Search

The inland aquatic ecosystems play a significant role in the global carbon cycle, owing to the metabolism of terrestrially derived organic matter as it moves through fluvial networks along the water continuum. During this transport, dissolved organic matter (DOM) is microbial processed and released into the atmosphere, but the degree and intensity of this processing vary greatly both spatially and temporally. The Western Siberian Lowlands is of particular interest for a quantitative assessment of DOM biodegradation potential because the global areal-scale effects of DOM biodegradation in abundant surface organic-rich waters might be the highest in this region. To this end, we collected water samples along a typical aquatic continuum of the Bakchar Bog (the north-eastern part of the Great Vasyugan Mire) and, following standardized protocol, conducted an experimental study aimed at characterizing the seasonal and spatial variability of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) biodegradability. The biodegradable DOC fraction (BDOC) over the exposure incubation period ranged from 2% to 25%. The natural aquatic continuum “mire–forest–stream–river” demonstrated the systematic evolution of biodegradable DOC among the sites and across the seasons. The highest biodegradation rates were measured during spring flood in May and decreased along the continuum. The maximum possible CO2 production from DOM yielded the maximum possible flux in the range of 0.1 and 0.2 g C-CO2 m−2 day−1 d, which is an order of magnitude lower than the actual net CO2 emissions from the inland waters of the WSL. This study suggests that although the biodegradation of the humic waters of the WSL can sizably modify the concentration and nature of the DOM along the aquatic continuum, it plays only a subordinary role in overall C emissions from the lakes and rivers of the region.

The activities of ancient population strongly affected the development of landscapes and soils in Western Siberia during the late Holocene. It should be noted that studies devoted to the processes of natural and anthropogenic evolution within this vast territory are extremely irregular. Thus, the significant proportion of the materials on the dynamic of Siberian landscapes in the Holocene, related to the studies of various natural archives and archeological monuments, falls on the southern part of region. On the one hand, this situation is due to the relatively recent development of Western Siberia in relation to the development of hydrocarbon deposits, on the other hand, on the peculiarities of the relief and landscapes prevailing in the central and northern parts of the West Siberian Plain. A significant part of the territory under consideration is characterized by low, poorly dissected relief, which largely contributes to its bogging and widespread distribution of organogenic peat soils. It is not surprising that the deposits of lakes and peat bogs are the main natural archives that provide information on the dynamics of the natural environment within the central parts of Western Siberia and, first of all, the taiga zone, while the potential of mineral soils and sediments from this point of view is insignificant, compared to other regions. At the same time the boreal zone of Western Siberia is very large and includes regions with more complex geomorphological conditions.To assess the possibility of using buried soils and colluvial layers in the middle taiga of Western Siberia for reconstruction of the Holocene landscape’s dynamics, we carried out research on two key sites with rather contrast relief and high frequency of archeological sites: in the middle Yugan River Basin and in the North of the Kondinskaya Lowland. Buried soils and colluvial sediments in a number of sections characterizing foots of the steep slopes on the border with peat bogs were selected as objects for our study. Based on the obtained radiocarbon dates it is possible to preliminarily identify several stages of the activation of erosional processes. For the north of the Kondinskaya lowland three remarkable phases of erosional activity were identified, while for the Yugan River Basin the number of phases was larger - 6. It is interesting to note that the obtained results make it possible to correlate these two regions. The presence of a larger number of recorded erosion-pyrogenic events for the Yugan River basin reflects a longer permanent human presence in the area under consideration, which is also consistent with archaeological data.The study was funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and was performed as a part of project FEWZ-2020-0007 “Fundamentals of the natural environment history of the south of Western Siberia and Turgay in the Cenozoic: sequence sedimentology, abiotic geological events and the evolution of the Paleobiosphere“. The studies were carried out using the equipment of the Center for Collective Use "Bioinert Systems of the Cryosphere", Tyumen Scientific Center, SB RAS and RFBR, project number 20-04-00836.

