Soils of the Lake Baikal Drainage Basin: Results of Research for 1980–2017

Morphological Feature and Physicochemical Characteristics of Soils under <i>Festuca</i> spp. Dominant Steppe at High Mountain and Mountain of Khuvsgul, Mongolia

“…The climate of the study area is characterized as extremely continental with large annual and diurnal air temperature fluctuations and uneven distribution in atmospheric precipitation between the seasons [37]. Humid cold and semi-humid mild cold climate zones are distributed throughout the Khuvsgul region [12] [39].…”

“…The high mountains of the Khuvsgul region are characterized by short periods of warmer temperatures, long winters, and arid conditions in soils during the spring to early summer period; these factors are responsible for the physical weathering [37]. These conditions are favorable for the formation of incomplete developed, shallow, and skeleton-rich soils, such as Regosols and Leptosols, which are typical mountain systems.…”

“…These conditions are favorable for the formation of incomplete developed, shallow, and skeleton-rich soils, such as Regosols and Leptosols, which are typical mountain systems. The lower elevation at mountain steppe of young landscape age [37] and coarse parent material lead to early stage of soil formation. Therefore, the soil at this area shows young, the pedogenesis is inhi-…”

“…[36]. The geology of the area is related to the ancient Siberian platform and the young Central Asian Mobile Belt [37]. The Khuvsgul Mountain Range is underlain by volcanic rocks and carbonates [21] [38].…”

Bituminous substances in soils of Baikal Rift zone

“…These specific soils are mainly confined to the Kuchiger thermal field (Ulyunkhan depression), the sandy upland "Nizhniy Kuytun", the close basin of the Nukhe-Nur lakes, the foothill of the Ikat ridge and the lacustrine-alluvial plain (Mondai tract). Soils are geochemically close both in terms of salt content and salinity chemistry, and in matter composition, with elevated or abnormal gross concentrations of a number of elements [6]. Along with the mineral components of thermal waters, the endogenous hydrocarbon gas fluids enrich soils with organic compounds.…”