Articles

Paleopedological studies were conducted on the territory of the Kostenkovsko-Borshchevsky district. The K12 ancient human site is a reference section for regional studies of paleopedology, paleoecology, geological and cultural sequences. K12 contains a complete series of cultural layers related to the first part of MIS-3 in the range of 53–42 thousand years BP. This study is a continuation of previously conducted work on the K1 site, located on the opposite side of the “Pokrovsky Log” balka. In excavation K12, 16 lithological layers were identified, differing in structure, composition and properties. The material composition of the sediments is represented by chalk eluvium, which forms the sides of the balka, and loess-like loams of the watershed. Deposits with different proportions of chalk and loam were formed in the aqueous and aerial phases of sedimentation. In the excavation, about 5 m deep, three buried soils were found. The age of the lower one is about 50 thousand years BP. Cultural layers are confined to paleosols. Paleosols are an indicator of breaks in sedimentation. Four soil-sedimentary complexes were identified in the excavation. A description of the processes and the chronological sequence of their formation is given. The conducted research opens up new aspects in the study of buried soils of gully sedimentary complexes.

The main types of soils in the northeastern part of the Sakhalin Island have been studied in conditions of oil pollution (1 year and 10 years), as well as their background counterparts. The regularities of hydrocarbons transformation in oil-contaminated soils are revealed, the possibility of launching self-purification processes based on the results of an assessment of the composition of petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) is shown. The analysis of n-alkanes as markers of TPH biodegradation showed a change in their content and composition, depending on the degree and age of soil contamination by TPH, as well as the sorption capacity of soils. During the first year, the mechanisms of soil self-purification are triggered, leading to a change in the composition of n-alkanes: light fractions volatilized, alkanes C16–C23 undergo to biodegradation. Under conditions of 1-year oil contamination of soils, the composition of petroleum hydrocarbons undergoes significant changes, expressed in an increase in the proportion of microbial n-alkanes (ΣC20–25). An increase in the content of high molecular homologues ΣC26–C34 has been found in comparison with the initial state of oil-contaminated soils and the composition of oil. The calculations of CPI (coefficient of oddness), Ki (coefficient of biodegradation) and Kw (coefficient "degree of waxiness") demonstrateв the transformation of the composition of n-alkanes and, in general, the transformation of petroleum hydrocarbons in time. The use of the sum of odd n-alkanes C27, C29, and C31 as a diagnostic indicator is a solid base for selecting background soils in the area of hydrocarbon deposits.

The paper presents the results of grouping the lands of the Educational and Experimental Soil and Ecological Center of Lomonosov Moscow State University "Chashnikovo" territory according to the degree of erosion and the need for anti-erosion measures. The work uses an express method of mapping the studied territory using a 1:5,000 scale topographic base, a soil map and an on-farm land management plan. The grouping of the lands of the territory was carried out for the territories of field crop rotations № 1 and 2. It has been established that the lands of the second (46.3%) and third (38.1%) categories of erosion hazard predominate in the territory of crop rotation № 1 (total area 75.6 hectares). An analysis of the land distribution of field crop rotation № 2 (area 67.2 ha) showed that the land categories were distributed as follows: the first — 37.5%, the second — 26.5% and the third — 29.3%. The main recommendations for the rational use of crop rotation areas are given, taking into account the application of anti-erosion measures on lands of 4 categories. No special anti-erosion measures are required in the territories assigned to the first category of Class "A" lands. On lands of the second category, preventive measures are needed to reduce surface runoff and soil drainage (carrying out basic and auxiliary soil treatments across the slope or close to the horizontal). Lands of the third category — it is necessary to carry out a complex of anti-erosion measures aimed at reducing surface runoff and soil washout (contour plowing, soil deepening, formation of artificial microrelief). On lands of the fourth category of erosion hazard, the introduction of a soil-protective crop rotation is required, in which row crops are excluded. The share of perennial grasses (2/3 of the area) and grain crops (1/3 of the area) is increasing. Increased doses of fertilizers are required on lands of the third and fourth categories. The doses are increased for lands of the 3rd category by 15%, 4 — by 30% compared to the doses for the 2nd category.

