Central Yakutia Research Articles

Habitation conditions of the cave lion in the middle Indigirka River basin, North-East Siberia, during the Middle and Late Pleniglacial: Reconstruction based on palynological data

Pollen analyses of the sediment from skulls cavities of two cave lions Panthera spelaea from the middle Indigirka River basin, North-East Siberia, were performed to reconstruct the habitat conditions of the animals and to estimate changes in vegetation and climatic conditions in the region. Composition of the pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs indicates that the predators most likely died on the river floodplain or near the shore of the thermokarst lake, where grass/sedge meadows and shrub thickets, providing rich grazing grounds for large herbivores, existed. Palynological data indicate that both in the early Middle Pleniglacial and in the LGM the regional vegetation included forest, shrub tundra, meadow, mire and steppe communities similar to modern cold steppes in central Yakutia. During early Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3, the participation of arboreal vegetation was greater than in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) due to higher summer temperatures. In MIS 2, the role of open herbaceous cryoxerotic communities was greater, which is associated with a higher continentality of climate and a decrease in winter temperatures. This reconstruction is consistent with the general sequence of landscape and climatic changes in the Arctic and Subarctic regions of Siberia in the Middle and Late Pleniglacial, based on paleobotanical studies of the locations of mammoth fauna and multidisciplinary studies of the Late Pleniglacial sediments from a broader area.

Abundance, ecology and dispersal of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae Rhoads) in Yakutia

In 2006, 2011, 2013, and 2020, four groups of young wood bison, each made up of 30 individuals from Canada, were introduced to Yakutia. The bison began to reproduce at ages 2 to 3 in 2008. Their mating behavior was first noted in 2007 when they were 2 to 3 years old, and calving took place in the spring of 2008 when they were 3 to 4 years old. Between 2008 and 2023, 16 generations of calves were born from both Canadian and Yakutia-born bison. The percentage of females that gave birth varied each year, ranging from 46.2% to 92.3%, with an average of 69.3 ± 5.4%. In 2017 and 2018, some bison were released in the middle section of the Sinyaya River. By 2023, the total population of bison in the nurseries “Ust-Buotama,” “Tympynai,” and in free-ranging groups reached 348 individuals. We discuss the characteristics of pastures, plant nutrition, feeding, reproduction, reintroduction to the wild, and the distribution of bison in Yakutia and surrounding areas. Bison have adapted well to the region’s climate, which features long winters, short summers, and extremely low winter temperatures. Central Yakutia offers a broad ecological niche for bison, with shallow valley lands that have meadow and shrub vegetation. This environment supports the potential for successfully restoring the historical habitat of the Bison genus in Yakutia and nearby regions. To avoid inbreeding and preserve genetic diversity, it is crucial to regularly release animals into the wild and occasionally introduce new individuals from various parks in Canada.

A 14,000‐Year Sediment Record of Mercury Accumulation and Isotopic Signatures From Lake Malaya Chabyda (Siberia)

AbstractEurasian permafrost soils contain large amounts of organic carbon (OC) and mercury (Hg), sequestered by vegetation during past and present interglacial periods. Lake sediment archives may help understand past OC and Hg dynamics and how they interact with climate‐related variables. We investigated Hg accumulation, OC dynamics, and Hg and OC stable isotopes in a 14,000‐year sediment record from Lake Malaya Chabyda (Central Yakutia, Russia). Sediment Hg was correlated to OC (p value < 0.01), with lower OC and Hg accumulation rates (OCAR, HgAR) during the cold Younger Dryas (YD, 12,900–11,700 cal BP), when the lake level was low. Elevated sediment Δ200Hg (0.05‰ ± 0.11‰), representing dominant HgII deposition, and low δ13C, indicates low lake primary productivity during the YD. During the early Holocene, Δ200Hg and Δ199Hg decreased, while δ13C, δ202Hg, OCAR, and HgAR increased, suggesting enhanced algal primary productivity in deeper, more turbid waters. From 4,100 cal BP to present, Hg/OC ratios and HgAR increased at constant OCAR, indicating an additional Hg source to the lake. Analysis of Hg isotopes suggests direct Hg0 uptake into lake waters, potentially driven by primary production and efficient Hg burial. Our observations suggest that the gradual climate warming since the Last Glacial Termination and into the early Holocene led to enhanced OC and Hg burial in northern lakes and watersheds. Late Holocene enhanced Hg burial, but not OC, is possibly related to a renewed increase in lake primary productivity. Continued global warming may lead to further Hg sequestration in northern aquatic ecosystems.

