Soil geographic pattern in Cryolithozone of the North-East of Pechora Lowland

The regional geographic patterns of distribution of permafrost soils are characterized, taking into account the bioclimatic, geocryological and lithological features of the eastern sector of the Pechora Lowland. Geographic analysis of the spatial differentiation of permafrost soils was carried out in the context of the classification scheme for the genesis of permafrost. Permafrost (mainly gley) soils underlain by climatically determined permafrost rocks are widespread in the northern part of the region, where modern climatic conditions are favorable for the preservation of permafrost in mineral soil-forming rocks. The proportion of frozen soils with climate-related permafrost, weakly resistant to thawing during climate change, gradually decreases to the south. Among gleyic permafrost soils, the majority (up to 70%) falls on profiles with climate-related, ecosystem-modified permafrost. In these soils, organic horizons with a total thickness of 10 to 50 cm partly provide ecosystem protection of permafrost from thawing. Peaty permafrost soils associated with ecosystem-protected permafrost are maximally distributed (~20%) in the central zone of the regional tundra-taiga ecotone, which is mainly due to a combination of modern climatic and paleogeographic conditions. Climate changes predicted in the flat part of the Subarctic of the European north-east of Russia will lead to only partial thawing of permafrost, affecting mainly frozen soils on climate-related permafrost.