This study is focused on the erosion losses of heavy metals and other elements, as well as their redistribution in large soil aggregates. An erosion-prone slope in the zone of sod-podzolic soils (Educational and Experimental Soil and Ecological Center of Lomonosov Moscow State University "Chashnikovo") was selected as an object. In the selected samples, the gross content of the main soil trace elements and macroelements was determined using X-ray fluorescence analysis. It was noted that Zn, Sr, Fe and Rb were removed from the soil at the foot of the slope, moreover, these elements were mainly accumulated in aggregates 5‒2 mm in diameter. In turn, Zr, Nb, Ti, Cr, Al were also actively washed out at the foot of the slope, approximately equally distributed among all groups of aggregates. There are also elements for which the influence of the studied factors (location relative to the slope and size of aggregates) was not observed: Cu, Ni, Ga, As. A unique behavior was recorded for manganese, it is the only element for which an increase in the content was reliably recorded at the foot of the slope, moreover, in small aggregates <2 mm in diameter (p-value <0,05), the most prone to erosion washout. According to the results of dispersion and correlation analyses, we are assuming that erosion processes influence the distribution of zinc, strontium, chromium and manganese, and the distribution of other elements is influenced by the factor of parent material, anthropogenic input and/or podzolic process.

The study investigates the profile distribution of a complex of pollutants in roadside soils. The research was conducted in the Moscow Region, within the territory of the Educational and Experimental Soil and Ecological Center of Lomonosov Moscow State University "Chashnikovo". Soil samples were collected along a transect perpendicular to the Leningrad Highway at distances of 2 m (roadside), 7 m (a depression in the terrain before the forest belt), 50 m (a field behind the forest belt), and 175 m (the central part of the field) from the road surface, at depths of 0–5 cm, 15–20 cm, 30–35 cm, and 45–50 cm. The 2–7 m zone was characterized by technogenic soils, while the 50–175 m zone consisted of sod-podzolic soils used for agriculture. The contents of heavy metals (HMs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), as well as chlorides (Cl⁻)—key components of deicing agents—were determined. Additional analyses included particle size distribution, organic carbon content, soil pH, and electrical conductivity. It was found that the distribution of different pollutants in the soil profile was not uniform and depended on soil properties, pollutant characteristics, and the landscape design. The 2–7 m zone was characterized by intense contamination with all types of pollutants. PAHs showed a decreasing or bimodal vertical distribution (from top to bottom); HMs showed a decreasing pattern for Cu and Zn, while for Ni and Pb, an increase in concentration was observed in the lower layers or a uniform profile distribution was noted. PHCs showed a decreasing profile, and Cl- exhibited either a decreasing or bimodal distribution. Among soil properties, organic carbon content and particle size distribution were the main factors influencing the vertical differentiation of pollutant concentrations. Exceedances of the maximum allowable concentrations were observed for the mobile forms of Cu and Zn, as well as for petroleum hydrocarbons and PAHs. In the 50–175 m zone, the dynamics of soil contamination were different. Concentrations of all pollutants gradually decreased with depth, reaching background levels. Pollution was detected only in the surface soil layer for PAHs, the concentrations of which slightly (up to twofold) exceeded regional background values. The study highlighted the importance of investigating soil profile contamination near roads. Certain pollutants (Ni and Pb, PAHs, and Cl⁻) may show complex vertical distributions with increasing concentrations in deeper soil layers. It was also shown that the design of the roadside landscape played a crucial role in the distribution of pollutants. An artificially created depression a few meters from the Leningrad Highway can intercept runoff from the road surface, preventing pollutant migration to agricultural areas located upslope. Additionally, a living windbreak in the form of a forest belt reduced the airborne migration of pollutants. Intensive sedimentation of PAHs in front of the forest belt resulted in a nearly 20-fold decrease in their concentrations in soils behind it. Such landscape design can be an effective solution for protecting agricultural fields adjacent to highways. However, the study also emphasized the need for remediation measures to reduce extremely high pollutant levels in close proximity to the road, as surface dust can act as a secondary source of soil contamination near roads and also affect pedestrians and drivers

