Steppe Landscapes Research Articles

Grazing decreased soil organic carbon by decreasing aboveground biomass in a desert steppe in Inner Mongolia

The mechanisms through which stocking rates affect soil organic carbon in desert steppe landscapes are not fully understood. To address this research gap, we investigated changes in the biomass of Stipa breviflora plant communities and soils in a desert steppe. Through our research findings, we can establish an appropriate stocking rate for Stipa breviflora desert steppe. The establishment serves as a theoretical foundation for effectively maintaining elevated productivity levels and increasing the carbon sink, thereby offering a valuable contribution towards mitigate climate change.This study examined the effects of different stocking rates on soil organic carbon input, sequestration, and output and found: (1) For soil organic carbon input, the aboveground and litter biomass of plant communities decreased with increasing stocking rate. (2) Grazing treatments did not affect soil organic carbon retention. (3) Regarding soil organic carbon output, the grazing treatments exhibited no significant alteration in soil respiration when compared to the no grazing. In summary, the primary mechanisms through which increasing stocking rates affect the soil organic carbon pool are decreased inputs from plants and increased output through wind erosion. Therefore, decreasing grazing intensity is key to improving soil organic carbon retention in the desert steppe.

Comparative analysis of information products of land cover types
 of high spatial resolution in mapping floodplain landscapes

Intrazonal floodplain landscapes in the southern Russia remain relatively unaffected by the direct impact of anthropogenic activity, while zonal steppe landscapes are almost completely plowed, and semi-desert and desert are subject to high pasture loads. At the same time, climatic changes and the regulation of river flow by hydroelectric dams lead to the redistribution of river flow, which leads to the degradation of floodplain ecosystems due to a decrease in the duration and height of the flood. The construction of hydraulic structures, including shafts, dams, and arrays of irrigated lands, contributes to the withdrawal of significant areas from the floodplain regime. Reducing the duration of high water and the areas of flooding during them entails an increase in the mineralization of groundwater and stabilization of their level, which negatively affects natural floodplain ecosystems. Similar trends of hydrological and climatic changes are characteristic of floodplain landscapes of rivers in the zone of insufficient moisture, for example, the Don and its tributaries, the Volga in its lower reaches, the rivers of Central Asia. For these reasons, it is important to monitor the condition of floodplain landscapes, one of the tools of which is mapping based on remote sensing data. The purpose of this work is to map the types of land cover of floodplain landscapes of the Lower Volga on the basis of thematic information products ESA GlobCover, ESRI WorldCover, FROM-GLC10 with a spatial resolution of 10 m and GlobCover30 (GLC30) with a resolution of 30 m. It has been established that the actual area of wetlands regularly flooded during floods is 48% of the area of the entire territory. The most accurate estimates of the areas of wetlands, reservoirs, meadows and forests were obtained from the data of the ESA GlobCover information product, which is associated with the use of not only Sentinel-2 optical satellite images, but also Sentinel-1 radar. ESA data is recommended for analyzing the state of floodplain landscapes in the zone of insufficient moisture.

Влияние гелиометеорологических факторов на эпидемический процесс геморрагической лихорадки с почечным синдромом и прогнозирование заболеваемости на территории лесостепного и степного ландшафтов

On the territory of the Orenburg region over a 25-year period, we studied the influence of 43 helio-meteorological factors on the cumulative incidence of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in the population of the forest-steppe and steppe landscapes. It is shown that in of the forest-steppe landscape the priority helio-meteorological risk factors for the incidence of HFRS were: an increase in precipitation in March of the current year and in October of the previous year, as well as an increase in the Wolf number with a shift relative to the incidence to the left by 6 years. On the territory of the steppe landscape, the leading helio-meteorological risk factors for the epidemic process of HFRS were: a decrease in precipitation in June of the previous year, an increase in precipitation in February of the current year, and an increase in the Wolf number with a shift to the left relative to the incidence by 3 years. We have obtained regression equations for a short-term (for the current year) forecast of the intensity of the epidemic process of HFRS, taking into account helio-meteorological factors in the territory of the forest-steppe and steppe landscapes. These mathematical equations have been tested against actual morbidity rates. They can be recommended for practical use, as well as further improvement of the model. Keywords: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, forest-steppe and steppe landscapes, prognosis, incidence.

