FORMATION OF MOUNTAINOUS FROZEN SOILS OF THE BAIKAL AND TRANSBAIKAL AREA
Vladimir I. Volkovintser and Boris M. Klenov

The region under consideration includes Lena-Angarskoye plateou, Stanovoye and Aldanskoye uplands characterized by development of erosion middle mountaineous relief forms.Eastwards Baikal Lake large intermountain hollows are situated such as Verkhneangarskaya, Muiskaya, Charskaya, Khaninskaya ans smaller hollows and stretched parts of valleys as well. The area is crossed by permafrost boundary in Russia. Soil-forming rocks are eluvium and eluvo-deluvium of different massive crystalline and firm sedimentary rocks. The area falls into moistened and cold taiga belt with mean annual precipitation of 300-400 mm, temperature of -3... -8¸C , active temperatures sum 900-1600¸C and vegetational season of 60-80 days. In plant cover low-quality moss forests prevail.

  1. The main trend of contemporary soil formation is determined by position of soils in frozen mountainous taiga landscapes characterized by incomplete expenditure of precipitation for desuction and evaporation. Periodical descending soil moistyure gives rise for favourable conditions for removal of easily soluble soils beyond profile.
  2. The climate supplies the growing of boreal forests formed by cold-resistant arboreal species and shrubs. Their relatively small productivity conditions annual getting of poor in ash organic matter into soil.
  3. The frost and prolong period of low temperatures inhibits the processes of biochemical decomposition of organic matter, condensation and polymerization. The influence of forming of active organic substances on soil mineral part is short-term that determines extremely slow rate of rock as a result of soil formation.
These factors cause the formation of low in thickness and low in humus accumulative horiron and weak morphological differentiation of profile. The thickness of soil profile is resticted by depth of seasonal thawing. The basic regional automorphic soil types are such as sod calcareous, sod taiga, frozen taiga, podzolic and brown taiga ones. 

Vladimir I. Volkovintser
Institute of Soil Sciences and Agrochemistry SO RAN
Sovetskaya Str. 18
630099, Novosibirsk, Russia
Telephone: (3832) 225840                                  .
Fax: (3832) 225 665
E-mail: soil@issa.nsk.su