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The article provides an overview of agrochemical studies carried out on irrigated light chestnut and brown semi-desert soils of the Saratov, Volgograd regions and the Republic of Kalmykia. It is noted that in stationary experiments carried out in these regions, the influence of long-term use of mineral fertilizers on the transformation of agrochemical properties and the productivity of crop rotations of various specializations was studied. In numerous short-term experiments, the optimal types, doses and timing of mineral fertilizers were determined for the cultivation of cereals (spring and winter wheat, corn and sorghum for grain), legumes (soybeans, chickpeas), forage crops (Sudan grass, sugar sorghum, alfalfa, cereal mixtures for estuaries), technical (camelina, mustard) and vegetable (tomatoes, onions) crops.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in arable soils is a challenging goal. We focused on the effect of crop rotation and previous land use for future carbon sequestration on two experimental fields on Retisols with four contrasting fertilization treatments each. We analyzed the SOC dynamics and used the RothC model to forecast the SOC. We found a consistent increase in SOC stocks and stable fractions of the soil organic matter (SOM) with C accumulation in the next 70 years compared to the 90-year experimental period, more evident under the Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5) compared with the RCP8.5 scenario. The expected increase in SOC will be higher in the crop rotation with a grass field than in the experiment with an alternation of row crops and cereals. The efficiency depended on stable SOM fractions, and fields with more extended cultivation history showed higher SOM stability. Proper crop rotations are more important for SOC stability than the uncertainty associated with the climate change scenarios that allows timely adaptation. The goal of a 4&permil, annual increase of SOC stocks may be reached under rotation with grasses in 2020&ndash, 40 and 2080&ndash, 90 when applying a mineral or organic fertilizer system for scenario RCP4.5 and a mineral fertilizer system in 2080&ndash, 2090 for scenario RCP8.5.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an essential component of soil health and a potential sink for greenhouse gases. SOC dynamics in a long-term field experiment with mineral and organic fertilization on loamy sand podzol in the Vladimir Region, Russia, was traced with the dynamic carbon model RothC from 1968 until the present. During this period, C stock increased by 21%, compared to the initial level, with the application of manure, at an average annual rate of 10 t&middot, ha&minus, 1. The model was also used to forecast SOC changes up to 2090 for two contrasting RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climatic scenarios. Up to 2090, steady growth of SOC stocks is expected in all compared treatments for both climate scenarios. In the scenarios, this growth rate was the highest up to 2040, decreased in the period 2040&ndash, 2070, and increased again in the period 2070&ndash, 2090 for RCP4.5. The highest annual gain was 21&ndash, 27&permil, under the RCP4.5 scenario and 16&ndash, 21&permil, under the RCP8.5 scenario in 2020&ndash, 2040 in a 0&ndash, 20 cm soil layer. Under the expected climate conditions in the 21st century, the C input will increase 1.3&ndash, 1.5 times under the RCP4.5 scenario and decrease by 13&ndash, 20% for the same period under the RCP 8.5 scenario. Modelling demonstrated potentially more favourable conditions for SOC stability in arable podzols than in Retisols in central Russia in the 21st century.

At the end of the twentieth century in Russia, an expanded program was developed for monitoring the agroecological consequences of applying high doses of fertilizers and using broad-spectrum agrochemicals. Methodological approaches were unified to improve the zonal systems of agriculture, create highly efficient and environmentally balanced agrocenoses, maintain soil fertility and make full use of natural and climatic resources. The parameters of the state and dynamics of soil cover properties were divided into three groups, which allowed us to carry out early diagnostics on the basis of seasonal dynamics, enabling reflection on long-term changes in soil properties. For basic research, it was proposed to use the main experiments of the Geographical Network of Long-Term Experiments with Fertilizers (Geoset), as they were laid in typical climatic zones, featured agrochemicals with a regular long-term impact on agroecosystems and all technological processes were carried out there at a high level in accordance with the zonal farming systems. The main requirement for long-term experiments was the maximum reduction of the initial spatial heterogeneity of standard agrochemical properties of the soils, so studies were conducted on small plots of 50–100 m2. Special methods of statistical processing were developed for the dissemination of long-term experimental data on large agricultural landscape units, which allowed the spatial heterogeneity of the parameters studied to be characterized. Processing the data from long-term and short-term experiments included in the “AgroGeos” database allowed researchers to establish that the growing conditions of plants change mainly under the influence of the micro- and meso-relief, the influence of which can even exceed the zonal changes. Currently, on the basis of the databases created, a concept is being developed for the targeted management of fertility indicators, agroecosystem stability, the possibility of using information technologies in monitoring systems and forecasting crop yields and crop quality. To implement this concept, highly objective models and yield forecast maps are being constructed on the basis of combined information on landscape, climatic, soil and agrochemical data using several GISs.