Arid Rangeland Degradation and Its Driving Forces in Southern Hodna, Algeria

Abstract The Algerian steppes frequently experience droughts and significant anthropogenic activities than harm its natural resources, endangering the fragile arid ecosystem’s balance. Hence, an analysis of steppe degradation can be instrumental in initiating remedial measures in the region. This study aims to assess the level of rangeland degradation in the southern Hodna region, a crucial component of the steppe landscape, and analyse the factors driving this degradation. The methodology employed a supervised classification technique, using multi-temporal remote sensing imagery from 1987 to 2016 to analyse land cover distribution. Furthermore, land cover dynamics were combined with carefully selected climatic and anthropogenic data, which were then subjected to canonical correspondece analysis to identify the primary drivers of rangeland degradation. The results reveal a sustained change in land cover dynamics, with a no table 48.65 % reduction in the rangeland class. Simultaneously, there has been a continuous expansion in sand dunes, rangeland degradation, and agriculture classes. It is worth noting that canonical correspondence analysis reveals stronger associations between rangeland degradation and anthropogenic factors than climatic factors. Finally, the study offers crucial insights into rangeland degradation in southern Hodna, aiding policymakers and land managers in developing sustainable development strategies for the region.

Populations structure and role of Hedysarum grandiflorum in the spatial organization of plant communities of petrophyte steppes

Comprehensive monitoring and assessment of the state of vegetation cover of Samara Trans-Volga show that steppe landscapes are the most vulnerable, and areas of petrophytic steppes. Rare species include Hedysarum grandiflorum Pall. This species is protected in the territory of Russia. Structural features of cenopopopulations were studied in more than 50 natural-territorial complexes. The number of individuals in populations of specific locations is usually sufficient to make a comprehensive assessment of the species at different levels of organization (organismal, population, species, and phytocoenotic). The study of cenopopopulations was carried out in 1998-2020. During the field studies, we used the method of laying test sites (stationary plots). Data on the spatial distribution of individuals were processed in the R environment (version 3.3.2) using the SPATSTAT package. The intensity of the location of individuals of the studied species was estimated using the Gaussian kernel function with boundary correction. Most of the H. grandiflorum populations known to us are (or have already been) degraded or even critical due to irrational economic exploitation of natural complexes. The random type of placement of individuals indicates favorable habitat conditions for the studied species at stationary plots. Perhaps, some tendency of pregenerative individuals to cluster is due to the mosaic location of sites suitable for seed germination (small depressions with sufficient moisture, areas not occupied by vegetation, formed under the action of exogenous factors).

Assessment of changes in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of farmlands of Stavropol Territory, Russia, during the period of active vegetation in 2020 based on medium spatial resolution images

Aim. Assess changes in the NDVI of agricultural land in Stavropol Territory under the influence of weather and climate conditions.Methods. Based on earth remote sensing data, the spectral/vegetation index NDVI was calculated. We used data from the Meteor‐M satellite with a spatial resolution of 60 m for the active vegetation period of 2020 (May to September), which made it possible to calculate the NDVI value at different times of the active vegetation period of the main types of agricultural land in the Stavropol Territory. To explain the spatial and temporal variability of NDVI, an analysis of the conditions of heat and moisture supply was carried out using Walter's climatograms at weather stations located in the steppe and semi‐desert landscapes of Stavropol Territory.Results. In 2020, the period of active vegetation in the steppe and semidesert landscapes of Stavropol Territory began in the first ten days of April, when the air temperature rose above +10°С, and ended in mid‐October. In accordance with the change in heat and moisture supply, the NDVI value changed: in general, maximum values were observed in spring and early summer and, as aridity increased, the areas corresponding to low NDVI values increased everywhere. In the steppe zone, where the main crops of winter wheat are located, the NDVI value decreased from 0.45–0.3 at the beginning of the active vegetation period to 0.15 at the end. NDVI values of 0.15–0.30, corresponding to different types of herbaceous vegetation, prevailed at the end of the active vegetation period.Conclusion. The spatial and temporal distribution of the NDVI value over the territory of the Stavropol Territory reflects, first of all, changes in the conditions of heat and moisture supply. The timing of the course of the phenological phases of natural and cultivated vegetation depends on the latter. 2020 was characterized by sufficient moisture at the beginning of active vegetation, as reflected in the high density of seedlings, and, accordingly, a large area of NDVI, corresponding not only to herbaceous, but also to shrubby vegetation within the steppe landscapes. The increase in moisture deficit and harvesting in the second half and end of summer leveled the differences between the steppe and semi‐desert landscapes, since the maximum areas were occupied by territories with NDVI values of 0.15–0.3.

