Approaches to modernization of the state soil map of Russia on the basis of the methods of digital soil mapping

The ways of further development of the State Soil Map (SSM) of the Russian Federation are discussed. This map represents the most valuable product of soil mapping projects in Russia. It has been developed since the 1930s. A long duration of the map compilation has resulted in certain differences in the methods of mapping, topographic base, and classification decisions applied on separate pages of the map. Another specific feature of the SSM is related to different amounts of soil information available for different parts of the country. At present, two major challenges face researchers working on this map. First, it is necessary to preserve rich information collected by several generations of Russian pedologists and reflected on the map. Second, this information has to be renewed on the basis of new information sources (satellite images, modern topographic base, and new data on soils and their geography), common ideology of the map, and new digital technologies of the map compilation. The analysis of several pages of the map on the territory of the North Caucasus is discussed. An algorithm of introducing corrections to the map and its renewal is suggested. In the course of our work, a digitized version of two pages of the map, the digital elevation model, and Landsat imagery were used. The cartographic work was performed using GeoDraw software. Our experience in the correction and renewal of the SSM attests to the high potential of the methods of digital soil mapping for these purposes. The analysis of the map in the GIS environment makes it possible to reveal possible drawbacks in the initial map pages and to suggest feasible methods of their correction and further development of the SSM.