Scientific Papers Series Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and Rural Development Vol. 17, Issue 1, 2017 PRINT ISSN 2284-7995, E-ISSN 2285-3952 265 GEOGRAPHIC AND BIO-LITHOGENIC FEATURES OF GENESIS AND DISSEMINATION OF RENDZINAS IN THE WESTERN UKRAINIAN REGION Andriy KYRYLCHUK Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Department of Soil Science and Soil Geography, Doroshenka St. 41/104, Lviv, 79000, Ukraine, Mobile: +380673672698, E-mail: kyrylandrij@gmail.com Corresponding author: kyrylandrij@gmail.com Abstract Investigations of geographic and bio-lithogenic features of genesis and dissemination of rendzinas in Western region of Ukraine have been conducted. Given soils are intrazonal bio-lithological soils, formed in periodical wash and wash type water regimes, mainly under mixed and broad-leaved forests canopy, with well-developed herbaceous cover on eluvium-diluvium products of chalk, cretaceous marl, and marl, and Upper Baden limestone weathering. It has been stated that the largest overall extension areas of Rendzinas are concentrated in Turiys’k- Rorzhyshchens’k natural area, Volynian Polisya region, Polisya territory. It has been found that rendzinas lie on elevated relief elements (denudation plains, floodplain rivers, watersheds, limestone and chalky remnants, steep and declivous river sloping) where quaternary deposits are washed out and eluvium-diluvium crust of cretaceous marl weathering appear on the surface. Complexity and mosaic of rendzinas bedding in soil cover structure determine optimization character of given soils rational usage in Western Ukrainian region. Key words: Rendzinas (Rendzic Leptosols, WRB), relief elements, soil carbonate parent rocks, morphogenic properties INTRODUCTION Ukraine occupies a leading place among the Central-Eastern European countries, the territories of which are rich in rendzinas. Rendzic Leptosols and carbonate chernozems on eluvium carbonate bedrock, which at the beginning of the 60s of the last century were called shallow and deep humus-carbonate soils, respectively, as well as rendzinas, occupy more than 12 000 km 2 in Ukraine, which is 2.2% of the Ukrainian areas under cultivation. According to the profile capacity, they are divided into carbonate chernozems with the horizons Aca + ACca > 50 cm, and rendzinas Aca + ACca < 50 cm. [8] Rendzinas on eluvium carbonate bedrock have shallow properly humus profile with the capacity of 30–70 cm, humus content and deposit of which instantly decreases downwards. They are characterized by slightly alkaline and alkaline soil reactions, persistent to external influence and favourable for growth of agricultural crops, by agrophysical and agrochemical properties, comparably high gross content of the most important elements of root plant nutrition (N, P, K), thus, being of high potential fertility. Parent rock fragments, the number and diameter of which grow downwards, are available on the surface of or in the humus- accumulating horizon. This is connected with tСО nКЦО “rОnНгТnКs”, аСТМС МoЦОs ПroЦ tСО PoХТsС аorН “rОnН-гвФ”, ЦОКnТnР “to МХКnФ”, i.e., while cultivating the land, rock materials broke against agricultural implements and produced that sound. In Ukraine, these soils КrО nКЦОН “СroЦвsСТ”, orТРТnКtТnР ПroЦ tСО аorНs “to rКttХО”, “to tСunНОr” Д5]. Taking into account soil classifications turf- carbonate soils (Ukraine, 1977), Petrozems and Litozems (Russian Federation, 2004), Rendzic Leptosols (WRB) are considered to be the analogue of rendzinas. According to the International Union of Soil Sciences Working Group WRB (2007, 2014), the soil is classified as Rendzic Leptosols developed on straight-bedded limestone and marls. Soil profiles are thin, developed on weathered parent rock enclosing approximately 45% of