Rivers had a great influence on population distribution,settling,and the development of new areas throughout human history.Many ancient towns were situated at the banks of rivers.River networks and river valley soils provide for a sustainable functioning of urban environment.Moscow is one of the worlds most urbanized areas.It has a well-developed river network including its main waterway,the Moscow River,and its major tributaries-Yauza,Skhodnya,Neglinnaya and about 130 minor tributaries.The river valleys occupy about 40% of the total city area,10% of which are floodplains.The soil diversity within the river valleys is wide.It is represented by natural alluvial (at the flood plains) and automorphous soils (at terraces),and different types of teehnogenic and anthropogenic soils.They differ from watershed soils by the presence of buried plough horizons and also by thick layers oftechnogenic deposits.Soil features have changed due to human impact.The pH shifted from weakly acid to neutral or alkaline (8 or more) and the contents of major plant nutrients increased.In particular,the content of available phosphorus rose up to 20 mg/100g (citric acid extractable P2O5) and organic carbon up to 2-6%.This has resulted from the use of fertilizers,peat compost,domestic animal excrement and other organic wastes.There is a considerable amount of technogenic inclusions (urban and industrial products) being the source of calcium carbonates,which are unusual for natural soils in this region.Physical properties are negatively changing — soil density and indentation resistance are increasing.In addition the river valley soils accumulate many pollutants moving with water from watersheds.In spite of the water regulation,the evidences ofhydromorphism are present in soils profiles.The direction and intensity of soil-forming processes have changed:(i) the processes of organic matter accumulation is very active; (ii) the mobilization and segregation of iron compounds take place (pyrite and goethite was found out); (iii) the dissolution and redistribution of carbonates in human-made horizons are found; (iv) the addition of material to the soil surface continues,but its composition has changed from alluvial to technogenic.Many of the processes in river valley soils are more dynamic than in urban watershed soils.On the basis of our studies we can suggest a scheme of the main stages of land use within river valley areas under the conditions of increased of anthropogenic pressure.After inclusion into urban environment,alluvial soils are affected later than watershed soils.Landscapes near the rivers remain undeveloped for a while and in many cases are transformed into park zones.The human-induced change of formerly waterlogged alluvial soils involves the stage of drying,when the processes of gleyzation and iron segregation cease,and new processes start depending on the land use.The studied soils of river valleys often undergo a strongmechanical disturbance and even become totally destroyed; generally they are changing quicker than soils of watersheds.