The paleogeographic development of the natural process in the Late Pleistocene on the East European Plain had a rhythmic pattern with repeated alternation of cold and warm climatic eras. Continental glaciations arising on the East European Plain, in particular, the Late Valdai (Weichselian) glaciation, were reflected in changes in topography formation. Regional paleoenvironmental conditions of the formation of modern soil cover in the area of gray forest soils in central Russia are discussed. The impact of paleocryogenesis on the features of the Holocene soils is considered by the example of Vladimir and Moscow oblasts. In Vladimir oblast, soils were studied in Suzdal district on the territory of the Kibol-5 archaeological site of the early Middle Ages. In Moscow oblast, studied were conducted at the Pushchino key site. The differentiation of soil profiles related to the specificity of parent materials formed under the impact of the Late Weichselian paleocryogenesis with the development of cryogenic microtopography was demonstrated. It was also found that the surface microtopography is predetermined by the buried paleocryogenic polygonal network of elevated blocks (microhighs) and interblock depressions (microlows). The paleocryogenic genesis of this microtopography caused by cryogenic deformation of large wedge-shaped features was confirmed. Large cryogenic wedge-shaped soil features in the study area formed about 22–14 ka ago, which is confirmed by radiocarbon data. The dependence of the Holocene loamy soils in central Russia on the characteristics of parent materials is manifested at the levels of soil profiles, soil horizons, and particular soil properties. It is argued that the presence of Late Pleistocene paleocryogenic features greatly affects the formation of the profiles of Holocene soils and enhances the action of the anthropogenic factor on soil development. As an environmental factor, Late Weichsel paleocryogenesis differentiates soils at the high taxonomic level contributing to the formation of complex soil cover patterns.

Delineation of the features of paleocryogenic microtopography by zero-curvature morphoisographs on a test plot in the south of Moscow oblast enabled us to reveal the polygonal-blocky microrelief (microelevations, microdepressions, slopes, and runoff strips), forming eluvial, trans-eluvial, and trans-accumulative agrolandscapes. The soil cover pattern of eluvial agrolandscape includes elementary soil areas of noneroded, slightly eroded, moderately eroded, and aggraded soils. The agrolandscape is dominated by noneroded soils. The soil cover pattern of trans-eluvial agrolandscapes with microdepressions includes elementary soil areas of slightly, moderately, and strongly eroded soils, as well as eroded–aggraded and aggraded soils, with the dominations of slightly eroded soils. The soil cover pattern of trans-accumulative agrolandscapes also includes elementary soil areas of slightly, moderately, and strongly eroded soils; eroded–aggraded soils; and aggraded soils with the domination of strongly eroded soils. The paleocryogenic microrelief became the initial factor of the formation of elementary soil areas with different erosion rates during the long-term (200 years) agricultural use of these lands. Elementary soil areas with different erosion rates of the upper horizons are characterized by outcropping of underlying horizons of different textures. We have identified silt loam, light clay, and clay loam exposed to the surface by erosion on the studied plot. As a result, a complex soil cover pattern with differentiation of soils at the level of varieties (in Russian soil classification system, a taxonomic category based on the topsoil texture) was formed.

The results of interdisciplinary research conducted at the Eneolithic archeological site Oroshaemoe (5–7 ka BC) in Saratov oblast are presented. The studied soils are calcareous light chestnut soils (Eutric Cambisols (Loamic, Protocalcic, Ochric)); in the archeological excavation, they are human-modified and contain various artifacts. A set of pedological, paleopedological, paleoclimatic, and paleobotanical methods and radiocarbon dating have been applied. Information on alternation of the periods of humidization and aridization of the territory, stages of soil formation and sedimentation, and on the vegetation cover in the Holocene at the archeological site has been obtained and refined. According to our data, periodic alternation of more humid and more arid conditions has taken place since 7245 ± 60 BP. The stages of aridization were accompanied by the short-term sedimentation related to the activation of eolian processes. Loesslike sediments deposited during these stages are archeologically sterile (do not contain artifacts) and are relatively thin in comparison with the cultural layers separating them. The stages of humidization were marked by more active sedimentation accompanied by soil formation. The obtained data suggest that the past 5000 years have been the period of some humidization of climatic conditions. Preliminary estimates of sedimentation and soil formation rates in the Holocene in the study area attest to their considerable fluctuations. Thus, the rate of soil formation varied from 35 to 0.8 cm per century. The results of this study allow us to refine paleoclimatic reconstructions for the considered area. Periodic changes in the environmental conditions during the Holocene affected the life of the tribes, patterns of human settling, and regional and, possibly, global migration processes. The reconstruction of natural and climatic features of the archeological site and its comparison with published data attest to the uneven paleogeographic situation in the Lower Volga region. It is argued that the chronology of landscape and climatic changes during the Holocene as presented in the publications for the southern arid regions of the East European Plain needs to be revised and made more detailed.

