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Mudruk
O.S.
State
Scientific Agricultural Library Ukrainian Academy Agrarian Sciences
Historical-genetic approaches of soil classifications
it’s known, that all
classifications had genetic soil types as initial elements from
V.V. Dokuchaev’s classification for today in genetic soil science. That’s
why their task was to establish close links with different soils types. It was
solved and decided by various investigators in definite historical stages differently.
The first method of approach was founded by V.V. Dokuchaev and
could be called – geographical-genetic. It was used by N.M. Sibirzhev,
Ya.N. Afanasev, etc. The whole its point was that: the connections between
the soil genetic types based on the most important peculiarities of their
geographical spreading. This method got the brightest manifestation in division
all genetic soil types into three large groups: zone, introzone and non-zone.
All of them were important and had natural and regular space connections
between genetic soil types, but they couldn’t discover historical-genetic lines
of various soil types and didn’t try.
The second approach is called factor-genetic. K.D. Glinka put the
fundamental principles of this method in his “Soil Classifications” (1908). All
genetic soil types, which were widespread that time, were united with two
departments (ektodynamomorphed and endodynamomorphed) and six classes
concerning moistening (optimum, middle, temperate, insufficient, excessive,
etc) – hydrological factor. Another example of soil classifications concerning
the soil formation (as I.P. Gerasimov considered) could be unsuccessful
attempt to unite different genetic soil types into so called “departments”:
thermo-genetic, phytogenetic, hydro-genetic, halogen, etc.
by D.G. Vilenskiy (1925), repeated later by S.L. Zakharov in 1927
(climatic-genetic, orogenetic, hydrogenetic, halogenetic, fluviogenetic and
lottogenetic). Joining the soil types by the main role of one or another factor
of soil formation or their combinations called attention to other scientists
(G.M. Tumin, G.N. Vusozhkiy, I.P. Gerasimov with
E.N. Ivanova and L.L. Zavalishina, etc). As in the first case in
display connections between genetic soil types, such groups types took into
consideration only some aspects of conditions of soil formation and didn’t
decide classification problem as the main one. That why this approach didn’t
give the necessary results for solving the main task.
The third approach concerning the problem of soil classifications could
be called as “genetic”. P.S. Kossovich in his special work “Soil
Formational Processes as the Basis of Genetic Soil Classification” (1910) said
that genetic soil classification might be based on internal soils
characteristics and peculiarities. He thought that we could take morphological
ones from these aspects, but they are the results of that inner
physical-chemical and biological processes, thanks to them the soils were
created. So the same character of interior soil processes might be assumed as a
basis of genetic soil classifications.
Subsequent development of P.S. Kossovich’s theory got in the works
of K.K. Gedroiz and S.S. Neustruev. In 1925 K.K. Gedroiz
suggested a theory of identifications four main types of soil formation by the
character of physical-chemical phenomena in the soils – chernozem (black
earth), saline, podsol and laterit – and gave them new and dipper genetic
commentary. S.S. Neustruev made an interesting attempt to synthesize
Gedroiz’s points of view and geographic-genetic materials of main genetic soil
types in his work “The Experience of Classification of Soil Processes”. The
author drew up the table where the crux of the approach was represented. It
characterized the solving of classification problem – the desire to determine
similar and different features in the processes of decomposition of mineral
mass, synthesis of minerals, which have new formation, and also in the
phenomena of migration of different substances in the soils of genetic types.
The usage of genetic approach in the classification problem had an
important meaning. This method really allowed determining some connections
between genetic soil types by similar and different processes during
physical-chemical conditions. It enriched classification problem with new and
important aspects of soil science, but didn’t solve the problem on the whole
because didn’t include itself the elements of historical analysis of
classification objects.
The fourth approach of soil classification could be observed as the
continuation of the third one. It is called dynamical-genetic and showed up in
famous diagram of development of soil formation processes at time in the way of
change alkaline to acid stages of soil formation suggested by
P.S. Kossovich. This method got the fullest usage in the works of
B.B. Polinov (1933). It’s known that the scientist took as a principle of
his classification the stage development of soil formation processes at time
also from alkaline to acid ones.
This theory of solving classification problem had new and amazing
elements of development (dynamics) soil types and established between them
historical heredity. But the factor “time” was abstract in both diagrams of
P.S. Kossovich and B.B. Polinov. They didn’t include real conditions,
soils age, and their types. And that’s why new aspect in soil classification
couldn’t mark the way of full value of solving the problem, but enriched our
science.
This way was principally observed by V.R. Williams and his works
about sole soil formation process.