EXPERIMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF SOIL EVOLUTION

Facilities of application of an experiment in nature for soil evolutio n investigation are considered. They are exemplified by long-term stud ies of soil resilience in an experiment simulating shifts in natural z ones pattern. Changes in intensities of substances fluxes through the soil start in the first 3-5 years, whereas considerable quantitative a lterations have been reported after 15-18 years. Basic trends of proce sses in soils that had been functioning under similar conditions did n ot seriously change; in soil subjected to drastic alterations of hydro thermic regimes, processes operative in them depend on soil genesis an d initial soil features.