Soil Maps of Cities (Overview of Russian Cities)

Soil maps of cities as a new branch in geography and soil cartography differ in their content (presentation of soils) and methodology of compilation. This review analyzes 23 maps of 18 cities of the Russian Federation, published in journal articles, monographs, dissertations, and atlases of cities. Historical, social, and economic factors have proven to be more significant for the formation of urban soils than for native ones. The compilation of soil maps of cities is based on city plans, space images, maps of native soils, geological formations and Quaternary deposits, and relief, as well as field observations (descriptions of soil profiles). The maps were analyzed in the following aspects: map content, number of legend units, and organization of the legend as a reflection of the map concept. The predominant part of maps is compiled based on the classification system by M.N. Stroganova, focused on the functional zones of the city; later, elements of the classification of soils of Russia were introduced in map legends. Structured map legends reflect author’s concepts regarding the arrangement of the city’s soil cover: the priority of natural factors and modifications of native soils, or the priority of anthropogenic factors, namely, functional zones. The grouping of soils in the legend by the functional zones of the city differs in the composition of the functional zones and detail of their soil content. There is experience in compiling maps in terms of the theory of soil cover structures. The analysis of soil maps of Russian cities has shown their significant diversity in terms of their content, scale, and methods of presentation, as well as a trend towards a more complicated content, i.e., an increase in the information volume, systematization (identification) of spatial patterns, and refinement of cartographic units using recent methods. Methods of cartographic representation of urban soils and soil cover structures are considered.