PALEOLITHIC SITE SUKHAYA MECHETKA (VOLGOGRAD) IN THE CONTEXT OF STRATIGRAPHY AND PALEOGEOGRAPHY OF THE LOWER VOLGA RIVER AREA

The Sukhaya Mechetka is the most important Middle Paleolithic site in the Eastern Europe. The paper presents the analysis of the section, including its cultural layer, in the context of stratigraphy and paleogeography of the Lower Volga River region. The structure of the section represents 11 main stages of sedimentation and paleogeographic evolution of the site territory, which are closely related to global and regional changes in the climate and the level of the Caspian Sea. The base of the section reflects the stage of a river existence on the territory of the site that flowed into the Volga River estuary, formed by the Early Khazarian transgression of the Caspian Sea at the end of the Middle Pleistocene (MIS 6). A long continental period of evolution under multi-directional climate fluctuations of different amplitudes from the Mikulino interglacial (MIS 5e) till the Late Valdai glacial epoch (MIS 2) is reflected in the middle part of the section. The Late Khazarian and Hyrcanian transgressive basins (MIS 5), as well as the Paleo-Khvalynian stage (MIS 3) of the Caspian Sea did not reach the latitude of Sukhaya Mechetka. The stage of Early Khvalynian transgression (MIS 2, 16 190 ± 200 years ago) during the degradation of Ostashkovo glaciation is expressed in the upper part of the section. Three paleosoils have been found that reflect the warming periods of the MIS 5 stage and are related to its 5e, 5c and 5a sub-stages. The middle paleosoil contains a cultural layer assigned to the Micoquian/KMG community of Northern Eurasia. The climate was moderately warm during the Neanderthal settlement of the territory, steppe landscapes dominated the interfluve, and the forests grew in the balka. The Hyrcanian transgression of the Caspian Sea with an estuary in the Volga River valley predetermined a high erosion basis and the formation of a balka with a wide bottom and gentle banks. A permanent fresh watercourse attracted mammals which were an object of hunting for ancient men. All this, obviously, became a basis for the organization of settlement in the Sukhaya Mechetka balka. Correlation of the section with detailed studied loess-soil sections of the Lower Volga River region makes it possible to determine the age of its cultural horizon in between 97-110 thousand years ago.

Peculiarities of reproduction and dynamics of forests in the Southern Cis-Urals

The article presents statistical data on the dynamics of the forest fund of the Orenburg region. The study of changes in the state of the forest fund, its dynamics is the main means of forestry production, which is of great ecological importance with the possibility of developing rational forms of management in them. The natural and climatic conditions of the Southern Cis-Urals have a direct impact on the formation of forest ecosystems, which are the ecological framework of steppe landscapes. The study showed that during the analyzed period (2016-2019) the area of young stands decreased, and the stable growth of areas of mature and overmature plantations continues. The change in the age structure of the forest fund during the study period is relatively stable, but does not correspond to the optimal “normal forest” model. The factors that contribute to the reduction of the production potential of the forests of the Southern Cis-Urals under the conditions of unfavorable natural and climatic changes have been identified. One of the vectors for the conservation of existing forest resources is to maintain a balance between retired and restored forest areas, the main condition for the stabilization of which is the implementation of comprehensive reforestation and monitoring observations of forest pest and disease outbreaks. The reduction in the area of arrival of forest plantations, in the near future, will change the direction of stabilization of the age structure of forests.

