The influence of long-term “dry” and “wet” climatic cycles on the water regime, hydrological parameters, and carbonate profiles of chernozems in Central European Russia and adjacent territories was studied. The hydrological and carbonate profiles were found to change during the wet cycle. However, the upper part of the hydrological profile is basically unchanging, whereas in its lower part, the number of hydrological horizons and contrast in their moistening decrease in the forest-steppe chernozems and increase in the steppe chernozems. The frequency of through wetting of chernozems increases during the wet cycles. The vertical lithological heterogeneity of the parent material affects the soil moisture status. In the wet climatic cycle, the moisture content above the lithological contact increases resulting in the development of the features of soil hydromorphism. In the carbonate profile, the character of pedofeatures is changing: some carbonate neoformations disappear, while the other ones develop. Possible variations of the periodically percolative water regime were revealed in chernozems. The classification of water regime proposed by A.A. Rode may be updated based on the data obtained during the dry climatic cycle. Rode’s hypothesis about cyclic variations in the soil water regime is confirmed.

The data obtained by GRACE satellite allowed comprehensively analyzing the dynamics of total terrestrial water storage within the period from 2003 to 2012 at the territory of European Russia. Having compared the satellite data and the information on the dynamics of the groundwater level obtained in the course of field survey by using 12 evenly distributed bore holes at the studied territory (Central Federal and North-Caucasian Federal regions), it is worth emphasizing that there is a clearly expressed co-variation between the satellite images and the groundwater depth. The analysis of trend in total water content identified by satellite data showed that it is positive towards the north-western and negative in the south and south-eastern part of European Russia. The total content of terrestrial water storage reveals periodical changes in the range from 3 to 8-9 years. The prolonged periods are observed in central and north-western parts, being shortened towards the north and south-east of the studied territory. The obtained data serve as evidence of periodically changing the total terrestrial water storage but its minimum will be observed in the east of Northern Caucasus, in Vologda, Yaroslavl, Moscow and Kostroma regions in 2016, in central part and Krasnodar region in 2018-2019 and in Kirov and Perm’ regions in 2016-2017. The results of the given studies can find a use in long-term forecasting of crop yields, in soil mapping and cultivation of new fruit plantations.

A geoinformation database for assessing soil resource potential for horticulture in Krasnodar region and Adygea has been developed. The results of geoinformation analysis indicate that only 55–60% of soils in these regions are suitable for growing horticultural crops without limitations; about 35–40% of the total soil area is unsuitable for horticultural purposes. For plum trees, the area of unsuitable soils is somewhat lower than for other horticultural crops. Geographically, the areas of soils suitable and unsuitable for horticulture are close to one another. The thickness of the loose earthy soil material, the gravel content, the degree of salinization, the soil texture, and the degree of soil hydromorphism are the major soil properties imposing considerable limitations for the development of fruit-growing industry in the studied regions. The highest portions of soils suitable for horticulture are found in Eiskii, Kushchevskii, Krylovskii, Shcherbinovskii, and Novokubanskii districts of Krasnodar region. The development of horticulture in Tuapsinskii, Slavyanskii, and Primorsko-Akhtarskii districts is limited because of the unsuitability of soils for this purpose. About 8% of the existing orchards are found on soils recognized as unsuitable for horticulture, and only about 20% of the existing orchards are found on soils suitable for fruit growing without limitations. About 70% of the existing fruit orchards are located on degraded soils or on soils with certain limitations for horticulture. The profitability of fruit orchards on such soils is lower than that of the orchards planted on soils without limitations for horticulture. This information is necessary for the adequate economic evaluation of the degree of soil degradation.

The principles of typological soil-genetic zoning based on the substantive-genetic classification of Russian soils (2004) and realized for the State Soil Map of Russia on a scale of 1 : 1 M are considered. Three categories of characteristics are applied to the system of zoning units: taxonomic, process-based, and landscape- indicative characteristics. The relationship between them changes in dependence on the taxonomic level of the zoning unit; at the lower level, the spatial (landscape-indicative) criterion plays the major role. This criterion is also important in the delimitation of soil groups (soil communities) serving as the central taxonomic unit of the zoning. At this level, all the three groups of characteristics are equally important. The definitions of the taxonomic units of the soil-genetic zoning are given, and their characteristic features are described. An algorithm of the zoning procedure is illustrated by the example of the maps developed for the Privolzhskii federal okrug. It is suggested that the soil-genetic zoning can be used as one of the ways to update the State Soil Map.

Results of investigations are presented about locating fruit plantations in zones of ecological optimum on the basis of a new model for dynamics of resource potential of land for creating the uniform automated information system (EAC).

An approach for the updating of medium-scale soil maps is discussed. It is based on the use of modern remote sensing and geoinformation technologies. The boundaries of soil polygons shown on the old soil maps and their soil contents are corrected using geoinformation analysis of modern topographic data and automated interpretation of vegetation conditions as reflected on satellite imagery. The developed methods are illustrated by the particular examples.

Предложен подход по обновлению среднемасштабных почвенных карт, который базируется на использовании современных спутниковых и геоинформационных технологий. Контурная и содержательная часть старой почвенной карты корректируется, используя последовательно в качестве подложки результаты геоинформационного анализа современных данных о рельефе территории и автоматизированного дешифрирования растительности по спутниковым изображениям. Разработанные подходы проиллюстрированы на конкретных примерах.

