Soils of the Darkhitui catena in the southern Vitim Plateau and their micromorphological features

Abstract

Soils of the Darkhitui catena in the south of the Vitim Plateau on a northern slope and the foothill plain were studied. Skeletic Folic Cryosols (Nechic) are formed on watersheds under larch forests on eluvium of mafic rocks. Soils have high humus content in a thin humus horizon and a significant content of clay. Folic Phaeozems (Colluvic, Tonguic) are developed on a gentle slope under a forb-birch forest on colluvium. The most prominent features of these soils are as follows: high content of humus and fine material, impregnation by carbonates, and iron films on ped faces. Luvic Chernozems (Tonguic) are developed in the foothills under steppe meadows on lacustrine sediments. These soils are characterized by redistribution of fine fractions along the profile and significant humus accumulation favored by permafrost moisture content.