TRANSFORMATION OF THE RITUAL GENEALOGICAL PORTRAIT IN PAINTING OF MIKHAILO GUIDA: EUROPEAN CONTEXT

The purpose of the article is to investigate the significance of the European portrait canon in the genre painting by Mikhailo Guida: "Kuban Wedding: Dedication to Great-Grandfather Demian Doroshenko" (2004).
 Methodology. The historical-cultural, comparative, iconographic, iconological, and hermeneutic methods are used.
 Results. Based on a comparison with compositions on the theme of marriage in the art of antiquity, the Renaissance, and the Modern era, in Guida's painting the following has been identified: the presence of a spiritual centre (icon); the role of symmetry in constructing the ritual composition; the national character of the images and symbols (Ukrainian land, home yard, clothing, flowers, ritual objects). The wedding portrait of the Cossack family was created in the iconography of ceremonial aristocratic portraits, developed by Titian, Tintoretto, Velasquez, Rubens, Van Dyck, and Whistler.
 Guida created a new form of portrait and self-portrait in the historical portrait, endowing the image of ancestors with the individual psychology of a person in times of crisis, with its inherent reflection and the desire to understand one’s place in the universe. In the composition of the Ukrainian painter, there is a sacralisation of the land and the house-yard through the connection with the universal. The laconic composition plastically corresponds to the definition of the Kuban Cossack family's place in the steppe landscape. The family is shown as a monolithic integrity, which includes horses embodying the energy of nature. The golden ratio of the composition contains the archetype of the cross. The image of the birth-giving earth is revealed by the horizontal of fertile black soil. The family is included in the spiritual vertical of the ritual "axial time" – Axis Mundi. In the connection between heaven and earth, the strength of the Ukrainian lineage and people is affirmed.
 The scientific novelty of the publication lies in the fact that, for the first time, a comparison is carried out of the ideological content and the form of Guida's painting with ritual compositions on the theme of weddings and the canon of European aristocratic portraits. The art of the Ukrainian painter is incorporated into the context of European art.
 Practical significance. The presented materials, their artistic-stylistic analysis, and generalization can be used in scientific research dedicated to the art of portrait-painting in Ukraine.

«Қарқаралы» Мемлекеттік ұлттық табиғи паркінің топырақ түзілу факторлары және үдерістері

Мақалада «Қарқаралы» Мемлекеттік ұлттық табиғи паркінің (МҰТП) топырақ түзілу факторлары және үдерістеріне талдау бойынша жүргізілген жұмыстар нәтижелері берілген. Мемлекеттік ұлттық табиғи паркінің топырақ жамылғысының зерттелген аймағында олардың негізгі екі фактордан — тік зональдылық және аймақтың геологиялық ерекшеліктеріне байланысты әсерінен дамитыны байқалды. Аудан топырағы гранит, диорит және метаморфтық тығыз жыныстардан құралған. Барлық ежелгі жыныстар қуаттылығы әр түрлі төрттік шөгінділерімен жабылған. Атқарылған жұмыстар бақылау нүктелеріне маршруттар және зерттеу бағдарламасын құрастырудан басталған. Осыдан соң бақылау нүктелерін зерделеу; топырақ кесінділерін жасау — топырақтың морфологиялық қасиетін сипаттау, горизонттар бойынша топырақ үлгілерін алу жұмыстары орындалды. Жүргізілген далалық жұмыстар орманды, таулы-орманды және далалық ландшафттарда өтті. Осы жерлердегі сынамалық нүктелердің топырақ кесінділері бойынша олардың түсі Манселл шкаласы бойынша айқындалды. Топырақтың ылғалдылығы мен гранулометриялық құрамы және хлорлы сутектегі қайнауы анықталды.

