The Unified State Register of Forest Soils of Russia

Abstract

The Unified State Register of soil resources of Russia (with Russian abbreviation of EGRPR) is the official innovative information resource of soil of the country. The EGRPR contains complete, unified, digital information of all the soils of the country, their properties and spatial distribution. On the basis of the GIS approach it is shown that the diversity of forest soil is presented by 12 of the 15 soil departments (the highest taxonomic level in the Russian soil classification hierarchy). Two of the missing soil departments (Cyozems and Low-humus-accumulative-carbonate soils) are outside of the forest zone. The third of the missing soil departments (Organogenic) characterizes the peat soils with intensive hydromorphic and anaerobic features unfavorable for the forest growth. The Al-Fe-humus podzols and podburs (216.7 mln ha) are the most extended forest soils in Russia. The texture-differentiated podzolic (173.1 mln ha) soil occupies the second place. The Metamorphic burozems and Brown-taiga soils (164.8 mln ha) take the third place. Different tree species show diverse demand for water and air regime and nutrients availability of the soil. The highest selectivity demonstrates fir and, to a lesser extent, spruce forests. Hardwood forests are more demanding to soil conditions, than deciduous. Shrubs are characterized by wide edaphic and hydrothermal plasticity.