A middle-taiga iron-illuvial podzol (Glossic Endogleyic Albic Podzol) was studied on an ancient eolian dune in the Bol’shoi Yugan River basin (the Ob’ River tributary, Surgut region), near the large-scale archaeological research site. The radiocarbon age of 31 charcoals was determined, and 8 variants of the location of charcoal-containing soil zones relative to other morphological patterns were identified. It was proved that charcoal can help in dating the time of mosaic pattern formation, and the development of podzolic horizon coincided with intense wildfires in the second half of the Holocene. It was found that charcoal-containing soil zones first appeared in soils about 5 ka ago. Charcoals older than 5 ka cal. BP were not found. Pyrogenic events became twice more frequent at the beginning of the third millennium BP, with their maximum in the middle of the third millennium BP. The frequency of pyrogenic events decreased noticeably at the very end of the second millennium BP. Many peaks of pyrogenic events during the last five millennia coincided with the periods of archaeological cultures. An assumption that the continuous existence of forest environment leads to the permanent burial of charcoal due to fall of a tree accompanied by its uprooting was partially confirmed.

Detailed study of a peat plateau near the southern boundary of the East European permafrost zone has been performed. The botanical and palynological compositions of the peat to the depth of 10 m, its radiocarbon dates (the AMS method), and its physical and chemical characteristics have been determined. The accumulation of peat in this area began about 8300 years ago at the end of the Boreal period. In the middle of the Atlantic period, the rate of peat accumulation reached 1.44 mm/yr. During the warming phase in the Middle Subboreal period, the peat plateau was subjected to active thermal erosion; part of the peat was eroded. The processes of thermal erosion are also active at present and destroy the edges of peat mounds. At the same time, the gradual accumulation of peat on the plateau continues. An increase in the degree of peat mineralization is expected upon the establishment of aerobic conditions against the background degradation of the permafrost. Peat plateaus and large peat mounds have been the sinks of atmospheric carbon for a larger part of their history. In this context, we do not expect their significant negative influence on the climate in the future.

Рассмотрены вопросы, связанные с морфологической диагностикой процессов почвообразования, протекающих в молодых почвах техногенных ландшафтов. Проведены многоуровневые морфологические исследования почв, сформированных на поверхности разновозрастных отвалов каменноугольных разрезов, расположенных в широком спектре климатических условий Сибири. Установлено, что на первых стадиях формирования почв преобладают процессы преобразования минерального субстрата (первичного почвообразования). В дальнейшем, по мере развития почв, ведущую роль в формировании профиля начинают играть процессы превращения органического вещества, что выражается через формирование специфического для каждой климатической зоны органопрофиля. Проведенные микро- и субмикроморфологические наблюдения позволили оценить характер ведущих почвенных процессов, а также выявить признаки, свидетельствующие о протекании сопутствующих процессов.

Рассмотрены закономерности строения почвенного покрова северной части ареала черневой тайги, располагающейся на Томь-Яйском междуречье в диапазоне высот 170-270 м, ниже которого находятся ландшафты предгорной подтаежной провинции. Выделены три основные формы мезорельефа: плоские водораздельные поверхности, мезосклоны, преобладающие по площади, и расчленяющие их балки, а также долины ручьев. Фоновыми комбинациями почвенного покрова склонов являются мезосочетания дерново-подзолистых (светло-серых) типичных сверхглубокоосветленных почв с темно-серыми (серыми) остаточно-гумусовыми глееватыми темнокутанными почвами. С увеличением степени дренирования, при движении от водоразделов к балкам, уменьшается доля не характерных для типичной черневой тайги почв: глееватых подтипов (почти от 100% на плоских водораздельных поверхностях до 10-15% на мезосклонах) и с признаками остаточной гумусированности (от 80-90 до 10-15% соответственно). Набор компонентов почвенного покрова имеет черты как типичной черневой тайги низкогорий (дерново-подзолистые сверхглубокоосветленные почвы), так и подтайги юга Западной Сибири (темно-серые и серые остаточно-гумусовые почвы).

Morphological diagnostics of soil-forming processes in the young soils of technogenic landscapes are considered. Comprehensive multilevel studies of soils developed on the tailings of coal mines of different age in a wide range of climatic conditions in Siberia are performed. The processes of the mineral substrate transformation predominate at the initial stages of soil formation. Then, with the development of the soil profiles, the processes of the organic matter transformation begin to play the major role, and the organoprofiles of the soils specific to the particular climatic zone are formed. Micro- and submicroscopic studies allow us to judge the character of major soil processes and to identify the features attesting to the activity of some associated processes.