Cessation of grazing stabilizes productivity through effects on species asynchrony and stability of shrub/semi-shrub plants in arid grasslands

Grasslands are globally abundant and important ecosystems, supporting considerable biodiversity and the livelihoods of herders. However, many grasslands have become degraded through overgrazing. Cessation of grazing can have significant effects on grassland biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, yet, to date, there is no consensus about how grazing cessation affects temporal stability of plant community productivity or the underlying mechanisms driving effects. In this study, we evaluated the effects of grazing cessation on the temporal stability of annual net primary productivity (ANPP) in the plant communities, using a 15-year field experiment conducted in an Inner Mongolian desert steppe landscape. Plant diversity, species asynchrony and the temporal stability of ANPP of functional groups were analyzed to explore the driving mechanisms of temporal stability of plant community ANPP during periods without grazing. The results showed that plant ANPP and its temporal stability of whole community, shrubs/semi-shrubs and perennial forbs were greater in areas when grazing had ceased compared with areas under continuous grazing. Grazing cessation increased both species asynchrony and species richness at the community level. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to better understand the mechanisms behind the result and showed that grazing cessation increased temporal stability of community ANPP by increasing species asynchrony and the temporal stability of shrubs/semi-shrubs ANPP. Temporal stability of whole community ANPP were not related to species richness. Our study also found that the effects of grazing cessation on temporal stability of community ANPP was largest during the initial five years, while the latter ten years of grazing cessation had few additional effects on temporal stability of community ANPP. Together, our results suggest that species asynchrony and the temporal stability of shrubs/semi-shrubs ANPP may be the key drivers affecting temporal stability of community ANPP during grazing cessation, and short-term grazing cessation may be more impactful than medium- or longer term grazing cessation.

Northern Urals (Russia) quaternary deposits and biostratigraphical record caves and grottoes

Investigations of the unconsolidated Upper Pleistocene – Holocene cave deposits of the Northern Urals resulted in detailed biostratigraphical and palaeoenvironmental data. The article summarizes data from important stratigraphical levels exposed in 19 cave localities, most part of which represent several layers dated to different periods. These data cover the period from the beginning of the Upper Pleistocene (MIS 5-4) to the end of the Upper Holocene. At the beginning of Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3), open woodlands were distributed, which at the end of MIS 3 were replaced by Forest–steppe landscapes. At the beginning of MIS 2 (LGM), Periglacial steppe landscape was distributed. At the end of MIS 2 and at the beginning of the Holocene (MIS 1), semi-open landscapes were common. At the beginning of the Middle Holocene, they were replaced by taiga landscapes. Fish were present in the fauna of the Northern Urals in the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene. Amphibians in the Upper Pleistocene as part of the fauna of the region appear only at its beginning (MIS 5-4) and end (Bølling – Allerød period). Since the beginning of the Holocene (MIS 1), they have been constantly present in the fauna of the Northern Urals. Reptiles appear in the fauna of the region only in the Middle Holocene. During the Upper Pleistocene, the avifauna and fauna of small mammals were dominated by species of open landscapes, and the fauna of large mammals was dominated by species of open and semi-open landscapes. At the beginning of the Holocene, the avifauna and theriofauna increased the number of species associated with tree and shrub vegetation and near-aquatic species. Since the beginning of the Middle Holocene, the avifauna and theriofauna have been dominated by species of taiga landscapes. Palynological data and data on the fauna of small and large mammals allow us to separate the deposits of the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene. These data also allow us to separate the deposits of the beginning (MIS 5-4), middle (MIS 3), end (MIS 2)) of the Upper Pleistocene, Lower, Middle and Upper Holocene (MIS 1).