The majority of organic carbon (OC), nutrients, and dissolved trace elements in soil porewaters are present in the form of colloids which determine element transport, bioavailability, and overall impact on ecosystems. Climate warming and permafrost thaw in high latitudes will primarily affect the soil liquid phase thereby modifying delivery of colloids to the hydrological network and their role in C transport and emission. Here we studied colloids in peat porewaters across a natural gradient of sporadic, isolated, discontinuous and continuous permafrost zone in the Western Siberian Lowland (WSL), the largest peatland in the world. The depth of sampling and the microrelief (mounds and hollows) had a generally weak impact on the proportion of colloidal forms (3kDa 0.45 μm) of OC, major (Fe, Al, P, alkali and alkaline-earth metals) and trace elements (TE) including micronutrients (Zn, Mn, Ni, Co, Cu), toxicants (Sb, As, Cd, Pb) and geochemical tracers (trivalent and tetravalent cations). Considering all micro-landscapes together, there was no sizable change in the proportion of colloidal fraction of OC, Fe, Al, P, micronutrients and toxicants across the permafrost zones. The majority of colloidal forms of all elements of these groups were represented by a size fraction between 3 and 30 kDa and were essentially Fe-Al-organic compounds with an average Fe:Al:OC molar ratio of 1.9:1:308. Overall, the degree of impact from environmental factors on OC and metal distribution among various colloidal fractions can be classified as depth ≤ permafrost type < microlandscape. Applying a substitution “space for time scenario” for the climate warming and permafrost thaw in Western Siberia, we do not expect sizable changes in C and element colloidal status during active layer thickness increase and permafrost boundary shift northward. Future studies of colloids in peat ice (below the active layer) are needed to assess possible changes in delivery of C and metals from soil to rivers and onward into the Arctic Ocean under massive permafrost thawing in the WSL.

Small lakes in areas of intensive crude oil production may be susceptible to oil pollution arising from accidental spills and leaks, eventually leading to the pollution of bottom sediments. Effective cleaning of aquatic bottom sediments remains a challenge. Flotation is a potentially simple and reliable approach for the cleanup of bottom sediments without their excavation from the water body. Full-scale testing of flotation-based technology using the specially designed airlift plant allowed the cleaning of bottom sediments of an unnamed boreal lake (‘the lake’) within the Samotlor oil field, North Russia, heavily polluted with crude oil several decades ago. The lake bottom sediments are dominated by peat and unevenly polluted with oil. The average oil content in the lake bottom sediments was 111 g kg−1. During the 1.5 months' field test in July–August 2018, the average total oil concentration in the bottom sediments of the lake was reduced to 1.99 g kg−1. Secondary water contamination was minimal; the content of oil hydrocarbons in the water after completion of work did not exceed 0.09 ± 0.04 mg L−1. This study demonstrates that flotation-based technology can be applied for in situ cleaning of oil-contaminated lake bottom sediments including those in boreal climates.

The paper presents the results of the studies devoted to the morphological features and properties of soils representing different geomorphological conditions within the elevated relief forms of the Kondinskaya lowland, with the example of the Kondinskie Lakes Natural Park area. The northern part of the Kondinskaya lowland is characterized by a contrasting and diverse relief, which is generally not typical of the middle taiga zone of Western Siberia. Soil-morphological and -geomorphological methods formed the structural framework of this research. The results showed that Folic Albic Podzols (Geoabruptic) formed on the flat tops of ridges are characterized by a moderate thickness of the E horizon, the largest number of rock fragments, as well as by bedding with loams that have signs of paleocryogenic deformations. Albic Podzols of terraced slopes have more developed E and Bs horizons with large wedge like tongues having depth of about one meter. This group of soils is distinguished by the most diverse structure of the upper part of the profile due to the variability of morphological elements related to biogenic pedoturbations. Albic Lamellic Arenosols occupying steep slopes of the ridges are less developed, and erosional processes often interrupt soil development within this geomorphic position. Albic Gleyic Podzols (Turbic) formed under the steep slopes of high ridges develop over buried Podzols, and often contain charcoal-enriched interlayers in the bottom and middle parts of the profile. Formation of a complex profile, with series of burials, is possibly associated with the activation of erosional processes related to fires and ancient human activity. Study results showed that there is a strong relationship between the lithology on the one hand, and the intensity of podzolization and variability of soil morphological elements related to biogenic pedoturbations on the other hand. The paper contains 5 Figures, 1 Table and 51 References. The Authors declare no conflict of interest.

The influence of ZnO and Pt nanoparticles’ suspensions (5 mg/kg of soil) on the yielding capacity and fruit quality of Cucumissativus L. was studied. We found out that the soil amended with ZnO nanoparticle suspension enhanced cucumber yielding capacity by 36 %, and the fruits had more carotene, zinc and iron compared to the control. The soil amended with Pt nanoparticles did not influence cucumber yielding capacity, and the fruits contained more carotene and zinc. ICP-MS results showed that nanoparticles’ influence at the concentration under study did not result in accumulation of ZnO and Pt nanoparticles in fruits.

