Soils of Agricultural Terraces with Retaining Walls in the Mountains of Dagestan

Soil-archeological studies of agricultural terraces with retaining walls in the area of construction of the Gotsatlinskaya Hydroelectric Power Station in Khunzakh district of the Republic of Dagestan have been performed. The morphogenetic and chemical properties of the anthropogenic soils (Anthrosols) in different parts of the terrace complex are analyzed. It is argued that slope terracing in the mountains ensures the development of thicker soil profiles with pronounced genetic horizons. The soils of agricultural terraces store important information of the paleoenvironmental history and land use. A characteristic feature of the Anthrosols of agricultural terraces is a relatively even distribution of gravelly material of up to 5 cm in diameter in the plow layer. The soils of terraces are characterized by the high variability in their properties within the entire terrace complex and within the particular terraces.