PERSPECTIVES FOR SOIL MAPPING AND MONITORING BASED ON INTERPOLATION OF POINT DATA AND REMOTE SENSING METHODS
T e current state of the problem of soil mapping is considered. It is shown that there has been a replacement of traditional soil mapping methods by methods based on geoinformation digital and remote sensing technologies. T e main advantages and disadvantages of the currently used soil mapping methods are outlined, and the necessity of taking into account the level of generalization of the information used in the process of soil mapping is demonstrated. We demonstrated the errors arising in soil maps when digital spatial data with dif erent levels of information generalization is used. T e most promising directions in the development of soil mapping methods are identif ed. It is shown that the primary attention should be paid to the development of digital soil mapping methods based on remote sensing data, which contain the most accurate information on the spatial variation of the surface soil horizon properties. T e use of methods of spatial interpolation of point data is less accurate than the use of remotely sensed data. But the latter allows us to conf dently detect only certain soil properties and not all of those necessary to create soil maps in the traditional form. Mapping individual soil properties is a more promising approach. Maps of individual soil properties are more convenient and accurate for evaluating soil and land resources. In the future, they can be used as a basis both for the recreation of soil units in terms of accepted soil classif cation and for the creation of soil maps in traditional form (with the ref ection of classif cation units of soils on them). But for a complete transition to the mapping of soil properties, it is necessary to deepen research in studying the spectral ref ectance of the soil surface and its relationship with the properties of the underlying soil horizons.