Late holocene man-induced environmental change in central russian plain: paleopedological evidences from early-medieval archaeological site.

Local natural and man-induced environmental changes in the early medievalarchaeological site in the central Russian plain were reconstructed by study of surface and buriedsoil profiles. Natural soils and ecosystems on watersheds were similar to present ones in agreementwith palynological data. In the floodplain there are remains of forest soils and anthropogenichorizons. These formed in ancient urban environments and are buried under recent alluviumindicating that alluvial sedimentation and flood intensities were much less than at present. Ancientman-induced environmental change related to crop growing activity is well documented bypalynological data but corresponding cultivated horizons are found only in few buried profiles,being unstable if left on the surface. Paleopedological signs of the ancient urban environment arevery stable and preserved in surface soils even 1000 years after the settlement stopped functioning.

Trends and rates of holocene soil evolution in the North Caucasian Piedmont

In the piedmont of the North Caucasus a 3500 yr B.P. steppe was replaced by forest asclimate became moister. Steppe Chernozems were preserved under high (up to 8 m) burial mounds(kurgans) constructed about 5000 yr B.P. On natural landsurfaces surrounding the kurgans,Chernozems evolved to Luvisols. On the kurgans made of loess and Chernozem soil, matureLuvisols formed during the forest stage. On the kurgans covered with artificial limestone paving,the Luvisol profile is less developed. Migration and transformation of substances occur throughoutthe whole kurgan pile. These include fissures and earthworm channels filled with clay-humusmaterial or secondary carbonates, gleyed mottles, iron oxides, and neoformed gypsum. Theseprocesses cause diagenetic transformation of buried Chernozems even at depth.

Man-Induced Landscape Evolution in the North Caucasian Piedmont of Russia

Paleosols buried by colluvial deposits and artificial agricultural terraces wereinvestigated to reconstruct natural and man-induced environmental change in the central NorthCaucasus. The profiles buried under ancient man-made agricultural terraces (1000-1500 years B.P.)are similar to recent surface Chemozems. Minor differences in thickness, humus and carbonatecontent of Ah horizons are due to anthropogenic disturbance before burial or diagenesis. Thisindicates that a steppe ecosystem persisted in the central North Caucasian piedmont during lateHolocene. The sections of colluvial sediments in downslope positions show alternation of coarsestony slope deposits and well developed though truncated paleosol profiles. This indicates thatperiods of soil formation and low activity of colluviation alternated with dramatic intensificationof mass movement on slopes. The early medieval anthropogenic deforestation may havedestabilised slopes and activated development of the upper layer of the coarse colluvium.Pedofeatures related to ancient cultivation were detected in the paleosol below this layer.