Pavel Vladimirovich Krasilnikov

For the anniversary of the Faculty of Soil Science of Moscow State University, the author examines the issues that have remained unresolved in the field of classical genetic soil science over the past half century, and offers a list of tasks that need to be solved in the near future. It is noted that against the background of decreased interest in pedogenetic research, problems are accumulating in related fields that require a clear understanding of the genesis of soils: soil classification, digital soil mapping, paleopedology and soil assessment. One of the unsolved issues remains the estimation of the rates of soil-forming processes, without which it is difficult both to reconstruct the evolution of soils in the past and to predict the behavior of soil systems in the future. The mechanisms of textural differentiation have not been deciphered both in temperate regions and in the tropics; in many cases, soils clearly differentiated by the content of the clay fraction are adjacent to soils with a profile homogeneous in texture. The mechanisms of deep illuviation of humus are unknown in the absence of signs of spodic or natric properties. There is no clear understanding of the mechanisms of formation of compacted subsurface horizons of soils (fragipan) and horizons cemented with opal (duripan). It is proposed to create a bank of unresolved soil-genetic issues that require analysis and solution.

The paper characterizes the profiles of virgin chestnut soils and solonetz in the north of the Caspian lowland adjacent to the Djanibek reserve. The objective of the study was to analyze the morphology, physical properties and chemical and mineralogical composition of the so-called xerometamorphic horizons of chestnut soils in the research area. The initial hypothesis was the general genetic similarity of xerometamorphic horizons with natric horizons in the corresponding conjugate soils. With the general similarity of morphological features, mineralogical and chemical composition of these horizons, there was a significant difference in the content of exchangeable sodium and in the presence of signs of clay illuviation in the natric horizons. It is suggested that xerometamorphic horizons reflect the initial stages of formation of alkaline soils, further diluted by divergent pedogenesis. The proposal of a number of specialists on the allocation of the BMK horizon in soils used in agriculture and, accordingly, the type of agro-soils is supported.

The mineralogical composition of the silt fraction of marshes soils on the tombolo, a bridge between the mainland and a small island on the Pomorsky coast of the White Sea, has been studied. The soils on different parts of the marshes are characterized by different sequences of sediments and soil horizons embedded in them. Mica minerals (“illites”), kaolinite, chlorite and mixed-layer illite-vermiculite and chlorite-smectite were present in the silt fraction of all soils. Variation of mineralogical composition of clays was noted both between soil horizons and between the studied profiles. In our opinion, the variation is determined both by sediment composition and soil weathering of minerals, which confirms the idea of T.A. Sokolova about the complex character of formation of mineralogical composition of clays in soils on sediments re-deposited by water. The main weathering process in marsh soils was the degradation transformation of chlorite and, possibly, mica with the formation of smectite packages. These processes are spatially associated with the aeration zones of the marsh soils, at least periodically under oxidative regime.