendritic neoformations at the local changes of oxidation-reduction potential around the biogenic pores.

The method of X-ray microtomography was applied to study pore space of a virgin soddy-podzolic soil at the natural soil water content. The morphometric parameters of the pores of more than 100 μm in diameter were determined in the vertically oriented undisturbed soil monoliths (d = 3 cm, h = 3–4 cm) from the genetic horizons of the most differentiated part of the soil profile (the AY, AEL, EL, BEL, BT1, and BТ2 horizons). A tendency for the horizontal orientation of these pores was found in all the horizons, except for the humus (AY) horizon. Isolated vesicular pores of different sizes were abundant in the eluvial part of the profile. Numerous recent and relict phytogenic channels were found in the intraped mass of the BT2 horizon. Differently directed interfaces of structural units in the soil horizons were visualized. Cluster analysis was applied to estimate differences between the genetic horizons with respect to their textures, aggregate sizes, and shapes of pores as seen in vertical two-dimensional X-ray images.

The State Soil Map (SSM) on a scale of 1 : 1 M is the greatest product of Russian small-scale soil cartography that accumulates data on soils of the Former Soviet Union for the entire period of the development of Dokuchaev's pedology. The work on the SSM was initiated by L.I. Prasolov in the 1930s; the official history of the SSM dates back to the governmental decree of 1946. For nearly 40 years, the works on the SSM were headed by I.P. Gerasimov. The huge amount of research was performed under the guidance of E.N. Ivanova. The compilation of the SSM gave strong impetus to the development of genetic pedology and geography of soils. It clearly demonstrated "blank spots" in our knowledge of soils, where special field studies were organized. The main stages of the development of the SSM are discussed, and the specific features of its program for the northern and Siberian territories are elucidated. More than a thousand specialists in the geography and cartography of soils contributed to this map. A special database on the SSM was developed. It contains detailed information on the published map sheets, their authors, cartographers, and editors; it also contains information about the authors of factual materials used during the compilation of the map. The major cartographic features of the design of the map are discussed. The modern state of the work on the SSM is briefly characterized, and the problems related to its publication and practical use are considered. As a positive example of the desirable future of the SSM, information on the current status and progress of the work on the "elder sister" of the SSM-the State Geological Map on the same scale (1 : 1 M)-is given. The main aim of this paper is to attract attention to the SSM as the most significant and, unfortunately, underestimated source of information on soil resources.

Molecular-biological methods permitted to study the structure of the microbial community in the profile of dark-gray soil (Luvic Retic Greyzemic Phaeozem) in Kashira district of the Moscow region. Microorganisms playing an important role in transformation of the soil organic matter are mainly concentrated in the topsoil and the major microbiological studies are related to this part of the soil profile. However, the study of the microbial community in the lower soil horizons is not only of theoretical but also practical interest in view of increasing the intensity of erosion processes. The method of quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to estimate the DNA quantity of bacteria, archespores and micromycetes in horizons of the above soil. Under study was also the crotovina material at a depth of 80 cm. The highest DNA quantity of bacteria and archespores proved to be in the upper humus-accumulative horizon (9.6 × 10 8 and 9 × 10 7 copy/g of soil respectively). Their quantity was decreased downwards the profile, what is connected with changes in the physic-chemical conditions of soil. DNA of micromycetes was evenly distributed throughout the soil profile (5.4-9.4 × 10 7 copy/g). In the crotovina material the DNA content of different microorganisms groups was close to that in lower mineral soil horizons. This may be explained by water infiltration through the crotovina accompanying by eluviation of microorganisms in the period of soil wetting. The factors affecting the DNA amount of microorganisms are elementary soil processes including the biogenic-accumulative process in the upper soil horizons, clay-illuvial and humus-illuvial processes in the lower horizons of the dark-gray soil.

Molecular-biological methods permitted to study the structure of the microbial community in the profile of dark-gray soil (Luvic Retic Greyzemic Phaeozem) in Kashira district of the Moscow region. Microorganisms playing an important role in transformation of the soil organic matter are mainly concentrated in the topsoil and the major microbiological studies are related to this part of the soil profile. However, the study of the microbial community in the lower soil horizons is not only of theoretical but also practical interest in view of increasing the intensity of erosion processes. The method of quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to estimate the DNA quantity of bacteria, archaea and micromycetes in horizons of the above soil. The material of mole passage on a depth 80 cm was also studied. The highest DNA quantity of bacteria and archaea was found in the upper humusaccumulative horizon (9.6 × 10 8 and 9 × 10 7 copy/g of soil respectively). Its quantity was decreased downwards the profile, what is connected with changes in the physic-chemical conditions of soil. DNA of micromycetes was evenly distributed throughout the soil profile (5.4–9.4 × ×10 7 copy/g). In the mole passage material the DNA content of different microorganism groups was close to that in lower mineral soil horizons. This may be explained by water infiltration through the mole passage material accompanying by eluviation of microorganisms in the period of soil wetting. The factors affecting the DNA amount of microorganisms are elementary soil processes including the biogenic-accumulative process in the upper soil horizons, clay-illuvial and humus-illuvial processes in the lower horizons of the dark-gray soil.

