Several types of zoogenic soils formed in habitats of Dicrostonyx torquatus and Lemmus sibiricus, Citellus parryi, Alopex lagopus, Nyctea scandiacÁ have been examined in Wrangel Island, Chukotka (with both areas with permafrost), and in the seabird colonies of the Sea of Okhotsk seashore (seasonally frozen soils).

Soils formed under the influence of lemmings, ground squirrels and polar foxes, have the following affinities: uncertain distribution of physical, chemical, physics-chemical parameters along the profile; humus/fulvic acids ratio of carbon (up to 1.4) significantly higher than in ordinary soils (up to 0.9); greater proportion of humus acid fractions, bonded with resistant R2O3 and calcium; proportion of exchangeable Ca É Mg are 1.5 higher than in ordinary soils, and they have higher pH; higher than in ordinary soils concentration of nitrogen (up to 0.7%), nitrate N (up to 2.3 mg/100g of soil), ammonium N (up to 3.5 mg/100g of soil), migrative formes of phosphorus (P2O5 up to 60 mg/100g of soil) and migrative types of kalium (K2O up to 30 mg/100 g of soil). Volume of above mentioned elements increase in series - "lemming's"-"ground squirrel's"-"polar fox's" soils. Some soils have higher concentration of migrative compounds carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous and kalium above the permafrost (than in frozen soil).

Concentration of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Mn, Se compounds in zoogenic soils have no definitive differences with overage soils in upper horizons, while have lover amount of migrative types of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Mn, Se. Within migrative types, there are higher proportion of organic- mineral compounds of Cu, Zn, Cd and Mn. Some soils have in obovefrezen horizons higher concentration of migrative compounds of Cu and Zn than in middle part of profiles.

Ornithogenic soils distinctly differ from theriogenic and overage soils by the morphology and chemical structure. Income of organic matter in these soils are much higher than its transformation. This leads to accumulation of dry peat, especially in seabird colonies. Humus/fulvic acids ratio of carbone in such soils has maximal figures, and reaches 2.5. Amount of humic acids fractions bonded with calcium and resistant R2O3 bonded fractions became higher in these soils. Ornithogenic soils have higher than in overage pH values, much more exchangeable Ca and Mg (almost twice). The role of exchangeable Mg in soils of the seashore bird colonies is especially high.

Seasonally frozen soils of the seabird colonies differ significantly from other zoogenic soils by the relatively high total amount of Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, Mn, Ni, Sr, F, I in upper horizons, as well as migrative forms of Cu, Zn, Sn, Cd, Sr, F, I (in all horizons) and organo-metallic compounds of Cu, Zn, Cd, Mn.

Frozen and seasonally frozen zoogenic soils are characterized by significantly higher development of soil forming processes in comparison with zonal soils, and by peculiarities of geochemical processes of pedogenesis.

A.Sh. Oganesyan
Institute of Biological Problems of the North
K. Marx Pr., 24
Magadan 685010, Russia
Telephone and fax: (41322) 20166 (w)
E-mail: ibpn@ibpn.magadan.su