THE DYNAMICS OF CARBONATE RESERVES IN THE SOILS OF RUSSIA DURING THE HISTORICAL PERIOD AND THEIR MEANING AS A BUFFER RESERVOIR OF CARBON-DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE

The comparative analysis of paleosols under burial mounds of the Bronz e and Early Iron Ages and the medieval period (from the end of the 3rd millennium BC to the beginning of the 2nd millennium AD) enabled us t o reveal the spatial and temporal regularities in the dynamics of rese rves of soil carbonates during the historical period for different soi l-geographic zones of Russia. Within the past 3500 years, carbonates h ave been generally leached off the upper 2-m-thick soil layer, The ave rage amount of CO, discharge from the soil comprised 13 1 kg/m(2). The annual removal of carbon dioxide from the soils of Russia is estimate d at 130 million tons. A scheme of soil provinces of Russia with respe ct to the dynamics of soil carbonates has been compiled.