MODERN TRENDS IN RADIOCARBON STUDIES OF ORGANIC-MATTER OF SOILS

The ideas of Academician I.P. Gerasimov on the meaning of radiocarbon method for pedologic and paleogeographic inquiries and on the necessit y to develop their methodological foundation are discussed. The advanc es in modeling the dynamics of C-14 in the profile of modern soils and the studies of the evolution of organic matter profiles during differ ent stages of the Holocene epoch are elucidated. The outlooks of furth er research in the evaluation and forecasting the changes in the stock s of carbon and the rates of carbon exchange between soils and atmosph ere in the climate warming are considered.