Erratum to: U–Pb (ID-TIMS) Age of Perovskite from Kimberlites of the Manchary Pipe (Khompu-May Kimberlite Field, Central Yakutia)

Erratum to: U–Pb (ID-TIMS) Age of Perovskite from Kimberlites of the Manchary Pipe (Khompu-May Kimberlite Field, Central Yakutia)

Lateral and Radial Differentiation of Cryogenic Soil Chemical Composition in the Vilyuy River Valley, Central Yakutia

Lateral and Radial Differentiation of Cryogenic Soil Chemical Composition in the Vilyuy River Valley, Central Yakutia

Indigenous Subsistence Practices of the Sakha Horse Herders under Changing Climate in the Arctic

This article provides, firstly, an overview of Arctic traditional horse herding as one of the Indigenous subsistence practices of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). It discusses the origins, characteristics, and spiritual and material importance of Sakha horses and horse herding practices to inform the overall understanding of this traditional subsistence activity, which remains largely unexplored. Secondly, by conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with Indigenous Sakha horse herders, this study explores the ways in which Indigenous subsistence practices are evolving and reacting to the climate and environmental changes. Results show that climate change is altering the local ecosystem and introducing new challenges to communities in Central Yakutia. Local herders describe climate change as a complex interplay of diverse transformations rather than a singular phenomenon. While historical adaptation strategies relied on the flexibility of traditional practices, today, this flexibility is often hindered by non-climatic factors. This article further discusses adaptability of Indigenous practices to climate change and offers recommendations for their development, particularly traditional horse herding. Future research related to climate change and Arctic Indigenous communities should encompass deeper and broader aspects, covering historical, cultural, social, and economic contexts and the worldviews of Indigenous peoples, distinct from Western perspectives.

Урожайность гибридов смородины черной в Центральной Якутии

Abstract. A study was carried out of the yield and large-fruited original material of black currant in a breeding nursery in the conditions of Central Yakutia. The purpose is to identify sources of high yield and large-fruited black currant hybrids for use in breeding. The objectives of the study included high-yielding hybrids of black currant to carry out crop accounting and identify; determine the mass of berries in hybrids and select sources of large fruit. Methods. The research was carried out according to the generally accepted methodology “Program and methodology for the selection of fruit, berry and nut crops” (Oryol, 1995). Scientific novelty. For the first time, new sources of black currant productivity have been identified for breeding in Yakutia. Results. In the breeding nursery, 10 sources of high yield (more than 10 t/ha) and 4 sources of large-fruited black currant hybrids from various genetic groups were selected. Among them, the hybrid 3-7-18 (Podarok Kuzioru × Khara Kytalyk), a derivative of three subspecies of black currant and low-flowering currant with a yield of 18.9 t/ha, is distinguished by the characteristics of early fruiting, high and stable yield. Of 4 black currant hybrids - 3-19-18 (Podarok Kuzioru × Myuryuchana), 3-2-18 (Podarok Kuzioru × Khara Kytalyk), 2-18-18 (Podarok Kuzioru × Yakutskaya) and 1-17-18 (Ksyusha × Yakutskaya) was characteristic large fruiting. The weight of 1 berry ranged from 1.53 to 1.70 g. A negative relationship was revealed between the indicators of yield and large-fruited black currant (r = –0.47), as a result of mathematical processing of experimental data The identified sources of high yield and large fruit will be used in the selection of black currants in Central Yakutia to create new source material and further study them according to a set of traits.

A new short-winged species of the genus Stenchaetothrips Bagnall, 1926 (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) from Central Yakutia (Siberia)

A new short-winged species of the genus Stenchaetothrips Bagnall, 1926 (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) from Central Yakutia (Siberia)

Planktonic Microbial Communities of Thermokarst Lakes of Central Yakutia Demonstrate a High Diversity of Uncultivated Prokaryotes with Uncharacterized Functions

Although thermokarst alas lakes of Central Yakutia are of great climatic and economic importance, there is currently virtually no information on microbial communities and microbial processes in these lakes. This paper characterizes the hydrochemical features and presents a primary analysis of the diversity of planktonic microbial communities in three alas lakes of Central Yakutia — Tyungulyu, Taby, and Kharyyalakh. It was shown that in terms of the water physicochemical composition, the studied lakes were quite typical for this region; they had increased alkalinity and trophicity, but differed from each other in microbiological indicators. Chemoheterotrophic prokaryotes predominated in the studied planktonic communities, but a significant proportion of the 16S rRNA gene sequences were most similar to uncultured microorganisms whose functional potential is still unknown.