Priming effects initiated by the addition of 14С glucose have been compared for humus horizons of soils existing under continuous input of fresh organic substrates and for buried soil horizons, in which entering of organic matter has been essentially limited. The effect of microrelief on the manifestation of priming effect in the humus horizons of gray forest soil on microhigh and in microlow has been estimated. Humus horizon in soils on microhigh, not activated by glucose, produced two times more СО2 in comparison with soils of microlow. However, the introduction of glucose canceled the effect of microrelief on СО2 emission. The intensity of absolute priming effect correlated with the Сorg pool, initial microbial biomass, and enzyme activity, decreasing from humus horizons to the buried ones, and did not depend on microrelief. The effect of microrelief was observed, when assessing the priming effect relative to control (soil not activated by glucose): the value of relative priming effect was 1.5 times greater in А horizon of gray forest soil in microlow in comparison with that on microhigh being the result of increasing activity of enzymes.

Living cultural strains of the green algae ‘Chlorella’ mirabilis and Muriella terrestris have been isolated from buried soils, and their identification has been confirmed by morphological and molecular-genetic analysis. It has been shown that the retention of their viability could be related to their small size and the presence of sporopollenin in cell walls. The effect of methods for the reactivation of dormant microbial forms on the growth of algae in paleosols has been estimated. The total DNA content has been determined in buried and recent background soils, and relationship between DNA and the presence and age of burial has been established.

The distribution and variation of the magnetic susceptibility (MS) have been studied in the profiles of soils with paleocryogenic features. The MS values proved to be tightly related to the Corg content, the \(pH_{H_2 O}\) (on the paleocryogenic microhighs (blocks)), and the pHKCl (in the paleocryogenic microlows (interblock spaces)). The horizons of the buried soils were characterized by the high variability of the MS with the maximum variations at much smaller distances than those in the surface soils. This allows us to suppose that the soil-forming conditions in the ancient soils differed significantly from those in the recent soils. The differences in the spatial variability of the MS values are largely related to the presence of paleocryogenic features, which also considerably affect the current soil processes.

The project is directed on the solution of fundamental problem of genesis, geography and ecology of soils concerning influence of geogenic factors on processes of soil formation. Researches the features of formation the soil-forming rocks was conducted on a site of gray forest soils. In structure of a section-exposure the five stratigraphic horizons are opened. The characteristic of physical and chemical properties of modern soils is given, the total structure of soils is given, definition of magnetic susceptibility of soils and rocks is carried out. The received results once again convincingly show that organization and structure of the modern soil cover which is forming under the influence of modern (holocenic) factors of soil formation, is considerably differentiated by paleoattributes and paleoprocesses (in this case by paleocryogenesis).

The soil, being the natural-historical body which isn't adapting to the changing environment, but keeping in its profile signs of these changes, can be considered as one of the best objects for research the trends of paleogeographic medium development in natural cycles of biosphere development. Identification of signs of the concrete fossil soils characterizing local changes of natural processes, allows to detail the long-term process of modern biosphere long polycyclic formation.

Influence of paleoecological factors, namely paleocryogenic microrelief, on variability of some indicators of soils biological properties is studied. The microrelief of modern surface in the field of gray forest soils and chernozems causes redistribution of soil moisture, determining by that the distinction of physical-chemical and morphological properties of soils. It is shown that soils of blocks differ, as a rule, from soils of interblocks by bigger capacity of humic horizon, but smaller values of biological properties indicators. Spatial variability of soils biological properties, caused by paleocryogenic microrelief, is comparable on value to influence of subzonic pedogenetic conditions of soil formation.

The regularities of soil properties spatial variation, arisen due to the recent and paleocryogenic processes, have been studied on the example of magnetic susceptibility (MS). The results of statistical analysis, analyses of topoisopleths and morphological features of the pit 1-2010 (Tula aria, N 54°38, E 38°28) showed that significant variability of MS due to the presence of distinctly expressed features of pa-leocryogenesis, which was manifested in the form of wedges and pockets of different generations, as well as solifluction. The horizons of maximum variation values of MS observed at distances less than half in overlying strata in the buried soil. For all lines of sampling variography showed moderate and strong spa-tial dependence of data, except the A1 old arable horizon.

Рассмотрен генезис чернозема под 105-летней лесополосой в заказнике Каменная степь, имеющий сложную историю развития. В этом развитии особенное значение имели процессы палеокриогенеза в почвообразующих породах, которые на дневной поверхности выражаются в форме реликтового полигонально-блочного микрорельефа. Древний микрорельеф и молодой лес определили современное строение почвенного покрова.

It is shown, that holocenic soilformation in the European forest-steppe substantially depends on history of parent rocks, which are the Late Pleistocenic coveral loesslike loams. Loams were generated as a re-sult of joint action of processes litho-, cryoand pedogenesis, represent the pedocyclitis, consisting of a series imposed against each other, a little differing for morphologically elementary soil bodies. Modern soils were generated as a result of imposing of holocenic soilformation on Late Pleistocenic pedocyclitis.