The West Siberian Plain stands out among other boreal plains by phenomenal bogging, which has both global and regional significance. The polygonal bogs, frozen raised-mound bogs, and ombrotrophic ridge-hollow raised bogs are the most extensive bog types in the study area. These bogs commonly show highly diverse surface patterns consisting of mounds, polygons, ridges, hollows, and fens that correspond to the microtopes. Here we investigated how the microtopographic features of the landscape affect the thermal and hydrologic conditions of the soil as well as the nutrient availability and consequently, the dynamics of carbon and related elements. The effect of the surface heterogeneity on the temperature regimes and depths of permafrost is most significant. All of these factors together are reflected, through the feedback system, by a number of hydrochemical parameters of bog waters, such as dissolved organic and inorganic carbon (DOC, DIC), specific conductivity (Cond), SO42&ndash, Cl&ndash, P, Sr, Al, Ti, Cu, V, B, Cs, Cd, Rb, As, U, and rare earth elements (REEs). Among the studied parameters, DOC, SO42, Al, V, and Mn differ most significantly between the convex and concave microforms. The DOC content in bog water is significantly affected by the water residence time, which is significantly longer in soils of mound/polygons than fens. Plants biomass is higher on the mounds which also have some effect that, due to leaching, should lead to more carbon entering into the water of the mounds. It is also shown that atmospheric-dust particles have a noticeable effect on the hydrochemical parameters of bog waters, especially on mounds. The ongoing climate warming will lead to an increase in the fens area and to a decrease in the content of DOC and many elements in bog waters.

The study aims to solve the methodological problem of comparing the quantitative residual pollution of oil and oil products of an organogenic substrate (peat) that composes the surface of remediated land plots with background indicators of the content of this pollutant in the organic-mineral horizons of natural soils that have contrasting properties. To solve this problem, the method of recalculating the pollutant content through its layer-by-layer reserves was used. A case study illustrates a calculation option that allows you to evaluate the range of oil and oil products objectively after restoration work. The authors conclude that it is necessary to determine the different density as a parameter in the studied layers of 0–5 and 5–20 cm of ameliorant substrate and soil standards. The data availability allows recalculations to occur, taking into account the difference in properties of the compared substrates which build up land plots.

The paper describes a complex novel airlift plant for the simultaneous cleaning of water reservoir bottom sediments and water. The plant's design was tested in a model. Chemical analysis of the bottom sediments after experimental cleaning revealed a total oil content of 0.40–0.45 g kg−1, while the estimated initial oil content was around 16 g kg−1. This indicates a 35.5–40.0 times decrease in oil content.

The migration and accumulation of nickel (nNi) and platinum (nPt) nanoparticles (NPs) in loamy sand and loamy soils (Luvisols) occupying the largest area in the southeastern part of West Siberia, have been investigated. The experiments were made in situ. The loamy sand soils (Albic Lamellic Luvisol) were tested down to a depth of 55 cm to sorb 100% nNi and at least 71% nPt of their total introduced amount. The rest 29% nPt either penetrated below the depth of 55 cm, or moved laterally. The experimental results in loamy soils enormously differed. Thus, only 16 to 20% nPt and 8 to 10 % nPt migrated radially in the Albic Luvisol and adjacent Stagnic Luvisol, respectively, while the rest NPs shifted laterally. The differences between the loamy soils are associated with lesser biogenic porosity of the Stagnic Luvisol, and, as a consequence, with higher density. The NPs migration and sorption processes are related to the soil properties differentiation. The inverse correlation between the concentration of nPt sorbed in soil horizons and their density with R2 = 0.67 has been established. NPs have shown high migrational ability with nNi to a lesser extent, and nPt to a larger extent. During a single introduction, these are able to penetrate depths of more than 1 m with both gravitational and capillary water.