The Impact of Catastrophic Forest Fires of 2021 on the Light Soils in Central Yakutia

This paper presents the results of studying changes in the main parameters and properties of soils in larch and pine forests growing on sandy soils of the Lena-Vilyui interfluve of Central Yakutia, where catastrophic forest fires occurred in 2021. According to the remote monitoring information system of Rosleskhoz, in 2021, almost 8.5 million hectares of forests burned in Yakutia, which is considered as one of the largest forest fires in Russia and in the world in that year. After the fire passes through the forest floor, the content of organic matter decreases as a result of combustion processes. The acidity of the soil changes towards its alkalization due to the entry of combustion products. Changes in soil profiles occur; turbation processes begin more intensively, which in turn change the natural distribution of soil indicator values such as the organic carbon content, the pH, and the number of exchangeable bases. Due to the sharp increase in heat supply after a fire, the depth of seasonal thawing in the soils of burnt larch forests increases by a quarter and by twofold in pine forests. With the beginning of the thawing of the seasonally frozen layer, all the soils experience waterlogging, and ground water occurs above the permafrost.

Digestibility and nutrient utilization in young cattle when feeding a zeolite-mineral additive

The purpose of the work was to study the digestibility and utilization of nutrients by young cattle during rearing when fed a zeolite-mineral additive. Experimental studies were carried out on reared young cattle of Simmental breed under the conditions of Central Yakutia. The studies were conducted on reared young Simmental cattle on the basis of the peasant farm of IP Makarov V. D. in the Churapchinsky district of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). It was found s a result of the experiments that the use of a zeolite-mineral additive in different doses improved metabolic processes in the body of the experimental animals, which affected the efficiency of using nutrients in the ration. It was found that the experimental additive increased the digestibility coefficients of nutrients in the ration, and the improvement in metabolism is confirmed by an increase in the degree of utilization of feed nitrogen from the received nitrogen by 0.17 and 0.34 abs.%, and from the digested nitrogen by 0.31 and 0.42 abs.%. Improvement of mineral metabolism was refl ected in the efficiency of the degree of use of calcium and phosphorus in feed. An increase in the degree of use of calcium in feed by 0.19 and 0.51 abs.% was established. A similar improvement trend was observed in the increase in the degree of use of phosphorus in feed by 0.21 and 0.26 abs.%. Therefore, the presented research data complement the earlier experiments and clarify the most optimal rates of use of zeolite-mineral additive in feeding of young cattle, which improve metabolism in the body of animals under the conditions of Central Yakutia.

The Burial Rite and the Concept of Death among the Modern Yakuts (Based on Materials from Central Yakutia)

The Burial Rite and the Concept of Death among the Modern Yakuts (Based on Materials from Central Yakutia)

FOREST FOOD RESOURCES IN THE SAKHA REPUBLIC (YAKUTIA)

According to the “Ecosystem Services of Russia” Prototype of National Report (2016), data on terrestrial ecosystem resources in Russia are fragmented. The purpose of this work is to fill the existing gaps in the knowledge of the biodiversity of plant species and the sustainability of traditional food systems across the economic zones of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). Materials and methods. Although the range of edible plants in Yakutia counts more than 100 species, only nine species of berries, eight species of mushrooms, and three species of other food plants were classified as resource-significant based on the consolidated archive materials of the IBPC at FRC YaSC SB RAS and the results of the field studies carried out in 2002-2019. This list of twenty species was tested via a socio-economic survey undertaken as part of the RISE project in 2021-2023. The study was conducted with the permission of the local biomedical ethics committee of the Medical Institute of the North-Eastern Federal University. Each participant signed an informed consent form to be surveyed, according to the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki, which regulates the research involving human subjects. The study embraced 400 rural households. Results. The data on biological stocks of resource-significant food species of Yakutia’s forests were presented based on the consolidated archive materials and results of the field studies undertaken by the IBPC at FRC YaSC SB RAS. Coupled research methods of natural and social sciences were used to produce the estimates of the economic reserves of berries and mushrooms across economic zones of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) and the volumes of their harvesting by rural households and the population of the region in general. Conclusion. Social methods have proven reliable for studying biodiversity in a large-sized region. They allow to fill the gaps in the databases built on the results of field studies, particularly in terms of popularity and, accordingly, the prevalence of certain food species. The higher productivity and diversity of flora in Southern Yakutia were confirmed compared to the Arctic and other economic zones. Funding. The reported study was performed under the e-Asia Climate Call and funded by RFBR, project number 21-55-70104, and project VI.52.1.8. “Theoretical and applied aspects of investigation the diversity of the vegetation of Northern and Central Yakutia (East Siberia)” 0376-2016-0001; registration number АААА-А17-117020110056-0.

