Soils in the zone affected by mineral water springs at the foothills of the Eastern Sayan Ridge

Data on soils in the zone affected by mineral water springs at the foothills of the Eastern Sayan Ridge are analyzed. Changes in the soil properties take place with the increase in the distance from the sites of the water discharge: primitive petrozems (Lithosols) are replaced by calcareous petrozems and, then, by burozems (brown taiga soils, Cambisols). In dependence on the degree of the water mineralization, the salt content in the soils varies from 0.05 to 0.26%. The readily soluble salts include calcium, magnesium, and sodium chlorides; sulfates; and bicarbonates. The soil reaction varies from acid to alkaline, and the organic matter content varies from 0.5 to 15.0%.