Milestones in the history of the Soil Reclamation Laboratory of ISSA SB RAS

Abstract

The Soil Reclamation Laboratory was organized in 1968, the year of the foundation of the Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry (ISSA) of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Over its 55-year history, the laboratory has been one of the few IPA departments that has not changed its name and main research directions. Times have been changing, attitudes towards science and reclamation have been also changing, as well as the heads of the laboratory, but its traditions have been preserved. Based on the analysis of the laboratory’s publications, three stages of soil research in technogenic landscapes can be distinguished. At the first stage, information is accumulated about the properties of man-made substrates, their fertility potential and conditions of technogenic soil formation. The second stage is marked by the generalization and genetic interpretation of the accumulated material, which result in the classification of soils of such man-made landscapes. It is noteworthy that the classification developed in the laboratory correlates well with other classification systems (Classification and diagnostics of soils of Russian (2004), Field guide for Russian soil (2008), Keys to Soil Taxonomy (2014), IUSS Working Group WRB (2022)). The third stage is characterized by the expansion of the geography of field research, interpolation and correction of ideas about the soil properties and regimes in the man-made landscapes. Currently, the team of researchers of the soil reclamation laboratory continues to study man-made landscapes located in various regions of the Russian Federation, actively using the experience and achievements of the founders of the laboratory. The main attention is paid to the assessment of the soil-ecological status and prospects for further use of disturbed territories on the basis of soil-genetic and soil-geographical studies. Thus, the soil reclamation laboratory continues to work on fundamental problems related to primary soil formation and restoration of soil functions in disturbed areas, as well as to carry out scientific and practical work related to solving reclamation problems at specific man-made sites.