Reconstruction of the paleotemperature of the Central Yakutia Ice Complex during the Holocene period

The increase in worldwide temperatures is leading to changes in permafrost landscapes in disturbed areas, which are causing the onset of cryogenic processes. Central Yakutia has a high population density and human impact on the permafrost, which contribute to the widespread occurrence of these processes. Studying the changes in permafrost over past periods is crucial for predicting future landscape changes, monitoring soil temperature changes in current warming conditions, and evaluating the stability of the upper permafrost layer. We reconstructed the temperature regime of the soils in the Ice Complex using mathematical modeling based on the chronology of climate evolution in Central Yakutia during the Holocene. Mathematical modeling of the temperature regime of the ice complex’s soils is based on climatic and thermophysical characteristics of the soils selected from the lithological sections of Central Yakutia. Archive data from weather stations was used for the analysis and sampling of climatic characteristics such as average annual and monthly air temperatures and snow cover thickness. During periods of warming, the calculated ground temperatures at the depth of zero heat turnover were between –2.1 and –2.7 °C, showing a difference of 0.4–1 °C from the current temperatures. Conversely, during cooling periods, the temperatures ranged from –5.2 to –12.3 °C, with a variance of 2.1–9.2 °C from the current soil temperatures. Thus, the examination of computational models indicates that the thermal conditions of the soils within the Ice Complex in Central Yakutia during the most significant periods of the Holocene are impacted by the thickness of the snow cover and the integrity of the Ice Complex.

Adaptive changes in the fatty acid composition of <i>Oxytropis scheludjakovae</i> and <i>Oxytropis strobilacea</i> under temperature fluctuations during the growth season in Central Yakutia

Although there is growing interest in understanding the mechanisms of plant adaptive resistance, there is still incomplete or missing information for many plant species. In this study, we conducted an analysis of the fatty acid composition in the vegetative and generative organs of two species belonging to the Oxytropis genus, namely O. scheludjakovae and O. strobilacea. Gas-liquid chromatography was used to analyze the qualitative and quantitative changes in fatty acids throughout the growing season. The plants were grown in the natural flora collection nursery at the Yakutsk Botanical Garden. The main fatty acids identified had carbon atoms ranging from 14 to 24. There were no significant differences in fatty acid composition between the endemic species O. scheludjakovae and the more widely distributed species O. strobilacea. The highest total fatty acid content (19.5 mg/g tissue) was observed in the leaves of O. scheludjakovae in June and in the leaves of O. strobilacea (17.0 mg/g tissue) in June and July. Palmitic acid was the primary saturated fatty acid in both species, while linolenic acid was the main unsaturated fatty acid. The adaptation of these plants to temperature changes was reflected in the variation of unsaturated fatty acid content. O. strobilacea showed higher values of fatty acid unsaturation coefficient throughout the growing season compared to O. scheludjakovae.

Dating post-LGM aeolian sedimentation and the Late Palaeolithic in Central Yakutia (northeastern Siberia)

Central Yakutia is a large region in northeastern Siberia characterized by extensive permafrost, large river valleys, mountain glaciers, and large massifs of aeolian sands; the geological history of the region is complex and, at present, poorly constrained. In recent years, it has been shown that aeolian sands cover up to 60% of large parts of Central Yakutia. This paper presents the results of luminescence dating of aeolian sedimentation at the Diring Yuriakh Palaeolithic site located in the middle reaches of the Lena River. Field studies identified several thick units of aeolian sand, which cover an old deflation surface with Late (Duktai culture) and Early Palaeolithic (Diring culture) artefacts. The reliability of the OSL chronology was assessed by comparison of ages based on the optically stimulated luminescence from quartz and the infra-red stimulated luminescence from potassium-rich feldspars; these age pairs are in good agreement, implying that at least the quartz grains were sufficiently bleached before sedimentation. We obtained OSL ages that reflect three periods of accumulation between the LGM and the Holocene: ∼21 ka, 15-14 ka, and 12.5–10 ka. These periods of accumulation broadly coincide with global cooling episodes during the Last Glacial Maximum, the Older Dryas, and the Younger Dryas, with some extension into subsequent warmer intervals, whereas the intervening intervals without preserved sediments are taken to reflect dune stability during warmer periods. The sand on the terraces, sourced from alluvial bars in the river channel, was blown up the valley slope during cold and dry periods when the vegetation cover was sparse. When the climate warmed, the vegetation took some time to spread, and so the accumulation of aeolian sand on the high terraces continued into the warm periods. We also infer periods of deflation (wind erosion) that occurred before 21 ka and between 20 and 15 ka, presumably due to increased aeolian activity and localized remobilization of sediment. The new OSL chronology shows that the younger artefacts located at the cape of Diring Yuriakh, belonging to the Late Palaeolithic Duktai culture, are older than 15 ka. The new ages also show that the post-LGM aeolian sand sequences at Diring Yuriakh are correlated with the regionally developed subaerial Dolkuma Formation.