The study represents an interdisciplinary analysis of the material and symbolic nature of the trees in the culture of Siberian indigenous people. The work is based on the archaeological, ethnographic and linguistic materials related to one of the Siberian aboriginal peoples, the Selkups. The results of the linguistic study of mythology, ethnographic research and archaeological excavations of the burial sites (16th–17th) allowed us to build up a model of the Selkup attitude to the most important elements of nature, in their view, the tree. To make a comparative analysis, the work considers the materials related to the neighbouring ethnic groups that were similar in their culture and the worldview. The study discusses the problem of continuing of the tradition in the period of 16th–20th centuries. Based on the structural analysis of the gathered materials, the authors came to the conclusion that the Selkup traditional perception of the trees remained unchanged within the discussed period. The continuation o...

Oil around buildings is sucked under them. The conditions for accumulation of oil exist under engineering constructions. It is necessary to clean oil-contaminated territory, whether it is free from infrastructure or under engineering constructions. Cleaning technology with hydrocarbon-reducing micro-organisms was tested on the site of a tank farm with contaminated soils. The sorbent with micro-organisms placed at a depth of 40–60 cm below the technical buildings has cleaned the oil from the soil. The micro-organisms assimilate the n-alkanes with C14 chains rather than the C32–C40. The oil is destroyed quicker under the constructions than in the open areas.

Tundras are low-productivity communities. If it is only a consequence of unfavourable climate, then how could herb communities that fed numerous large herbivores (mammoth fauna) exist during more severe periods of the late Pleistocene in the same latitude? There is an imbalance between climatic potential and real productivity of tundras. It is associated with an extremely low content of plant nutrients in soils. The imbalance occurred after late Pleistocene pastoral ecosystems had alternated with modern tundras. The disappearance of large herbivores, a keystone species of Pleistocene ecosystems of Siberia, was one of the reasons for this. In Pleistocene landscapes, there were two mechanisms for recycling nutrients. The first one was a biological rotation related to plants’ taking nutrients that had been released in the process of mortmass mineralisation. It still exists in tundra though now it is less effective. The second mechanism was animals’ returning nutrients from low relief parts to higher surfaces...

Buried soils within aeolian deposits are considered an important tool for diagnosing, determining the age, and estimating the intensity of aeolian processes at the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene in the Northern Hemisphere. Late Pleistocene aeolian coversands and ancient inland dunes are widely distributed in the periglacial zone of Western Siberia. In contrast to the territories of Central and Eastern Europe, the paleosol archive of the aeolian sands and dunes of Western Siberia has not yet been studied. This paper presents the first findings of late Pleistocene paleosols within the ancient inland dunes in the southeast of Western Siberia (Ob&ndash, Tomsk interfluve, Tomsk region). The soils and their stratigraphic position were studied in the outcrop of the quarry, located in the junction zone of the second Tom river terraces and the ancient valley. Two types of paleosols were identified. The first one is confined to the central part of a small dune and is represented by a slightly developed Albic Arenosol with fragmentary humus horizon Ahb and a well-pronounced Eb. It can probably be considered as an analogue of the European Usselo soil. The second paleosol was found at the bottom of the interdune depression. It is represented by a brown Bwb horizon and probably corresponds to a Brunic Arenosol (Dystric). The second paleosol is characterized by a higher content of clay fraction and organic carbon, the presence of weak signs of illuviation, and richer and more diverse mineral composition. This soil is apparently an analogue of the European Finow soil. Radiocarbon dating of the charcoals found in the paleosols suggests that the first dates from the Younger Dryas (ca. 12,036 cal. yr. BP), and the second one from the Aller&oslash, d (ca. 13,355 cal. yr. BP). The study results propose that the natural environment in the periglacial zone of the south of Western Siberia was generally similar to those in Central and Eastern Europe, and the activation of aeolian processes, which led to the formation of a dune relief, occurred at about the same time.

Aeolian sands and ancient dune fields are widely widespread in the southern part of Western Siberia. Aeolian landscapes formed in the bottom part of large ancient valleys, on the surfaces of modern fluvial terraces and near large lake systems are characterized by the unique soil cover which is determent by the sedimentalogical, mineralogical and granulometric properties of sands and very slightly dependent from local vegetation and climate. Soils of ancient inland dune landscapes located within the ancient valleys of Ob-Tom interfluve were investigated. It was shown that local topography is the main factor controlling the diversity of soils. Soils developed in dune topographical sequences differ from each other in the thickness of eluvial-illuvial horizons, content of humus and oxalate-extractable iron. Humus accumulation and podsolization process are rather poor because of the low ash content in the litter, intensive natural and anthropogenic dynamics of aeolian landscapes and adjacent soils. The fact that processes of lateral podsolization determine the processes of soil development in such landscapes has been established. All soils are characterized by a small thickness of the modern profile − 50 cm and even less for the flat surfaces of dunes. Clayey lamellaes typical for aeolian sediments are present in the bottom parts of soils profiles, located in the lower part of the dune-interdune sequence. It is rather obvious that thick cemented lamellaes are a powerful soil-geochemical barriers that largely determines the conditions for lateral and radial migration.