Agricultural landscapes (rural landscapes, agrolandscapes) are territories shaped by agricultural production. They have enabled the development of human civilizations and are a cultural achievement. Peasants, farmers and agricultural enterprises feed society. They have created agricultural landscapes for their business and habitats for their life. To understand transformation processes in agricultural landscapes, we analyse the history of agriculture with a special focus on Europe and Eurasia. Current agricultural landscapes in a crowded, globalized world are multifunctional, highly complex systems. They not only serve to produce food commodities and energy for the increasing and expanding urban population but also provide diverse ecosystem services and need to cater for the demands of the rural population. Current agriculture is highly productive in wealthy countries, but due to high inputs it is also responsible for environmental problems such as water pollution and loss of biodiversity. Industrial-style agriculture in large fields has resulted in increased productivity but simplified the structure of landscapes and eliminated elements of nature and rural culture. Major problems that urgently need to be addressed include trends towards disrupting natural cycles in agricultural production, soil and water degradation, ageing populations in villages and the breakdown of rural infrastructure. Agricultural landscape research provides analyses to understand these processes and helps elaborate sustainable scientific, technical and cultural solutions.

Fil: Mueller, Lothar. Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research. Alemania. Fil: Eulenstein, Frank. Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research. Alemania. Fil: Mirschel, Wilfried. Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research. Alemania. Fil: Schindler, Uwe. Kuban State Agrarian University. Rusia. Fil: Sychev, Viktor G. Pryanishnikov-Institute for Agrochemistry. Rusia. Fil: Rukhovich, Olga V. Pryanishnikov-Institute for Agrochemistry. Rusia. Fil: Sheudzhen, Askhad K. Kuban State Agrarian University. Rusia. Fil: Romanenkov, Vladimir. Moscow Lomonosov State University. Rusia. Fil: Lukin, Sergey M. All Russian Research Institute for Organic Fertiliser and Peat. Rusia. Fil: McKenzie, Blair M. University of Dundee. Escocia. Fil: Jones, Michael. Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Noruega. Fil: Dannowski, Ralf. Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research. Alemania. Fil: Blum, Winfried E. H. University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences. Austria. Fil: Salnjikov, Elmira. Soil Science Institute. Serbia. Fil: Saparov, Abdulla. Kazakh Research Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry. Kazajistán. Fil: Pachikin, Konstantin. Kazakh Research Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry. Kazajistán. Fil: Hennings, Volker. Büro Für Bodenfunktionsbewertung. Alemania. Fil: Scherber, Christoph. Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig. Alemania. Fil: Hoffmann, Jörg. Institute for Strategies and Technology Assessment, Sustainable Agriculture and Biodiversity. Alemania. Fil: Antrop, Marc. Ghent University. Bélgica. Fil: Garibaldi, Lucas A. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural. Río Negro, Argentina. Fil: Garibaldi, Lucas A. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural. Río Negro, Argentina. Fil: Gómez Carella, Dulce S. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural. Río Negro, Argentina. Fil: Gómez Carella, Dulce S. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural. Río Negro, Argentina. Fil: Augstburger, Horacio. University of Bern. Suiza. Fil: Schwilch, Gudrun. University of Bern. Suiza. Fil: Angelstam, Per. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Suecia. Fil: Manton, Michael. Vytautas Magnus University. Lituania. Fil: Dronin, Nikolai M. Moscow Lomonosov State University. Rusia.