Многолетняя динамика пожаров в южных степях Северного Прикаспия и Мугоджар

The purpose of the study is to identify regional features of the formation and long-term dynamics of grass fires in the southern steppes. A vast expanse covering mainly the southern steppe landscapes of the small-scale Mugodzhara massif, the plains of the Northern Caspian and Turgai is accepted as the key territory. The presented results are based on the analysis of the formed database of geospatial data containing information about the time and spread of fires for 1986-2021. The source materials were satellite images of Landsat and MODIS (Terra and Aqua satellites). As an indirect indicator of the pyrological state of the steppes, long–term statistical data on the number of grazed cattle (cattle, sheep and goats, horses). A significant heterogeneity of the pyrologic conditions for the years under review was revealed, three phases were identified: low (1986–2000), high (2001– 2010) and medium (2011–2021) fire activity. A comparison of the data obtained with the results of similar studies conducted by the authors earlier on the northern steppes indicates a high degree of similarity in the long-term dynamics of wildfires. By identifying the closeness of connections, it was established that the observed changes in the nature of fire–hazardous situations are due to changes in the intensity of use of plant and land resources, mainly during the agricultural development of the region. The intensification of fires was the result of the spontaneous restoration of steppe vegetation on uncultivated arable and little-used pasture lands associated with a sharp reduction in the level of agricultural production in the countries of the former USSR. It took about 8 years to restore the previously degraded vegetation to a state capable of supporting the steady spread of fires. One of the factors of pyrogenicity is the floral composition of plant communities and the density of herbage. The deterioration of the pyrological situation in the southern steppes (as well as in other steppe subzones) has become a specific regional response to the changed conditions.

Electrocution of Eagles in Mongolia

Steppe Eagles (Aquila nipalensis) and Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are species of conservation and cultural importance in Mongolia. Electrocution at electricity distribution lines is a threat faced by both species across Central Asia. We present the results of power line surveys conducted in the Mongolian steppe region to elucidate temporal patterns of electrocution and specific danger points on power poles for eagles. There was spatial and temporal variation in electrocution rates for Steppe Eagles and Golden Eagles. Autumn surveys across Mongolia recorded the electrocuted carcasses of 18 Steppe Eagles and 9 Golden Eagles. The distribution of electrocutions revealed that Steppe Eagles are mainly killed at power lines in the central steppe zone; in contrast, only Golden Eagles were found at power lines in the southern ‘gobi’ desert zone. Daily surveys conducted for a year at a single power line in the eastern steppe detected 8 Golden Eagles and 6 Steppe Eagles. All Steppe Eagle electrocutions occurred between April and September as they are predominantly summer visitors in Mongolia, whereas six of the eight Golden Eagle electrocutions occurred in winter indicating that Golden Eagles can range over predominantly flat, open steppe landscapes at this time. Significantly more electrocutions occurred at poles with no crossarm mitigation compared to poles with deflectors, deterrents or covers, indicating that mitigation on the crossarm can reduce eagle electrocution rates. Furthermore, the absence of eagle carcasses at poles with crossarm mitigation suggests that crossarms are the main site of electrocution for eagles in Mongolia. Country-scale retrofitting of insulation to crossarms and pole tops significantly reduced eagle electrocution events.

Saline fertility of fallow land massifs in the steppe zone of the Omsk Priirtyshye region

Information on the properties of unused solonetz on deposits is necessary for studying the processes of their evolution, solving the issues of rational use of agricultural lands, and establishing the possibility of their reintroduction into agricultural turnover. The aim of the research was to study the fertility indicators of solonetz (Gleyic Solonetz) in the steppe zone of Omsk Priirtyshye, which are in the post-agrogenic stage of development. The research was carried out in Cherlak district of Omsk region (south of Western Siberia) on three fallow massifs with the age of less than 10 years; 10-20 years and more than 20 years. A field survey of soil cover and soil analyses were carried out. As a research result, it was established that fallow massifs are represented by the meadow-chernozem solonetz and the chernozem-meadow columnar solonetz of different types with low fertility. The unfavourable properties of solonetz were expressed physical solonetization, high density of illuvial horizons, low porosity, and unfavourable composition of exchange-absorbed cations, alkaline and strongly alkaline environment in the middle and lower parts of profiles, which are aggravated by arid conditions of steppe landscapes. Reintroduction of solonetz into agricultural turnover can be allowed only on arrays with predominance of medium and deep solonetz for cultivation of solonetz-resistant crops under moisture-saving technologies, no-tillage reclamation treatments, and chemical reclamation in the future.

