Urban Soils: Diagnostics and Taxonomic Position according to Materials of Scientific Excursion in Moscow at the Suitma-9 Workshop

Abstract

Using the latest version of the international soil classification (WRB 2014/2015) and the classification of soils of Russia (2004/2008), the authors attempted to demonstrate how specific profiles of urban soils in green massifs are classified at different taxonomic levels. The soil profiles were shown in the excursions of the 9th International Conference “Soils of Urban, Industrial, Traffic, Mining and Military Areas” and were discussed by the representatives of national scientific schools. The diversity of the soils studied is determined primarily by the technology of their creation or by the nature of human impact, soil age, properties of the soil-forming rock, and, to a lesser extent, by the type of artificial phytocenosis. By the properties of their profiles, soils are qualified as ones on technogenic deposits (artificial buildings or displaced natural grounds with fragments of soil horizons), buried agrozems and cultural layers. The comparison of two classification systems showed their similarity with respect to the taxonomic level. One can note a similarity of the main solution: are the soils natural or anthropogenic, although the degrees of “anthropogeneity” given in their names may not coincide. The existing differences in the sets of characteristics–qualifiers reflect the genetic trend in the Russian soil classification and strict following the rules in the WRB system.