A large part of Russia is located in permafrost areas. These areas are widely used because there are concentrated valuable natural resources. Therefore to explore of cryosols it is important due to the significant increase of anthropogenic stress as well as the problem of global climate change. In the north of Western Siberia permafrost phenomena is widespread. Permafrost as a factor of soil formation and cryogenesis as a process have a great impact on the soil formation of these areas. Based on the research results of permafrost-affected soils tundra landscapes formed in the central part of the Tazovskiy Peninsula in cryogenic conditions, data were obtained which characterize the morphological features of soils. The specificity of soil cover distribution and manifestation of soil-forming processes within the study area are noted. Permafrost features such as frost cracking, cryoturbation, thixotropy, movement of humus are formed. The formation of these features is increased with the development of the territory. As a consequence, there is a change in the components of the environment and the destruction of the soil cover., {"references":["O.A. Anisimov, F.E. Nelson, \"Permafrost distribution in the Northern Hemisphere under scenarios of climatic change\". Global Planet Change, 1996, pp. 59-72.","V.O. Targulian, \"Soil formation and weathering in cold humid regions (in Russian)\". Moscow, Nauka, 1971, 371 p.","M.C. Serreze, J.E Walsh, F.S. Chapin, T. Osterkamp, M. Dyurgerov, V. Romanovsky, W.C. Oechel, J. Morison, T. Zhang, and R.G. Barry, \"Observational evidence of recent change in the northern high-latitude environment\". Clim. Change, 2000, 46, pp. 159–207.","M. Heimann, M. Reichstein, \"Terrestrial ecosystem carbon dynamics and climate feedbacks\". Nature., 2008, vol. 451., pp. 289-292.","T.V. Ananko, D.Ye. Komyushkov, Ye.M. Naumov, I.A. Sokolov, T.Ye. Yakusheva, \"Soil Cryogenesis\". Soil-forming processes. Moscow, Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute, 2006, pp. 144-166.","B.M. Klenov, G.D. Chimitdorzhieva, \"Influence of continental climate on humification and elemental composition of humic acids of automorphic soils of Siberia\". Siberian Journal of Ecology, 2011, 5, pp. 665-671.","U.F. Miko, Kirschbaum, \"The temperature dependence of soil organic matter decomposition, and the effect of global warming on soil organic matter\" Soil Biol. Biochem., 1995, 6, vol. 27., pp. 753-760.","I.S. Dobrovolskiy, G.V. Urusevskaya, \"Soil Geography\". Moscow, Moscow University, 2004, 460 p.","I.M. Simonov, R.K. Sisco, \"Yamal-Gydansk region. Climate (Russia)\". Leningrad, 1977, pp. 27-50.\n[10]\tE.I. Valeyeva, D.V. Moskovchenko, \"Zonal features regarding vegetation cover of the Taz Peninsula and its technogenic transformation\". Bulletin of Ecology, Forest Science and Landscape, 2008, 9, pp. 174-190.\n[11]\tN.V. Kobeleva, \"Large-scale ecological communities based on airphotos mapping and Gis-Technologies (For example, the central part of the Tazovskiy Peninsula)\", Proceedings of the Samara Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Science, 2012, 1(6), vol. 14., pp. 1607-1617.\n[12]\tD.Ye. Komyushkov, I.A. Sokolov, \"Soil and soil cover of the northern circumpolar region\". Eurasion soil science, 1998, 11, pp.1303-1317.\n[13]\tV.N. Konischev, V.V. Rogov, \"Influence of cryogenic on clay minerals\". Earth Cryosphere, 2008, 1, vol. 7, pp. 51-58.\n[14]\tV.Ya. Khrenov, \"Soils of Western Siberia Cryolithozone\". Novosibirsk. Nauka, 2011, 211 p.\n[15]\tV.D. Tonkonogov, \"Automorphic soil formation in the tundra and taiga zones of the East European and West Siberian plains\" Moscow. Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute, 287 p. (2010)."]}