Speciation of metals in soils of steppe landscapes affected by mining (Southern Urals)

Speciation of ore and accompanying elements (Cu, Zn, Fe, Ni, Pb, Cd, Cr, V, Ba, Sr) in steppe soils of the Transurals (vicinity of city of Sibay, Bashkortostan) was studied with sequential extraction method. Attention was given to change of elements’ speciation in area affected by mining (Cu-Zn deposit). The results are supplemented by chemical analysis of humic acids (isolated by alkaline extraction) and granulometric fractions. It was revealed that the soils of background areas are characterized by low mobility of studied elements and a relatively uniform distribution over soil profile. Residual fraction percentage (fraction’s share in element’s total content) is the highest. Percentage of exchangeable and carbonate fractions is insignificant (Sr and Ba are exceptions). Percentage of fraction of crystalline Fe hydroxides, reduceable and oxidizable fractions varies from shares of a percent to 15%. Cd stands out for a high percentage of oxidizable fraction (up to 30% of Cd total content) and relatively low percentage of residual fraction (up to 50%). Comparison of obtained results allows us to suggest that near objects of mining industry dust enriched with Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and Sb comes to the surface. This leads to shard increase of Cu, Zn, Cd content in the upper layer of chernic horizon, change of these elements’ speciation and distribution among granulometric fractions. Increase of elements content is not only due to prevailing residual fraction; Cu, Zn, Cd of oxidizable fraction, reducible fraction and Fe hydroxides fraction significantly increase. Sharp increase of oxidizable fraction percentage (largely due to sulfides) is noted.

What's in a Hearth? Preliminary Findings from the Margal Hunter-Gatherer Habitation in the Eastern Mongolian Gobi Desert

abstract: Today's image of people inhabiting the vast steppe landscapes of Mongolia is inseparably linked to mobile animal herding. Indeed, archaeologists have confirmed that human-animal communities comprised of human herders and domestic livestock roamed across Mongolia's grassland environment and utilized semi-arid to arid regions such as the Gobi steppe desert for thousands of years. However, it is much rarer to catch a glimpse of the time before the advent of pastoralism in this part of the world. During the Neolithic (ca. 6000–1800 b.c.), the Gobi was much less of a desert than it is today. Sparsely scattered archaeological sites testify to the presence of hunter-gatherer groups that successfully exploited rich wetland environments. As a result of the pedestrian survey carried out by the Dornod Mongol Survey in the greater region of Delgerkhaan Uul, we discovered in situ remains of a Neolithic habitation site. Excavations at the Margal site uncovered a stratified hearth and a lithic assemblage embedded in a habitation layer and accompanied by a few faunal bone fragments. Our finds correspond with the Oasis 2 stage (ca. 6000–3000 b.c.) of the scheme established by Janz and colleagues dividing the Mongolian Neolithic into phases based on habitation, as well as subsistence patterns and technology. However, some typical Oasis 2 markers such as pottery and grinding tools are missing from the small assemblage uncovered from test excavations in 2017 and 2018. Margal likely belonged to a regional network of extended hunter-gatherer occupation relying on wild plant and faunal resources. The site represents the first of its kind in the region and has potential to shed light on hunter-gatherer subsistence and habitation decisions. In concert with adjacent archaeological surface scatters and contextualized in the supraregional network of hunter-gatherer habitation, it will contribute to refining current models of lifeways and transformations in Mongolian prehistory.

What’s in a Hearth?: Preliminary Findings from the Margal Hunter-gatherer Habitation in the Eastern Mongolian Gobi Desert

