Digitized version of the state soil map on a scale of 1 : 1 M: Problems and solutions

Problems of the creation of a high-quality digitized version of the State Soil Map (SSM) on a scale of 1 : 1 M for the European part of Russia are discussed. Sheets of the SSM have been compiled for the entire territory of Russia. For the European part of Russia, they have been digitized, and a corresponding geographic information system has been created. At present, the attribute database to the map is being developed. In the course of the digitization of separate sheets of the map and the creation of a general legend, certain drawbacks of the map have been revealed. They are related to the insufficient completeness of information on the genesis of soil-forming rocks shown on different sheets; to the inconsistency in the names of some soils; and to the use of the same conventional signs for describing the soil texture in the upper horizons and in the parent material, which is incorrect in the case of texture-differentiated soils. The reasons for these drawbacks of the original map are explained. It is stressed that the SSM is a highly informative map that has played a crucial role in the development of pedology and soil cartography in Russia. A digitized version of this map makes it possible to introduce certain corrections to the original map sheets. The essence of the first stage of the work on the correction of the SSM in the digitized version and the methods applied for this purpose are characterized. Problems related to the creation of the database for the digitized version of this map are also discussed.