Soil damage comes as a result of various types of soil utilization in regard to its technical functions, and during that, huge quantities of various waste materials form (industrial, communal, mines, etc.). Such materials cover up vast land areas, which lead to a significant reduction of land fund. It is essential to identify the ways and appropriate measures for transforming such areas into the areas suitable for any environmental functions. While executing these measures, various materials are identified as technogenous substrates. When it comes to conducting the rehabilitation measures, it is important to have a good knowledge of the substrate properties, both general and specific. The general ones include: pH reaction, content of CaCO3, physiologically active calcium (CaO), organic matter, texture, content of skeleton. The specific properties encompass: heavy metals content, biological infection and radioactivity of the soil.
This paper identifies seven basic groups of technogenous substrates: suitable, medium suitable, less suitable, unsuitable, very unsuitable - toxic, infectious and radioactive. The actions for the application of direct or indirect recultivation are developed by the subject groups. Direct recultivation includes the actions of immediate execution of rehabilitation measures, while indirect recultivation includes the application of a special layer of soil (suitable geological material or natural soil). It also provides the appropriate depths of such materials for the corresponding technical substrate. The paper’s attention is focused on the follow-up of the impact of pedo-technogenous factors on the processes within the established disposal sites. Therefore, further elaboration and classification of technogenous soils continues to be important.
The paper also provides a projection of development of technogenous soils that encompasses three different substrates: natural geological substrate, industrial waste, and communal waste, outlining specific developmental stages, as well as morphological denotation of the profiles, with stated monocyclic and two-layer profile composition.

recultivation; technogenous substrates ; pedo-technogenous factors ; classification

Published by University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagreb, CROATIA
Sponsored by Ministry Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia