Object - anthropogenic transformation of soils in urban landscapes. Purpose - the development of the concept of urban soil and urban soil formation - the establishment of genetic-morphological, urban-functional and classification-diagnostic features of natural, anthropogenically transformed and man-made soils of the city of Odessa. Methods - general scientific (system, analysis, observation) and special (method of representative modal areas, comparative-geographical, comparative-analytical, profile-morphological, statistical-mathematical, cartographic and separate laboratory-analytical). Theoretical results - theoretically substantiated that soil formation within the settlements of the steppe zone is determined by both zonal factors and anthropogenic impact due to soil disturbance, changes in water, heat and salt regimes. For the classification of soils of urban areas, a factor-ecological approach is proposed, which takes into account as diagnostic features the factors of soil formation, modern functioning of soils and their evolution. Practical results - research materials are proposed to be used for: 1) improvement of classification and diagnostics of soils of urban areas; 2) improvement of methods of soil and soil-ecological surveys and monitoring of soil cover of settlements; 3) improvement of the system of maintaining the urban cadastre and the State Land Cadastre in general; 4) creation of conditions and opportunities for substantiation and implementation of measures for rational use and provision of legal protection of soils within settlements by local self-government bodies, design and research organizations. Novelty - for the first time: genetic features were established and parameterization of morphological features, composition and properties of natural, anthropogenically transformed and anthropogenically created soils of urbanized territories of the city of Odessa was carried out; the classification of soils of urban areas is proposed, which combines profile-genetic and factor-ecological approaches; the "urban effect" of zonal soils of urbanized territories (southern chernozems within the city of Odessa) has been established due to a significant expansion of morphology, humus, chemical, physicochemical and biological properties of soils. Degree of implementation - developed classification of urban soils, cadastral and economic grouping, methods of chemical and morphological diagnostics of soils of urban areas introduced by the Odessa branch of the State Institution "Institute of Soil Protection of Ukraine". Branch - environmental protection, soil science.