Most vegetated land on earth has been used for agriculture for hundreds of years, shaping the land’s features and functions. Agricultural (rural) landscapes are the basis for feeding the global population and meeting their many other demands. In the globalised world of the twenty-first century, agriculture is facing some crucial challenges: feeding more people whilst maintaining natural resources, biodiversity and landscape heritage, and mitigating climate change. This requires new knowledge, innovations and decision tools for taking responsible action. Research on agricultural landscapes provides analyses to help understand landscape processes and elaborates sustainable scientific, technical and cultural solutions. We report on recent progress in some topics of measuring, modelling and monitoring processes, and on organismic diversity in agricultural landscapes, focusing on developments in Western Europe. Information is also given about long-term experimental agricultural research in Russia and neighbouring countries. Results indicate that there has been considerable progress in understanding landscape processes based on experimental and modelling research on different scales. A number of landscape-related research methods and tools have been developed in recent years. These include high-tech measurement systems, models and decision aids, and tools for monitoring and optimising agricultural systems and for agri-environmental monitoring. Many of them also have potential for successfully tackling existing problems with the sustainability of agricultural systems in other landscapes and regions. Transdisciplinary international research projects are required to make innovations operable.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an essential condition for soil health and a potential sink for greenhouse gases. SOC dynamics in a long-term field experiment with mineral and organic fertilization on loamy sand Podzol in Vladimir Region, Russia, was traced with the dynamic carbon model RothC since 1968 until the present time. During this period, C stock increased 21% compared with the initial level in the treatment with the application of manure in an average annual rate of 10 t·ha-1. The model was also used to forecast SOC changes until 2090 for two contrasting RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climatic scenarios. Until 2090, the steady growth of SOC stocks is expected in all compared treatments for both climate scenarios. This rate of growth was the highest until 2040, decreased in 2040-2070 and increased again in 2070-2090 for RCP4.5. The highest annual gain was within 21-27‰ under RCP4.5 and 16-21‰ in 2020-2040 in 0-20 cm soil layer. The expected accumulation of C allows increasing current C stock 1.6-1.7 times for RCP4.5 and 2.0-2.2 times for RCP8.5 scenario. Modelling demonstrated potentially more favourable conditions for SOC stability in arable Podzols than in Retisols in Central Russia in the 21st century.

The process of mechanical alloying in the 33Al-45Cu-22Fe (at.%) powder mixture subjected to high-energy ball milling was studied. Due to complexity of the alloy formation in this system, several methods – X-ray diffraction phase analysis, Differential Dissolution, thermal analysis and Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopy – were combined to obtain the detailed information on the structure and composition of the mechanical alloying products. Possible formation mechanisms of these phases during mechanical alloying are discussed. No crystalline phase containing Fe and Cu, Al has been found in the products of mechanical alloying of the 33Al-45Cu-22Fe mixture. The formation of Cu-Al phases followed the sequence of Al2Cu → Al4Cu9 → Cu(Al) solid solution. When only those phases that were detected by the XRD analysis were taken into account, the mass balance of Al and Fe in the products of mechanical alloying was not satisfied. The Differential Dissolution and high-resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy data suggest the formation of non-stoichiometric X-ray amorphous phases containing all three elements. Reasons for the retardation of the solid-state interaction between aluminum and copper in the ternary powder mixture are discussed.

The feasibility of implementing the "4 ppm" initiative, which assumes an annual increase in organic carbon stocks of agricultural soils in the layer 0-40 cm, was estimated with the dynamic carbon model RothC in two long-term DAOS experiments in the Moscow region, conducted in neighbouring fields for 74 and 76 years. Treatments included absolute control, application of organic, mineral, organic and mineral fertilizers at increasing rates. One of the experiments showed the growth of C stocks 12‰ in the layer 0-20 cm in the first 20 years in treatments with mineral fertilization, and 17‰ with the additional application of manure in an average annual rate of 10 Mg·ha-1. The accumulation of C allowed increasing its stock by 18-25%. Still, with the subsequent decline in crop rotation productivity, there was a loss of part of the previously accumulated C. In another experiment, at close values of annual C input, there was a loss of initial C stock due to the history of land use. The crop rotation adjustment provided a 3-8 ‰ increase of soil C in the 0-20 cm layer in the first 20 years after introduction but was insufficient to match the "4 ppm" initiative. In the long term, the organic fertilizer system had an advantage over the mineral one in ensuring the stability of organic C stocks in the arable layer. However, the management of C sequestration was complicated in the non-equilibrium state of the carbon system "plant residues-organic fertilizer-soil".

To ensure the most efficient use of data from long-term field experiments for comparative assessments of crop response to the application of fertilizers, soil reclamation measures, crop rotation systems, and tillage technologies under different soil and climatic conditions over the years and decades, it is reasonable to organize a unified experimental research network. Large-scale foundation of long-term experiments (LTEs) in Russia, according to a unified experimental plan, was realized in 1926–1930. An official foundation of the geographic network of experiments with fertilizers dates back to the governmental decision in January 1941. The network of experiments with the same or comparable treatments was intended for generalization and data averaging over extensive geographical units. During the first two decades, this network was mainly used for the scientific planning of the development of fertilizer industry. In the 1960s–1970s, with the development of zonal fertilizer systems, the main geographical patterns of fertilizer efficiency were determined on the basis of LTEs with due account for the soil pools of nutrients and their mobilization capacity, the influence of climatic conditions, and the duration of soil use and fertilizer application. During 1960s–1980s, more than 500 LTEs were conducted in the former Soviet Union. At present, the network integrates 130 LTEs performed by 65 scientific institutions in Russia. Ten of them have a history of more than 70 years. Computer processing of agronomic data accumulated in the LTEs database is used for substantiation of the integrated agrochemical field improvement technologies. With the development of global research networks in the 1990s, information from LTEs of various countries was integrated in the EuroSOMNET and LTSE Global Inventory systems and used in international and European projects for verification of dynamic models and predictive modeling, including better understanding and management of C cycles based on the dynamic modeling of soil C and crop growth for adaptation of agriculture to the expected climate change. Current promising research areas include data generalization for assessing nutrient use efficiency, soil fertility, crop yield, quality sustainability, and the effective management of bioclimatic yield potential and climatic risks under optimal nutrition and soil fertility levels. It is a challenge to expand the results of LTEs to a landscape level with the use of GIS tools and information technologies; in particular, it is important to delineate the most promising areas for agricultural intensification without damage to the environment.

