Two profiles of weakly podzolised, well drained soils of abraded moraine plains in northwestern Russia are studied. The profiles are located at the edges and on the upper parts of slopes. They are developed upon two-layered rocks: stony sand-sandy loam deposite of complex genesis, underlain with reddish brown bouldery moraine loam. This determines a clear differentiation of the profile in terms of particle size distribution and bulk chemical composition, and also in terms of the mineralogical composition of the clay fraction.

Micromorphological features of the fine earth and skeletal fractions of soils of West Antarctica forming under different conditions of pedogenesis have been studied in the areas of Russian Antarctic stations. The processes of mineral weathering and alteration of rock fragments are more pronounced in the Subantarctic soils with better developed humification and immobilization of iron compounds under conditions of surface overmoistening. The biogenic accumulative processes in the soils of King George Island result in the appearance of initial forms of humic plasma that have not been detected in the Antarctic soils in the areas of the Russkaya and Leningradskaya stations. Humus films on mineral grains are present in the soils of King George Island, and organic plasmic material is present in the ornithogenic soils under penguin guano on Lindsey Island. High-latitude Antarctic soils may contain surface concentrations of organic matter; rock fragments are covered by iron oxides and soluble salts. The formation of amorphous organic plasma takes place in the ornithogenic soils of Lindsey Island. The microprobe analysis indicates the presence of local concentrations of organic matter and pedogenic compounds not only on the surface of rock fragments but also in the fissures inside them. This analysis has also proved the translocation of guano-derived organic substances inside rock fragments through a system of fissures in the soils of Lindsey Island and the development of a network of pores inside rock fragments in the soils of King George Island.

На примере почв окрестностей российских станций в Западной Антарктике изучены микроморфологические свойства мелкозема и скелета, характерные для различных условий почвообразования. Показано, что процессы выветривания минералов и обломков горных пород в большей степени выражены в субантарктических почвах, здесь также более развиты процессы гумификации, иммобилизации соединений железа в условиях поверхностного переувлажнения. Биогенно-аккумулятивные процессы в почвах субантарктического о-ва Кинг-Джордж могут приводить к формированию зачатков гумусовой плазмы в отличие от собственно антарктических почв станций Русская и Ленинградская. В почвах о-ва Кинг-Джордж выявлено образование пленок гумусовых веществ на минеральных зернах, а в почвах под гуано о-ва Линдси – образование органической плазмы. Для почв высокоширотных ландшафтов характерно образование пленок органического вещества, оксидов железа, а также накопление солей на поверхности скелетных обломков. Обнаружено также образование органогенной оптически аморфной плазмы в орнитогенных почвах о-ва Линдси. При помощи микрозондовых исследований выявлено, что в почвах существуют скопления органического веществ и других компонентов химического состава на поверхности обломков пород и внутри скелетных обломков. Этими же исследованиями подтверждена миграция органических компонентов гуано вглубь обломка породы на о-ве Линдси и формирование разветвленной системы пор внутри обломков пород на о-ве Кинг-Джордж.

The field experience in new national soil classification application in Samarskaya oblast is discussed. The soil diversity, estimated in the frames of new classification and described for the central, northern and eastern regions of Samarskaya oblast. New classification is showed as more precise, objective and regionally-oriented. Data on new soil type of Samarskaya oblast is published.

The humus status of young different-aged soils developed on tailings of different quarries of Quaternary and pre-Quaternary raw materials in Leningrad oblast was studied. Organic profiles were characterized; the humus accumulation rates, the organic matter reserves, the humus enrichment with nitrogen, the degree of humification of the organic matter, and the contents of separate fractions of humus acid in soils on different tailing rocks were estimated. The composition of humic acids was also studied. It was shown that the lithological features of the tailings determining the chemical processes of the profile differentiation of humic substances and the ecogenetic successions of vegetation also determine the rate and direction of the humus accumulation in the soils during similar periods of biological activity in the southern taiga.

Clause is devoted to various aspects of study почв the Samara Onions (Samara area, Average Povolzhe). A variety and originality soils the Samara Onions connected to spatial heterogeneity lytologic of the factor and geomorphological conditions of territory is discussed. The basic types soils are described: carbo-petrozems, carbo-lytozems, brownzems of dark, dark grey and grey ground, дерново-подзолы and cover-underfashes, grownzems, alluviy. Is carried out soils-geographical areaing of territory, the separate questions of evolution solis, problem synlytogenesis are considered at mountain soils formation. Is described humus a condition of the basic types soils. The questions of protection soils Zhigulevsk of reserve and national park «The Samara Onion» are discussed.

Investigation of soil morphology and genesis was conducted on topo-litho-sequence for the first time for Samarskaya Luka. Soil sequence crosses the northern part of samarskaya Luka and includes main types of landscapes of Jiguli State Reserve. Extremely high diversity of soils which were revealed during investigation is caused by pecularities of geological factor of soil formation parent materials and relief. New Russian Soil Classification and Diagnostic was attempted fo Samara region for the first time. As our investigations shows there is all necessary taxonomical categories in new soil classification which are needed for analyses of soil diversity of such complicated territories as Samarskaya Luka.

Long-term monitoring data on soil restoration on reclaimed dumps of open quarries in the King-isepp area of phosphorite mining are considered. It is shown that the initial soil formation is driven by the processes of organic matter accumulation and mineral weathering. The relationship between the humus formation and vegetation succession stages is revealed. The rate of the initial pedogenesis rapidly decreases within the first decade. The character of the soil-forming, processes differs in the areas with peat application and without it.

Red-colored deposits occurring in the northwest and east of the Russian Plain lose their red color upon gleyzation under a stagnant water regime either because of dissolution of hematite particles or because of their dispersion and separation from the clay mineral surfaces. In clayey deposits with iron minerals presented mainly by fine crystals, processes induce the dissolution of hematite and goethite. Tn sandy deposits, gleyzation contributes to the dispersion of relatively coarse hematite grains in clay fraction and their separation from the clay mineral surfaces. Gley is more advanced in deposits with a higher degree of iron oxidogenesis, expressed as the Fe-d/Fe-t ratio.

The synthesis of different thermodynamically unstable iron hydroxides takes place in soils of selga landscapes on the Karelian Isthmus. Brown forest and podzolic types of soil formation differ in the absolute content of noncrystalline oxalate-soluble iron compounds (Fe-o), their share in the total iron amount (Fe-o/Fe-t), and reducing capacity (RC). These parameters are much higher in the soils of the brown forest type as compared to those of the podzolic type. The iron compounds are crystallized slower in brown forest soil, which may result from the influence of aggressive organic compounds and aluminum (actively hindering crystallization processes).