The temporal dynamics (1980-1989-1997-2002-2007-2012-2015) of the physical and chemical properties of the mountain chernozems, the most widely spread soils of the northern slope of Djinal ridge, were studied. The investigations were conducted on the lands of “Kabardino-Balkaria Research Institute of Agriculture”. We revealed that according to the state of these soils in a year 2015 the soils were affected by two types of degradation processes, which differ according to the development degree and the spatial cover of the territory. The whole territory is characterized by the processes of the strong dehumification, and the processes of medium degree of dehumification are manifested only within local areas. The consequences of the strong dehumification of the investigated soils are manifested in the significant (the coefficient is 0.70) decrease of their fertility level. The damage for the soils affected by the strong dehumification reaches 18% according to the assessment of the lands value. The most of the studied soils were also affected by the agro-exhausting in a weak or medium degree. The fertility level index for weakly diluted soils of the agricultural areas is considered to be equal to 0.90. The damage for the assessment of the land area for these soils contain 5%. The decrease of the fertility for weakly diluted soils is insignificant (the coefficient of the fertility level is 0.95), and the damage for the purposes of the land area assessment may be neglected. We calculated the total damage (30009 rubles per ha) due to the degradation processes which affected the value of the land area. We also calculated the cost of rehabilitation of these soils and their recovery to the level of the initial state.

Nomenclature and taxonomic diversity of soils and their horizon-profile diagnostics/descriptions define morphogenetic soil indicators used in the Unified State Register of Soil Resources of Russia (with Russian abbreviation of EGRPR). Most of these soil indicators are of non-metric origin, i.e., established conventionally by agreement. Subject area of soil science includes a hierarchy of 5 types of soil objects (pit, profile, horizon, morphological element and sample), 380 indicators, 607 methods and 3019 values of the indicators.

The authors systematized and comprehensively analyzed the different sources containing the information on surface and underground flooding of soils and lands at the territory of Central Russia. The above processes are observed through their intensive manifestation within the zones of soddy-podzolic, gray forest soils and chernozems in Tver’, Smolensk, Moscow, Ryazan’, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, Tambov, Yaroslavl, Kaluga regions of the studied territory. It is shown that natural events and those induced by human interventions serve as a reason for ccurring and developing these processes in different regions. The soils reveal short-duration flooding and become even waterlogged due to frequent and heavy rainfalls and spring floods taken place almost every year. However, the soils are becoming excessively wet for a long period of time resulted from the groundwater rise due to water engineering constructions and the irrational land use. Being affected by natural and anthropogenic factors, the constant wetting (water-logging and underground flooding) can be also as a consequence of intense urban building accompanying by drainage destruction of the ground water. Special attention is paid to elaborating a complex of measures to prevent the adverse effects of such dangerous natural processes.

Approaches to evaluation of the degree of soil degradation and the related normative documents applied by specialists from state institutes for land management of the former Soviet Union in the course of largeand medium-scale soil surveys in the 1960s–1990s are analyzed. It is shown that the types and rates of soil degradation were specified without proper consideration for the taxonomic position of particular soils. Reference (nondegraded) soils were not clearly defined, which made it difficult to judge the degree of soil degradation by means of a comparative analysis of degraded and nondegraded soils. Such reference soils are suggested for several types of soil degradation (dehumification, compaction, depletion of nutrients, etc.). Additional diagnostic criteria of the degree of soil degradation caused by wind and water erosion, waterlogging, swamping, and other adverse processes are specified. The study of qualitative and quantitative changes in the soil properties during the post-Soviet period is important for the development of land monitoring system and for the analysis of economic aspects of land degradation. To ensure reliability of data on changes in the soil properties and soil cover patterns, possible errors related to incorrect comparison of the data obtained by traditional and modern approaches should be taken into account.

На основе анализа действующей нормативно-законодательной базы в области земле- и природопользования, научных и земельно-правовых представлений о почвах и землях уточнено содержание этих понятий как самостоятельных компонентов окружающей среды, исполняющих определенные экологические функции. Дана характеристика понятий “деградация почв” и “деградация земель”. Рассмотрена возможность применения показателей, характеризующих экологические функции почв и земель, в качестве основы для качественной и количественной оценки, нормирования и контроля их экологического состояния, деградации, в частности.

