The Soil Diversity and Soil Resources of the Central Ecological Zone of the Lake Baikal Natural Territory (within the Republic of Buryatia)

The soil diversity of the Central ecological zone of the Lake Baikal drainage basin within the Buryat Republic has been analyzed. The soil cover is formed by 38 soil types. The compiled updated soil map of the region includes 18 soil contours of the dominating, accompanying, and occurring soil types. The area assessment of soil resources has been performed. The revealed predominating effect of the vertical zonality on the soil spatial distribution is the most pronounced in high and mid-altitude mountains. The soil cover of high mountains is dominated by poorly formed soils (lithozems and petrozems (Regosol and Leptosol)) with accompanying soils, as well as gleyzems (Gleysols) with peat-gleyzems (Histic Gleysols) and peat-lithozems (Histic Regosol). More than half of the region is occupied by soils of the mid-altitude mountains with the complicated soil cover dominated by podburs (Ferric Umbric Podzols) and burozems, as well as by podzols, soddy-podzols (Folic Podzols), soddy-podburs (Ferric Folic Umbric Podzols), etc. Low mountains are mainly occupied by podzols and gley soddy-podzols (Folic Gleyic Podzols) with accompanying soddy-podzols (Folic Podzols) and soddy-podzolic-gley soils (Folic Gleyic Retisols). Soils of mountain depressions are mainly represented by gray metamorphic soils (metamorphic Folic Umbrisols), soddy-podburs (Ferric Folic Umbric Podzols) in combination with soddy-gray soils (Folic Umbrisols), as well as by humus psammozems (Mollic Arenosol). In floodplains, estuaries, and river deltas, various complexes of alluvial soils, that is, dark humus (Umbric Fluvisols), gley dark humus (Umbric Gleyic Fluvisols), stratified alluvial (Fluvisols), soddy-gley (Folic Gleyic Fluvisols), peat-gley (Histic Gleyic Fluvisols), etc., are formed. Peat eutrophic soils (Histosols) and peat-gleyzems (Histic Gleysols), as well as peat-gley soils (Folic Gleysols) and peat-cryozems (Histic Cryosols), occur on swamp massifs. Lakesides are mainly occupied by dark-humus gley (Gleyic Phaeozems) and peat eutrophic soils (Histosols). Saline soils are practically absent in the region.