Permafrost

transformation degree, relative soil resources and even organic matter origin. As our
investigation shows, nitrogen content varies to high extent in studied samples– from one
hundredth to 1-2 %. The reasons of it are not only modern bioclimatic conditions, main peat
formators (vegetation types peat consists of) and peat decaying degree but also peat stratum
origin. Low nitrogen values correlate with mosses (Sphagnum sp.) or lichen coverage.
According to this parameter upper horizons, consists of modern vegetation, differs from lower
peat stratum. Increasing or maximum and minimum alternations of nitrogen values are typical
for organic profile. It depends on different types of vegetation remains. We note that extreme
values and maximum varying of studied parameters are typical for central part of the soil
profile (25cm depth). It is the center of organic matter transformation. It could be indirectly
checked out by temperature data (maximum freezing-melting frequency is situated on the same
depth). It’s significant that various peatbogs and swamp ecosystems make one group by total
nitrogen (2%), low
values of carbon (35-40%) and low carbon-nitrogen ratio (15-20). It’s the evidence of organic
matter decaying high degree (close to values in humic horizons). Also it could mark that there is
the other set of peat formators in degraded peatbogs in comparison with other ecosystems.
According to this degraded peatbogs should be examined as independent phenomenon.
They appeared evidently in Holocene climatic optimum, when the other type of vegetation
(with higher degree of ash content) existed. At the present time the degradation process take
place. It’s accompanied by involving again organic material in the process of peat forming. It
causes increasing total ash level of bog ecosystems. Thus, degraded peatbogs are relic
phenomenon, which carry information about territory development in the past.
Thus complicated and various complex of ecosystems origins in the north of western
Siberia. Ecosystems differ not only in time of entrance into automorphic development phase
influenced by cryogenesis. Cryogenic processes are one of the most important one. They cause
both ecosystem geomorphologic variety, and rate and organic matter transformation trend. We
can see simultaneous development of different soil types (oligotrophic swamp soils, peat
cryosols, peat gleic soils, peat mucky gleic soils, peat podzolic gleic soils, humus-ferric illuvial
podzols in forest ecosystems (Russia, 1977); Sphagnic Cryofibrists, Pergelic Cryorthents, Histic
Pergelic Cryaquepts, Humic Pergelic Cryaquepts, Oxyaquic Haplorthods, Typic Haplocryods
(USA, 1994).
Key words: Soil, organic matter, permafrost, cryopedology
96
An Influence of Salinity on the Kinetics of Frozen Ground Destruction
L.T.Roman, Krivov D.N.
(MSU, Moscow, Russia)
Abstract: An experimental and theoretical research of long strength of frozen ground proves
thermal fluctuations physical nature of their destruction process. So it deals with energy of heat
fluctuations of atoms. External load only adds the load to atomic bonds resulting in increasing