On the basis of legislative norms concerning land and nature management in Russia and scientific concepts of soil and land, new definitions of these basic concepts are suggested. Soils and lands are considered as separate components of the environment, each performing their own ecological functions. The definitions for land degradation and soil degradation are given. It is argued that the indicators of the ecological functions of soils and lands can be used for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of soil and land resources, ecological norming, and control of their ecological state, including degradation processes.

Under discussion are the results of systematization and comprehensive analysis of different literature sources containing the information on degradation and dangerous natural processes at the Asian territory of the Russian Federation. The degradation and adverse natural processes are divided into 3 groups according to their hazard extent: (a) processes oriented to destroy the soils and lands, (b) processes changing the soil cover pattern and leading to degradation of soils and decreasing their fertility; (c) processes deteriorating the land productivity. The assessment is given to show the distribution and dangerous occurrence of degradation and adverse natural processes in the Asian part of Russia (gully erosion, destruction of seashores and banks of water bodies, changes in river channels and floodplains, underground flood, heavy rainfall, flooding). The distribution and dangerous manifestation of adverse processes are highly varying at the studied territory in dependence on peculiar natural-climatic conditions. The paper presents the plans to continue such studies at the territory of European Russia in 1916 and their further development at the total country’s territory within the framework of the project “Transformation, evolution and degradation of soils due to agrogenesis and global climate changes”. The solution of the problem envisaged by this project is of primary importance in order to solve the social-economic tasks and objectives facing the country as well as to strengthen the Institute’s position as a leading centre in the given field of soil science.

The Unified State Register of Soil Resources (EGRPR) illustrates a modem soil cover model of Russia. The geographical part of the model is denoted by soil polygons, boundaries of administrative regions (subjects) of the Russian Federation (RF), boundaries of soil-ecological regions and points showing a location of representative soil profiles. The attributive part comprises a relational structure made of morphological-analytical description of soils included in the EGRPR and derived from morphologicalgenetic and analytical data of representative soil profiles, characteristics of the soil resources of subjects of the RF and description of soil-ecological regions.

Under consideration are results of studying an actual and very important problem related to dangerous underground flood processes and their occurrence in southern regions of European Russia. A comprehensive analysis was made to identify reasons for the development and intensity of such processes. It is shown that the underground flood processes become more intensive due to human activities in the sphere of water-power engineering. A system of measures is proposed how to protect the lands from the underground flood represented by a complex of preventive measures to maintain the optimal water-air regime in soils and to remediate their productivity.

Russia has long needed a world-level soil attribute (profile) information database which should become the basis for creating a system of monitoring of the state of soils and for developing measures for their conservation and efficient land use. A unified system of gathering and storing information on soils, which at the same time would be open for general use, is needed. The present work is devoted to problems of the concept and methodology of creating a soil geographic database (SGDB) of Russia. The structure and content of the soil attribute database, underlying which is the concept of representative soils profiles, are given. A list of classifiers for preparing data presentation formats in the SGDB on the basis of existing concepts of soil morphology and classifiers characterizing the main physicochemical properties of soils is developed. The work underlies the creation of an information resource—“Soil-Geographic Database of Russia. Project of the Dokuchaev Soil Science Society”—on the Internet at the address http://db.soi.msu.ru .

The published and author’s data on soil-forming conditions, morphology, substance composition and physicochemical properties, total chemical and mineralogical composition, and micromorphology of mountain-meadow soils of the Western Caucasus Range are analyzed. On the basis of the analytical data obtained, the transformation of minerals and features of chemical element profile patterns developed in the course of soil formation are characterized. The main processes accompanying the transformation of mineral and organic parts of the soil mass and migration of soil-formation products are described. Soil formation is shown to be accompanied by two major elementary soil processes developing with participation of soil biota: humus accumulation and clay formation. Ways to improve the classification of mountain-meadow soils are proposed.