Molecular Weight Distribution of Humic Acids Isolated from Calcic Cryosol in Central Yakutia, Russia.

The transition of soils into fallow state has a significant impact on the accumulation and transformation of soil organic matter (SOM). However, the issue of SOM transformation as a result of soil transition to fallow state in cryolithozone conditions is insufficiently studied. The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular weight (MW) distribution of humic acids (HAs) isolated from soils of central Yakutia. Native, fallow and agricultural soils in the vicinity of Yakutsk city were studied. MW distributions of HA preparations were obtained on an AKTAbasic 10 UPS chromatographic system (Amersam Biosciences, Uppsala, Sweden) using a SuperdexTM 200 10/300 GL column (with cross-linked dextran gel, fractionation range for globular proteins 10-600 kDa). The data on the molecular-mass distribution of HAs of fallow and agricultural soils of Central Yakutia were obtained for the first time. According to the obtained data, it was found that the highest carbon content in the structure of HAs was observed in agricultural soils (52.56%), and is associated with soil cultivation and fertilizer application. Among the HAs of fallow soils, we note that those soils that are in the process of self-vegetation have a relatively high carbon content in the HAs (45.84%), but the highest content was observed in fallow soils used as hayfields (49.98%), indicating that the reinvolvement of agriculture in fallow soils leads to an increase in the carbon content of HAs. According to the data of the MW distribution of HAs, it was found that the highest content of a high MW fraction of HAs was recorded in native soil (18.8%); this is due to the early stages of humification and the low maturity of organic matter. The highest content of a low MW fraction of HAs was recorded in agricultural soil (73.3%); this is due to the formation of molecular complexes of a "secondary" nature, which are more stable in the environment than the primary transformation products of humification precursors. The molecular composition of the HAs of fallow soils in the process of self-overgrowing is characterized by values closer to the HAs of native soils, which indicates their transformation towards HAs of native soils. The obtained results indicate that the reinvolvement of fallow soils leads to the transformation of the molecular composition of HAs towards HAs of agricultural soils, and to an increase in the resistance of SOM to biodegradation.

Soil microbiome of Plaggic Anthrosol and Calcic Cryosols in Central Yakutia

Soil microbiome makes a significant contribution to the implementation of ecosystem services, which are necessary for the sustainable functioning of ecosystems. Soils of central Yakutia develop under dynamic physical and chemical conditions (long-term freezing/thawing processes, redistribution of nutrients), which ensures the formation of a specific microbial community in natural and anthropogenically transformed areas. The object of the study was the natural, fallow, and agricultural soils of central Yakutia. The method of high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene fragment on Illumina MiSEQ sequencer was used to analyze the microbial community. As a result, in fallow lands a decrease in nutrients was revealed if compared to the lands involved in agricultural turnover. Based on the composition of the microbiome it was observed that the most common phyla are Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobiota, Pseudomonadota (Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria), Bacterioidota, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetota. The presence of a core set of microorganisms for the studied soils was recorded, up to 17.8% of phylotypes are unique and up to 25.7% are common to fallow lands and background plots. Microbial communities vary depending on geographical locations and on types of natural resource use. The most distinct microbial communities are formed in hydromorphic soils with the development of gley processes, as well as in agricultural soils.

U–Pb (ID-TIMS) Age of Perovskite from Kimberlites of the Manchary Pipe (Khompu-May Kimberlite Field, Central Yakutia)

U–Pb (ID-TIMS) Age of Perovskite from Kimberlites of the Manchary Pipe (Khompu-May Kimberlite Field, Central Yakutia)

Nutritive value of feed and feeding of the Yakut breed of cattle in Central Yakutia Popov R.G. Slepsov E.S. Popova N.V. Andreeva M.V.

Nutritive value of feed and feeding of the Yakut breed of cattle in Central Yakutia Popov R.G. Slepsov E.S. Popova N.V. Andreeva M.V.