The idea of G.V. Dobrovol’skii about the spatial variability of microscopic soil features was tested by the example of the micromorphological indices of soil pores (d = 0.2–2.0 mm) visible in thin sections in separate soil horizons and in the vertical soil profiles. For this purpose, 4-m-long soil trenches with a depth of 1.5–1.8 m were examined in the virgin soddy-podzolic and gray forest soils of Moscow and Tula oblasts of Russia. It was shown that most of the micromorphometric indices of soil pores are characterized by the medium and high intrahorizon variability (the coefficient of variation V = 11–33%). The minimum variability (V = 5–14%) was found for the average values of the form factor of soil pores in thin sections, which attests to a relative stability of the shape of soil pores within the given horizons. The variability of the geometric parameters of soil pores in the studied soil profiles was also examined. Variation in the parameters of soil pores within separate thin sections was used as an additional characteristic of the studied soil objects.

The results of micromorphological and microbiological studies of the initial pedogenesis on the gypsum-bearing calcareous heavy loams exposed within an artificially created mesodepression in the northern Caspian semidesert are discussed. Under conditions of an increased moistening and dense cover of trees and shrubs, the initial soil profile developed in 30 years has specific microfeatures related to the high activity of macro-, meso-, and microbiota. Micromorphological studies of large (5.5 × 8 cm) thin sections allowed us to trace the direction of humification processes, the degree of the biological decomposition of plant residues, and the character of structural changes under the impact of seasonal soil freezing against the background of the layered character of parent materials. Microbiological investigations demonstrated certain changes in the distribution patterns of different ecotrophic groups of soil microorganisms related to the input of fresh leave litter onto the soil surface and the decay of the roots of arboreal and herbaceous plants in the mineral soil profile. The layered distribution of plant residues in the soil profile predetermined specific functioning patterns of these groups.

A semi-centennial history of compiling the State soil map of Kamchatka is described; the reasons for its correcting and partial alterating are shown including new data about soils and regularities in the soil development in this peninsula, particular ashes distribution in the region, available satellite imagery of high resolution. The map was compiled in traditional paper version by using multizonal aerospace Landsat images, geological maps at 1:1 000 000 and 1: 5 000 000 scales, a hypsometric map at 1: 1 000 000 scale, the published materials about soils, the vegetation cover and the soil-ash mantle. In general, Kamchatka and its separate regions have been so far examined insufficiently and the compilation of the State soil map assumes an expert character being based upon the comprehensive analysis of different available information on soils. As an example the swampy West-Kamchatka (Pre-Okhotsk) lowland is considered. A list of soils demonstrating on this map is given to show 26 soils, 4 grades according to the particle-size distribution and 2 grades according to the lithologic-mineralogical composition of compacted soil-forming rocks and their genesis.

A semi-centennial history of compiling the State soil map of Kamchatka is described; the reasons for its correcting and partial alterating are shown including new data about soils and regularities in the soil development in this peninsula, particular ashes distribution in the region, available satellite imagery of high resolution. The map was compiled in traditional paper version by using multizonal aerospace Landsat images, geological maps at 1:1 000 000 and 1: 5 000 000 scales, a hypsometric map at 1: 1 000 000 scale, the published materials about soils, the vegetation cover and the soil-ash mantle. In general, Kamchatka and its separate regions have been so far examined insufficiently and the compilation of the State soil map assumes an expert character being based upon the comprehensive analysis of different available information on soils. As an example the swampy West-Kamchatka (Pre-Okhotsk) lowland is considered. A list of soils demonstrating on this map is given to show 26 soils, 4 grades according to the particle-size distribution and 2 grades according to the lithologic-mineralogical composition of compacted soil-forming rocks and their genesis.

The work of the Dokuchaev Soil Institute site on soil classification during the last three years is analyzed. The main subject of the discussion is the Classification and Diagnostics of Soils of Russia (2004) as compared to the classification of 1977. The website’s visitors, mainly soil scientists performing survey under contracts or involved in organizing environmental monitoring consult the diagnostics and names of their objects according to the new classification. The principles and structure of the classification system and criteria for distinguishing the basic taxa are accepted by practically everybody; the proposals on the correction of the diagnostics of soil horizons and their characteristics are made for a wide spectrum of soils. Many of the suggestions were taken into account by the authors in the last edition of this classification (2008). The users of the site are especially interested in anthropogenically modified soils, primarily in urban soils and soils disturbed by mining operations. Among the site’s visitors are many students and postgraduates, who are especially active during the examination periods.