Geographic information system and soil carbon estimates for the Usa River basin, Komi Republic

A computer-based soil map for the Usa River (the largest tributary of the Pechora River) basin has been compiled on a scale of 1:1 M with the use of the soil classification suggested in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (1998). Original soil maps used in this work are based on the Russian soil classification. The two classifications have been correlated using a database containing morphological descriptions and analytical data on 403 reference soil profiles. A part of this database (data on 197 soil pits) has been used to assess the reserves of organic carbon in different soils and within the entire basin. Spatial gradients in the distribution of soil carbon reserves within the Usa basin have been analyzed using GIS technologies.