Verification of the Classification and Diagnostic system of Russian soils (2004) on the materials of a collection of soil monoliths from the V.V. Dokuchaev Central Soil Museum

Abstract

The first in the world collection of soil monoliths from the Dokuchaev Central Soil Museum (St. Petersburg) was examined in order to test and verify the new substantive-genetic classification system of Russian soils. This work made it possible to introduce a number of refinements in the second edition of the Russian soil classification system (2004). These refinements included the addition of new diagnostic horizons and features and the specification of their definitions. The analysis of the museum collection of soils has definite advantages, as it allows one to work with soils from different geographic regions simultaneously, to consider morphological features of soils under standard conditions, to use analytical soil data, and to analyze different names (i.e., interpretations of the genesis) given to the same soils. At the same time, a critical analysis of the collection creates necessary prerequisites for a comparative analysis of soils from different regions of Russia with the national reference soil base, which is important in order to reveal the real pedogenetic diversity and improve the information base on soil resources in Russia.