Fedeneva I.N., Dergacheva M.I.
HUMUS OF POSTLITHOGENOUS AND SYNLITHOGENOUS PALEOSOLS AND ITS USE AT PALEOECOLOGICAL RECONSTRUCTIONS ^{[№ 8 ' 2017]}
When paleosols’ studying and their using at paleoecological reconstruction there is a problem of detection such signs of an ancient pedogenesis which would allow to compare and generalize the data characterizing the paleosols, created according to different models — as a result of synlithogenous and postlithogenous soil formation. Such signs are humus parameters, which reflect elementary processes of humus formation, depend on climatic conditions and remain during geological time. Late Pleistocene paleosols of different regions of Altai Mountains studying has shown that using of humus characteristics at paleosols diagnostics and reconstructions of paleoecological conditions can be carried out, irrespective of soil formation model. Paleosols of mountain regions can have a safe soil profile only in case of a postlithogenous pedogenesis which is characteristic of long warm stages of paleogeographic history whereas in a cold climate the pedogenesis is accompanied by active processes of sedimentation, and it is possible to speak about synlithogenous soil formation. In this case reliable reconstruction of paleoecological conditions can be carried out with using of a complex of characteristics of the humic substances remaining in deposits. For comparison of the paleosols created according to various models of a pedogenesis in the territory of Altai Mountains the indicators that are most often used at paleosols diagnostics — the characteristics of humus substances groups were used. Humus characteristics of the paleosols most widespread in a Late Pleistocene in the territory of Altai have been considered. It has allowed revealing that average humus parameters of various types and subtypes of paleosols, concerned to synlithogenous and postlithogenous models of soil formation, are similar.