Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T17:47:32.088Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

An assessment of changes in properties of steppe kurgan paleosoils in relation to prevailing climates over recent millennia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Tatiana E. Khomutova*
Affiliation:
Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
Tatiana S. Demkina
Affiliation:
Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
Alexander V. Borisov
Affiliation:
Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
Natalia N. Kashirskaya
Affiliation:
Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
Maxim V. Yeltsov
Affiliation:
Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
Vitaly A. Demkin
Affiliation:
Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
*
*Corresponding author. Fax: +7 4967 330595. E-mail address:khomutova-t@rambler.ru (T.E. Khomutova).

Abstract

Comparative analysis of morphological and chemical properties of the soil chronosequence on Kastanozems soils in the steppe zone of the Russian Plain, which included paleosoils buried beneath kurgans erected ca. 2000 BC, AD 50, AD 200, and AD 1250 was performed to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental conditions in this archeologically important region. Paleoenvironmental dynamics were traced using the state of microbial communities of paleo and modern soils (including the dynamics of total and glucose-reactive biomass, and the abundance of microorganisms grown on selected media). We demonstrate that the share of the glucose-reactive microorganisms in the microbial community, the ecological–trophic structure, and oligotrophicity index might serve as indicators of the state of microbial communities and be used for paleoenvironmental reconstructions. The morphological–chemical and microbial properties confirm an arid period ca. 2000 BC, slightly wetter conditions ca. AD 50, and more humid conditions ca. AD 1250.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aleksandrovskiy, A.L., (2002). The Development of the Soils of the Eastern Europe Within the Holocene. Doctoral Theses (Geography), Moscow. 48 p. (in Russian).Google Scholar
Aleksandrovskiy, A.L., van der Plicht, J., Belinskiy, A.B., and Khokholova, O.S. Chronology of soil evolution and climatic changes in the dry steppe zone of the Northern Caucasus, Russia, during the 3rd millennium BC. Radiocarbon. Carmi, I., Boaretto, E. Proceedings of the 17th International 14C Conference vol. 43, NrB, (2001). 629635.Google Scholar
Ananyeva, N.D., and Vassilieva, G.K. The role of microbial factor in the destruction of 3,4-dichloraniline in soils. Pochvovedenie 5, (1985). 7277. (in Russian) Google Scholar
Anderson, J.P.E., and Domsch, K.H. A physiological method for the quantitative measurement of microbial biomass in soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 10, 3 (1978). 215221.Google Scholar
Bettis, E.A., and Thompson, D.M. Interrelationship of Cultural and Fluvial Deposits in Northern Iowa. (1982). Association of Iowa Archaeologists Fieldtrip Guidebook, University of South Dakota Archaeological Laboratory, Vermillion.Google Scholar
Borisov, A.V., (2002). Development of the Soils in Desert-Steppe Zone of the Volga-Don Interfluve Within Past 5000 years. PhD theses, Moscow. 23 p. (in Russian).Google Scholar
Borisov, A.V., Ganchak, T.V., Demkina, T.S., (2006). Biomass of the Fungi Mycelium in Buried and Modern Soils of the Steppe Zone. (in press).Google Scholar
Brockman, F.J., Kieft, T.L., Fredrickson, J.K., Fjornstad, B.N., Li, S.W., Spagenburg, W., and Long, P.E. Microbiology of Vadose Zone Paleosoils in South-Central Washington State. Microbial Ecology 23, (1992). 279301.Google Scholar
Dalfes, H.N., Kukla, G., and Weiss, H. Third Millennium BC. Climate Change and Old World Collapse. Nato ASI Series. Serie I: Global Environmental Change vol. 49, (1997). Springer Verlag, Google Scholar
Demkin, V.A. Paleopochvovedenie i Archeologiya (Paleopedology and Archeology). (1997). Pushchino Research Center Press, Pushchino. (in Russian) Google Scholar
Demkin, V.A., Yeltsov, M.V., Alekseev, A.O., Alekseeva, T.V., Demkina, T.S., and Borisov, A.V. Soil development in the lower Volga area during the historical period. Eurasian Soil Science 37, (2004). 13241333. (Translated from Pochvovedenie 2004, 12, 1486–1497) Google Scholar
Demkin, V.A., Yakimov, A.S., Alekseev, A.O., Kashirskaya, N.N., and El'tsov, M.V. Paleosol and paleoenvironmental conditions in the lower volga steppes during the Golden Horde period (13th–14th centuries AD). Eurasian Soil Science 39, 2 (2006). 115126.Google Scholar
