A progressive growth of anthropogenic soils and non-soil formations in the soil cover of the taiga forest zone and a general decrease in the ecological potential of soils necessitate the development of policies for the rational use of soil resources. The analysis of approaches to forest vegetation assessment of soils is carried out. The concepts of specific and resource potentials are introduced, and our own methodology for their assessment is developed. The methodology for calculating potentials was tested on the example of the Leningrad region, typical of the North-West of the European part of Russia and the North of the Russian Plain. Natural soil areas were calculated using a digital soil map. The analysis of changes in forest growing potential of soils is carried out from the beginning of intensive development of the territory to the modern period. These calculations can form the basis for assessing the potential contribution of the region to ensuring the reproduction of forest resources.