In the course of different climatic cycles and the prolonged one in particular the biosphere including the plant and soil cover reveals considerable changes. Due to warming the cold six months and increasing the moisture in warm ones started in the 1970s the plant coenoses, the moisture regime and the whole calcareous profile have been highly changed in migration-mycelial chernozems of different ecosystems within the Kursk region. Based upon the long-term investigations (1947–2006) it seemed reasonable to conclude that during more than 30 years the above chernozems are found under conditions of the increased moisture which is not typical for them. As a result, their diagnostic features displayed great changes. The cyclic recurrence of their carbonate status has been determined as caused by cyclic climatic conditions and changes in plant coenoses and the moisture regime.

The soil-genetic zoning proposed, unlike the known scheme of soil-genetic zoning, is based on the analysis of soil properties and soil-forming processes. Its objective is to interpret the soil cover in the format of the substantive-genetic soil classification of Russia (2004). The units of the soil-genetic zoning are distinguished according to the manifestations of horizon-forming processes: the main processes determining the principal trend of pedogenesis and the soil profile composition at the first level and the additional processes (forming the associated soils) serving as criteria for distinguishing the units at the second level. The results obtained allow considering this investigation as an experience of a new interpretation of a small-scale soil map and its analysis from two positions: the geography of the soil-forming processes and the complexity of the soil cover. The soil-genetic zoning has been carried out on the basis of the State Soil Map sheets; it can be an instrument for the conversion of the map's contents into the substantive-genetic soil classification of Russia (2004).

The carbonate profiles of migrational-mycelial (typical) chernozems under regularly mown and absolutely reserved steppes in the V.V. Alekhin Central Chernozemic State Biospheric Reserve and under cropland with cereals (Kursk oblast) were studied in 2007–2009. A comparison of the results of these studies with previous results obtained in the mid-1970s attests to certain changes in the carbonate profiles of the soils. They are conditioned by the activation of the migration of carbonates and the more pronounced manifestation of differently directed processes of the leaching and accumulation of carbonates. The reasons for the observed transformation of the carbonate profiles are related to the increased moistening of the upper 3-m-deep chernozemic layer in different ecosystems because of a general rise in the humidity of the local climate in the recent decades (1973–2006).

The ways of further development of the State Soil Map (SSM) of the Russian Federation are discussed. This map represents the most valuable product of soil mapping projects in Russia. It has been developed since the 1930s. A long duration of the map compilation has resulted in certain differences in the methods of mapping, topographic base, and classification decisions applied on separate pages of the map. Another specific feature of the SSM is related to different amounts of soil information available for different parts of the country. At present, two major challenges face researchers working on this map. First, it is necessary to preserve rich information collected by several generations of Russian pedologists and reflected on the map. Second, this information has to be renewed on the basis of new information sources (satellite images, modern topographic base, and new data on soils and their geography), common ideology of the map, and new digital technologies of the map compilation. The analysis of several pages of the map on the territory of the North Caucasus is discussed. An algorithm of introducing corrections to the map and its renewal is suggested. In the course of our work, a digitized version of two pages of the map, the digital elevation model, and Landsat imagery were used. The cartographic work was performed using GeoDraw software. Our experience in the correction and renewal of the SSM attests to the high potential of the methods of digital soil mapping for these purposes. The analysis of the map in the GIS environment makes it possible to reveal possible drawbacks in the initial map pages and to suggest feasible methods of their correction and further development of the SSM.

Information about the soil-forming materials and soil texture shown on pages of the State Soil Map (SSS) on a 1: 1 M scale, the Soil Map of the Russian Federation on a 1: 2.5 M, and several other small-scale soil maps is analyzed. Certain discrepancies exist in the approaches used to display this information, in the names of the soil textural classes and genetic groups of soil-forming materials, and in the degree of detail of their representation on separate pages of the SSS and on other soil maps compiled by different authors. To eliminate these discrepancies, it is suggested that the soil classification should be supplemented with a special section containing systematized information on the soil-forming materials existing in Russia. The manuals on soil mapping on different scales should be supplemented with recommendations on showing the soil texture and the composition of the soil-forming materials on the maps.

The description, principles of structure, and specifics of compilation of the geographical information system for inventory of data on the soil cover of Russia and on the degree of its degradation by anthropogenic impacts are discussed.

The IIASA/LUC georeferenced database for the former USSR (in part only for Russia), was created within the framework of the project Modeling of Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Europe and Northern Asia (LUC). For Russia, essential information on relief, soil, vegetation, land cover and use, etc. for routine environmental analysis was lacking when the LUC project first started developing the database. In addition, the environmental data on the former USSR which was available occurred in formats (papers, tables, etc.) that in general could not be used with modern information technology, and in particular in model building. In creating the LUC project database, we have established a threefold task: (1) to obtain the relevant information for the LUC project modeling exercises; (2) to develop data which is applicable to modern information technology; (3) to contribute a series of digital databases which could be applied for a number of other specific analysis by the national and international scientific community. In defining the tasks it was agreed to create a set of digital databases which could be handled by a geographic information systems (GIS). This required that the data had to be georeferenced. The complete set of georeferenced digital databases was combined into the LUC project's GIS, using ARC/INFO. However, each individual item (physiography, soil, vegetation, etc.) was created as an unique specific digital database, allowing to be used separately, depending on user's needs. The complete series of the unique georeferenced digital databases is described in several IIASA/LUC volumes: Volume 1 -- Physiography (land forms, slope conditions, elevations); Volume 2 -- Soil; Volume 3 -- Soil degradation status (Russia); Volume 4 -- Vegetation; Volume 5 -- Land categories; Volume 6 -- Agricultural regionalization.

The main principles of the WOFOST crop growth simulation art: described. The possibilities of using this model for the analysis of potential soil productivity and assessment of soil resources are demonstrated by the example of a key plot in the Ozerskii district of Moscow oblast. in particular, the resource potential of the soils for potato growing is analyzed.