This article attempts to reconstruct the climatic and environmental conditions of the development of the palaeosols found in loess profiles in south-eastern Poland. A comprehensive profile was developed by the authors, based on an extensive analysis of literature data, which elucidated the mutual relationships between the occurrence of loess and intra-loess palaeosols in south-eastern Poland in relation to recent Pleistocene stratigraphy. In south-eastern Poland, five interglacial palaeosols have been identified: S5 – Zadębce (Ferdynandovian, MIS 15–13), S4 – Sokal (Mazovian, MIS 11), S3 – Załubińcze (Zbójnian, MIS 9), S2 – Tomaszów (Lublinian, MIS 7) and S1 – Nietulisko (Eemian–Early Vistulian, MIS 5e–a). Interglacial soils were developed in a warm and humid temperate climate. The two older soils, S5 and S4, are most commonly represented as brown soils, developed in mixed forest environments. Palaeosols S3, S2 and S1 are most frequently represented as grey forest soil types that have developed in coniferous or mixed forest environments. The Tomaszów (S2) and Nietulisko (S1) soil types are pedocomplexes, which are defined by the presence of a layer of chernozem superimposed on a lessive soil. These pedocomplexes developed in varying environmental conditions during the early glacial period, dominated by steppes. Initial tundra soils which formed during interstadial periods were also recorded within the loess levels. The palaeosols documented in south-eastern Poland correlate well with the corresponding sections of long loess-soil sequences in Ukraine and other regions of Europe. Thus, they provide important supplementary data for reconstructing the rhythm of climate change in regions outside the range of the Scandinavian ice sheets.
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