Soil cover patterns in the northern part of the area of aspen-fir taiga on the Tom’-Yaya interfluve at 170–270 m a.s.l. are analyzed. Landscapes of the subtaiga piedmont province are found at somewhat lower heights. The three major forms of the local mesotopography include virtually flat interfluve surfaces, slopes (that predominate in area), and the network of ravines and small river valleys. Modal soil combinations on the slopes consist of the typical soddy-podzolic soils with very deep bleached eluvial horizons and dark gray (or gray) residual-humus gleyic soils with dark humus coatings. With an increase in the degree of drainage of the territory (toward the local erosional network), the portion of gleyic soil subtypes decreases from nearly 100% on the flat interfluves to 10–15% on the slopes; the portion of soils with residual humus features decreases from 80–90 to 10–15%, respectively. These two soil subtypes can be considered intergrades between typical soils of the aspen-fir taiga (soddy-podzolic soils with very deep bleached horizons) and dark gray and gray residual-humus soils characteristic of the subtaiga zone in the south of Western Siberia.

The soil research main stages of the Shira lake drained basin are reported. The scientist contribution into the development of the researched area soil and soil cover ideas are sequentially stated.

Relevance of knowledge of the nature of stability of soils to degradation processes is defined by changes of physical condition, which is one of the main and most widespread types of transformation of soils and soil cover. Thus, degradation of physical condition of soils is understood as a steady change of their physical properties, first of all, structural condition leading to deterioration of water, air, nutritious, and other modes. It can be tracked when comparing the chernozems formed under the forest belt with the soils which are using under crops of corn and couples. Changes of their physic-mechanical properties being characterized are observed by water proofness, mechanical stability of units and mechanical durability of soil pastes. Considering that the majority of physical properties of soils are not independent values, and are functions from several arguments, such as shrinkage, swelling, penetration resistance, etc., the mean existence of dependence of these properties from humidity, i.e. they represent soil and physical dependences. Quantitatively it is difficult to analyze and compare such dependences. If experimental procedure of their definition leads to a variation (dispersion) of values, for such an assessment and comparison there is a possibility of use of parameters of approximation of experimental dependences. However, conditions of correct application of such an approach, limit of applicability, scientific and reasonable use of parameters of approximations represent an urgent scientific problem. In this article questions of change of strength properties of soil structure, namely, the soil units of 3-5 mm and 5-7 mm in size making agronomically valuable part of soil structure are considered. For research three options of soils under different agricultural loading are chosen. On the basis of the received results on studying of durability and basic physical properties of soils search of correlation of strength characteristics of units and the corresponding physical and chemical properties of soils is executed. The comparative characteristic of the declared properties of soils depending on intensity of loading is carried out.

The use prospect analysis of psychrophilic and psychrotolerant bacteria mixed cultures in plant protection from diseases revealed that these bacteria can be used for effective biological plant protection in a wide range of temperatures during the whole vegetation season.

Every year, up to three billion tons of solid waste are brought to the surface in the Kuznetsk Coal Basin. The majority of them consist of overburden and enclosing rocks extracted during coal mining. When on the surface, these substances start to undergo the process of oxidation, which is accompanied by the formation of new compounds capable of accumulating or migrating and, thus, complicating the environmental situation in the adjacent landscapes. The soil redox systems are known to be capable of fixation and detoxication of the products of oxidation. For instance, in the process of the humus formation, phenolic substances can form polymers that are similar in their properties to humus acids. The entry of biogenic substances on surface and into substratum is the most important condition for transformation of initial lithogenic redox systems to paedogenic. The influence of vegetation as a factor determining both quantity and quality of incoming biogenic substances in different soils is irregular and depends on embriosems evolution stages. In reference to these facts the goal of research was to evaluate vegetative cover influence on redox system transformation processes in soils of man-caused landscapes of Kemerovo region. Soils formed on Olgerass coal-mine dumps, located in mountain-taiga zone of Kuzbass were taken as objects of research. Embriosems formed at this moment on surface of coal-mine dump refer to initial, organo-accumulative, turf and humus-accumulative types, in accordance with man-caused landscapes soil classification. The results of the research show that transformation of initial lithogenic redox systems to paedogenic depends on floral group composition. Meanwhile forming paedogenic redox systems proceed stepwise, in accordance with phytocenosis succession stages. It is ascertained that pioneer vegetation, typical of initial embriosems, does not provide enough quantity of biogenic substances entry. Chemogenic redox systems transformation processes are prevalent in such embriosems. Simple vegetation corresponded to organo-accumulative embriosems sustain activation of biologic processes. It expressed in accumulation of reduced biogenic substances on surface of the soil as turf horizon. Predominance of biogenic redox processes is attributable for such type of embriosems. Complex vegetation forming on turf embriosems support advance of paedogenic redox processes. It takes place under intra-soil influence of live organisms and their vital activity products on substratum. Self-contained phytocenosis, typical of humus-accumulative embriosems, sustain paedogenic accumulative redox processes. The evolution of these processes is accompanied by the forming ofpaedogenic reduced substances or humus accumulative horizon.