Demkina, T.S., Borisov, A.V., and Demkin, V.A. Microbial communities in the paleosoils of Archaeological monuments in the desert-Steppe Zone. Eurasian Soil Science 33, (2000). 978986.Google Scholar
Demkina, T.S., Borisov, A.V., and Demkin, V.A. Paleosoils and paleoenvironment in the Northern Ergeni upland in the latest Neolithic and Bronze Ages (4-2 ka BC). Eurasian Soil Science 36, (2003). 586598.Google Scholar
Eidt, R.C. Theoretical and Practical Considerations in the Analysis of Antrosols. Rapp, G., and Gifford, J.A. Archaeological Geology. (1985). Yale University Press, New York. 155190.Google Scholar
Faegri, A., Torsvik, L.V., and Goksoeyr, J. Bacterial and fungal activities in soil: separation of bacteria and fungi by a rapid fractionated centrifugation technique. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 9, (1977). 105112.Google Scholar
Fedoroff, N., Demkin, V.A., and Courty, M.-A. Non-linear behavior of soil systems during holocene. Mitteilungen der Osterreichischen Bodenkundlichen Gesellschaft H 55, (1997). 139143.Google Scholar
Friedman, E.I. Antarctic Microbiology. (1993). Wiley-Liss, Google Scholar
Gerasimenko, N.P. Environmental and Climatic Changes from 3 to 5 ka BP in South-Easern Ukraine. Dalfes, H.N., Kukla, G., and Weiss, H. Third Millennium BC. Climate Change and Old World Collapse. Nato ASI Series. Serie I: Global Environmental Change vol. 49, (1997). Springer Verlag, 371399.Google Scholar
Goldberg, P. Late Quaternary environmental history of the Southern Levant. Geoarchaeology 1, (1986). 225244.Google Scholar
Haynes, C., Vance, Jr. Morrison, R.B., Wright, H.E. Jr. Geochronology of Late-Quaternary Alluvium, Means of Correlation of Quaternary Succession. (1968). University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City. 591631.Google Scholar
Ivanov, I.V. Evolution of Soils of the Steppe Zone in the Holocene. (1992). Nauka, Moscow. 144 p. (in Russian) Google Scholar
Khlebnikova, G.M., Gilichinsky, D.A., Fedorov-Davydov, D.G., and Vorob'eva, E.A. Quantitative estimation of microorganisms in the long-term frozen deposits and buried soils. Mikrobiologiya 59, (1990). 148155. (in Russian) Google Scholar
Khomutova, T.E., Demkina, T.S., and Demkin, V.A. Estimation of the total and active microbial biomasses in buried subkurgan paleosoils of different age. Microbiology 73, (2004). 196201. (Translated from Mikrobiologiya 2004, 73, 241–247) Google Scholar
Kovda, V.A. Basics of Soil Science vol. 1–2, (1973). Nauka, Moscow.Google Scholar
Methods of Soil Analysis, (1994). Soil Science Society of America. Part 1. 667 S. Segou Rd., Madison, WI 53711, USA.Google Scholar
Nikitin, D.I., and Nikitina, E.S. Self-Purification Processes of the Environment and the Bacteria Parasites (Genus Bdellovibrio). (1978). Moscow (in Russian) Google Scholar
Paulissen, E., and Vermeersh, P.M. Earth, man and climate in the Egyptian Nile Valley during the Pleistocene. Close, A.E. Prehistory of Arid North Africa: Essays in Honor of Fred Wendorf. (1987). Southern Methodist University Press, Dallas. 2967.Google Scholar
Ramzay, A. Extraction of bacteria from soil: efficiency of shaking or ultrasonication as indicated by direct counts and autoradiography. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 16, 5 (1988). 475481.Google Scholar
Ranov, V.A., and Davis, R.S. Toward a new outline of the soviet Central Asia paleolithic. Bulletin of the Texas Archaeological Society 54, (1979). 201238.Google Scholar
Reider, R.G. Late Pleistocene and Holocene soils of the Carter/Kerr-McGee Archaeological Site, Powder River Basin, Wyoming. Catena 12, (1980). 301315.Google Scholar
Roszak, D.B., and Colwell, R.R. Survival strategy of bacteria in the environment. Microbiological Reviews 51, (1987). 520533.Google Scholar
Skripkin, A.S. The History of the Volgogradskaya Land Prior to the City Foundation. Volgograd. (2005). 203 p.Google Scholar
Tepper, E.Z. Microorganisms of the Nocardia Genus and the Humus Destruction. (1976). Moscow Nauka Press, (in Russian) Google Scholar
Weiss, H., Courty, M.-A., Guichard, F., Senior, L., Meadow, R., and Curnov, A. The genesis and collapse of Third Millennium North Mesopotamia Civilization. Science 261, (1993). 9951004.Google Scholar
Zvyagintsev, D.G., Gilichinsky, D.A., Blagodatsky, S.A., Vorob'eva, E.A., Khlebnikova, G.M., and Arkhangelov, A.A. Duration of the microbial surviving in the permafrost deposits and buried soils. Mikrobiologiya 54, (1985). 155161. (in Russian) Google Scholar