Today’s image of people inhabiting the vast steppe landscapes of Mongolia is inseparably linked to mobile animal herding. Indeed, archaeologists have confirmed that human-animal communities comprised of human herders and domestic livestock roamed across Mongolia’s grassland environment and utilized semiarid to arid regions such as the Gobi steppe desert for thousands of years. However, it is much rarer to catch a glimpse of the time before the advent of pastoralism in this part of the world. During the Neolithic (ca. 6000 – 1800 B.C.), the Gobi was much less of a desert than it is today. Sparsely scattered archaeological sites testify to the presence of hunter-gatherer groups that successfully exploited rich wetland environments. As a result of the pedestrian survey carried out by the Dornod-Mongol-Survey in the greater region of Delgerkhaan Uul, we discovered in situ remains of a Neolithic habitation site. Excavations at the Margal site uncovered a stratified hearth and a lithic assemblage embedded in a habitation layer and accompanied by a few faunal bone fragments. Our finds correspond with the Oasis 2 stage (ca. 6000 – 3000 B.C.) of the scheme established by Janz and colleagues dividing the Mongolian Neolithic into phases based on habitation and subsistence patterns and technology. However, some typical Oasis 2 markers such as pottery and grinding tools are missing from the small assemblage uncovered from test excavations in 2017 and 2018. Margal likely belonged to a regional network of extended hunter-gatherer occupation relying on wild plant and faunal resources. The site represents the first of its kind in the region and has potential to shed light on hunter-gatherer subsistence and habitation decisions. In concert with adjacent archaeological surface scatters and contextualized in the supraregional network of hunter gather habitation, it will contribute to refining current models of lifeways and transformations in Mongolian prehistory.

Excess of REE in plant foods as a cause of geophagy in animals in the Teletskoye Lake basin, Altai Republic, Russia

Geological and hydrobiogeochemical studies carried out in two areas in the Teletskoye Lake basin in the Altai Mountains suggest that geophagy among wild and domestic herbivores in the studied areas develops in mountain‑taiga with steppe landscapes on Proterozoic metamorphic rocks near the Paleozoic granitoids with high concentrations of magmatogenic minerals of rare earth elements (REE). This fact is the reason for high concentrations of REE in loose diluvial deposits and glacial deposits adjacent to granitoids, as well as in derivative soils and vegetation. REE concentrations in the vegetation of the studied territories were almost similar to the geophagy sites previously investigated in the Sikhote‑Alin. The geochemical specificity of landscapes revealed both in the Altai Mountains and in the Sikhote‑Alin may be the cause of REE imbalance in the hormonal system of the body. It forces animals to address the resulting problems with mineral sorbents of the quartz‑feldspar‑illite‑chlorite type which can remove the excess of REE from the body. When selecting these, the animals tend to find sodium‑enriched varieties if possible.

Micromorphological features of medieval cultural layers formed in different environmental backgrounds

This research compares results of micromorphological case studies conducted on four early medieval archaeological sites with differentiated spatialization of human impacts and a varied craft production located in different background environments: humid climate, subzone of mixed forests, floodplain of the Dnieper River (Gnezdovo site); semi-humid climate, subzone of forest-steppe, Middle Volga region (Muromsky Gorodok and Malaya Ryazan’ sites); arid climate, cold desert of the Aral region, ancient delta-alluvial plain of the Syr-Darya River (Dzhankent site). Micromorphological studies of habitation deposits revealed clear geographical and geochemical regularities in the occurrence of geogenic (soil, sedimentary and post-sedimentary) features. Intrasoil migration and accumulation of clay and coarser silicate material in textural pedofeatures were described in cultural layers of sites located in forest and the forest-steppe zones. An anthropogenic input of phosphates provokes simultaneous migration and illuvial accumulation of phosphates and clay. In the habitation deposits in steppe landscapes with calcareous lithology, the key background soil process is redistribution and intrasoil accumulation of calcium carbonates. In the alluvial desert landscape, major soil processes are accumulation of gypsum and readily soluble salts. All layers are or were affected by at least some seasonal over-moisturizing that resulted in a variety of redoximorphic features depending on their palaeo- and/or contemporary water regime. The high variety of anthropogenic processes and corresponding microfeatures was grouped as follows: (1) input, output, turbation, compaction; (2) neoformation and migration; (3) pyrogenic processes (products); technological processes (products). The set of anthropogenic features records past human impact in the locality. The higher the variety of anthropogenic features and their general abundance is, the more intensive and variable the human impact which had occurred in the past. At the same time, the occurrence of certain anthropogenic features may indicate not only human-related processes of their formation (or input), but also a contemporary soil environment. This environment can be favorable, or, in the opposite, deteriorative for earlier formed anthropogenic features.