Systematization of the topsoil fabrics in soils of the arid lands in northwest of central Asia

摘要

The micromorphological data concerning aridic soils are far from being numerous; therefore, the information presented contributes to the development of pedogenetic ideas and characterization of diagnostic horizons and genetic properties in the substantive-genetic classification systems. The diversity, functioning and resilience of aridic soils are basically determined by the properties of their topsoils, which are regarded as recent dynamic formations opposite to the subsoils mostly formed under different paleoclimatic environment; top-soil properties are more important for soil classification. Each of two upper horizons in the new Russian system of soil classification (the light-humus and xero-humus) has the same micromorphological features in different soils; however, in a sequence of soils, some individual micromorphological properties were revealed that indicate the increasing aridity. The micromorphological properties of the topsoils make it possible to identify the mechanisms of some phenomen