The distribution patterns of microelements in soils along two soil-geochemical catenas within the "Chashnikovo" territory in Moscow Oblast were studied. The first catena, "Klyazma", is associated with the northeastern slope of the Klyazma River valley and includes eluvial, transit, transit-accumulative, and superaquatic landscapes. Within this catena, a carbonate double-sided biogeochemical barrier was diagnosed at the contact zone between the transit and transit-accumulative landscapes. A distinctive feature of this catena is the modern functioning of the superaquatic landscape in its post-hydromorphic stage of development. The type of this catena is heterolithic due to the transition from cover loams on moraine to alluvial deposits within its boundaries. The second catena, "Kirpichnoye Pole", consists of eluvial and a series of transit-accumulative landscapes with varying hydromorphism degrees. The eluvial landscape is located in the well-drained upper part slope of northeastern exposure. The second site within the transit-accumulative landscape is situated in the contact zone of the partially drained lower part of the slope, influenced by the gully "Krasnyy Voyn". The third and fourth sites of this landscape are characterized by increasing levels of hydromorphism. Throughout the entire length of the catena, soil formation occurs on cover loams underlain by moraine, which allows it to be classified as monolithic. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that the typological differences between the catenas and the presence of a carbonate biogeochemical barrier in one of them allowed us to establish similarities and differences in element behavior under different conditions. Element behavior reflects general features common to soils within the southern taiga landscapes of Moscow Oblast. The distribution pattern of elements in soils is explained by soil-forming processes, past agricultural activities, bioaccumulation processes, and the influx of elements as pollutants due to the proximity of these landscapes to the M-10 highway ("Moscow-Saint Petersburg") and residential buildings. Texture-differentiated soils show correlations between silt fraction content and elements such as V, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, and As, while alluvial soils exhibit strong links between medium silt fraction and Mn, Fe, As, Mo, Cd and Hg. Within the studied catenas, the increase in hydromorphism leads to the accumulation of iron-manganese concretions in the soils. The carbonate barrier reduces the overall migration flow primarily of elements belonging to the iron family.

In this work, the effect of complex prolonged-release fertilizers (Ruscote, Osmocote) and the biostimulator Lignohumate AM (LG) on the content of phenolic compounds in blackcurrant leaves and berries in a 3-year small-plot experiment was studied. The maximum content of phenolic compounds in the leaves was observed in the first year of vegetation, reaching 34.4 mg-eq gallic acid / g fresh weight in the control, but by the third year this figure decreased by 2.2 times (to 17.2 mg-eq gallic acid / g fresh weight). The variant with a combination of traditional fertilizers and foliar treatment also demonstrated a decrease in the content of phenolic compounds in the leaves — from 25.5 to 14.2 mg-eq gallic acid / g fresh weight (by 1.8 times). The content of phenolic compounds in berries, on the contrary, increased. The highest value (12.8 mg-eq gallic acid/g fresh weight, which is equivalent to 1280 mg per 100 g fresh weight of raw material) was recorded in the variant with traditional fertilizers in the second year of vegetation. In the Ruscote variant, a threefold increase in the phenol level was observed — from 3.2 to 9.6 mg-eq gallic acid/g. This indicates a redistribution of phenolic compounds from leaves to berries under the influence of fertilizers and changes in vegetation conditions. The content of phenolic compounds in blackcurrant berries in variants without LH treatment exceeds the known values (627.9–643.0 mg-eq gallic acid per 100 g fresh weight), which confirms the anti-stress effect of the biostimulant on the plant. Differences in the effectiveness of Ruscote and Osmocote fertilizers are associated with their different rates of nutrient release. During the first 20 days, Ruscote capsules released 99.9% of nitrogen, 49.9% of phosphorus and 15.9% of potassium, while Osmocote demonstrated a more balanced release (70% nitrogen, 30% potassium and 11% phosphorus). Fertilizer analysis showed that Osmocote and Ruscote contained extremely low concentrations of phenolic compounds (0.2 mg-eq gallic acid/g), which excluded the possibility of their significant entry into plants. At the same time, the LH solution contained 14.7–16.1 mg-eq gallic acid/g fresh weight of phenolic compounds, confirming its potential role as a source of biologically active compounds.

The article examines the distribution features of one of the main radionuclides of the Chernobyl release — 137Cs — in the wood of the trunk of the Scots pine, depending on the age class. It is shown that in the long-term period after precipitation, the distribution of 137Cs in the stand of pine biogeocenoses in the territory of the Bryansk Polesie of the Russian Federation, which was most severely affected by the Chernobyl accident, at contamination  densities (2183 kBkm–2), exceeding the indicator established by the Law of the Russian Federation "On Social Protection of Citizens Exposed to radiation as a result of the Chernobyl disaster", and classifying the territories as radioactively contaminated (37 kBkm‒2), the minimum index (0,23 kBk kg‒1) and the average value of the specific activity of 137Cs in wood (2,24 23 kBkkg–1) does not exceed the standards for wood products for various purposes, with the exception of that for wood used for the construction of residential premises. The obtained novel data indicate that in the distribution of 137Cs, both by trunk height (from the top of the tree to the trunk) and by average indicators of wood contamination in general, there is a clear trend of a decrease in the specific activity of radionuclide depending on the age of the stand. In this regard, for the most adequate assessment of possible contamination of wood and compliance of the identified levels of specific activity of radionuclides with regulatory indicators, in particular in the context of construction use, sampling of this component should be carried out in relation to age groups in increments of 10 years.

Keywords: Bryanskoe Polesie, Chernobyl fallout, nuclear contamination, pine biogeocenoses, wood use, tree age class.