The “4 per 1000” initiatives encourages agricultural sector to apply practices aimed at soil organic carbon (SOC) management for greenhouse gases sequestration. We accessed the potential of Russian agricultural soils to store SOC under various managements. RothC model was used to simulate SOC stocks in seven Russian long-term experiments started in 1933–1980 with mineral and organic fertilization. Crop sequences included alternation of cereals, row crops and grasses, four experiments had crop rotations with bare fallow field. We used current weather data and yearly carbon input as input data. Carbon input was calculated using crop residues estimated from crop yield and aboveground biomass production. RothC satisfactorily simulated the observed changes in SOC on Podzols, Retisols and Chernozems, as evaluated through the root mean square error, coefficient of determination and the mean difference. However, in the absence of clear trend, RothC was less sensitive to the observed interannual SOC dynamics. To maintain initial C level annual input of 1.1–1.3 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 was required for sandy Podzols, while for loamy Retisols necessary rates were 1.4–2.0 Mg C ha −1 yr−1. Inputs of 2.6–2.9 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 were required to maintain soil C in Chernozem. If long-term C input was insufficient to maintain SOC, the stock of resistant plant material continuously decreased. The effect of agronomic practices on active C pools might lead only to a short-term C sequestration that was highly yield-dependent. Simulation of SOC dynamics for the plots that did not receive fertilizers and had the lowest SOC stock revealed that aboveground net primary production (NPP) input was sufficient for maintaining constant SOM stocks if these plots were converted to grassland for forage production and received farmyard manure. The average annual 7–17‰ increase in SOC was possible to reach for 30 years and more in all experiments on Podzols and Retisols in treatments with organic fertilization, while treatments with only mineral fertilizers were not sufficient to reach 4‰ level.

This paper describes soil chronosequence studies relating to fertility evolution of meadow-chernozemic (Gleyic Chernozem) soil of the Kuban region. The research has been conducted in the rice irrigation system of Krasnoarmeysky district, Krasnodar Krai. Over the course of 80 years with 12-year intervals, soil was sampled from pits from the plots/checks with permanent rice cultivation, or with crop rotation as well as from fallow land. Changes of morphological, physical and physico-chemical soil characteristics were studied. Rice paddy cultivation results in removal from the plow layer organic substances, carbonates, mineral elements, and silt particles, i.e. of the components responsible for stable soil development in the irrigation system. This illustrates the expression of dehumification, lessivage, and degradation soil processes with rice cultivation permanently as a monoculture or in a crop rotation during the chronosequence study. Deterioration of the soil physical condition is one of ever-increasing factors.

Aim Recent changes in crop yields have implications for future global food security, which are likely to be affected by climate change. We developed a spatially explicit global dataset of historical yields for maize, soybean, rice and wheat to explore the historical changes in mean, year-to-year variation and annual rate of change in yields for the period 1982–2006. Location This study was conducted at the global scale. Methods We modelled historical and spatial patterns of yields at a grid size of 1.125° by combining global agricultural datasets related to the crop calendar and harvested area in 2000, country yield statistics and satellite-derived net primary production. Modelled yields were compared with other global datasets of yields in 2000 (M3-Crops and MapSPAM) and subnational yield statistics for 23 major crop-producing countries. Historical changes in modelled yields were then examined. Results Modelled yields explained 45–81% of the spatial variation of yields in 2000 from M3-Crops and MapSPAM, with root-mean-square errors of 0.5–1.8 t ha−1. Most correlation coefficients between modelled yield time series and subnational yield statistics for the period 1982–2006 in major crop-producing regions were greater than 0.8. Our analysis corroborated the incidence of reported yield stagnations and collapses and showed that low and mid latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere (0–40°S) experienced significantly increased year-to-year variation in maize, rice and wheat yields in 1994–2006 compared with that in 1982–93. Main conclusions Our analyses revealed increased instability of yields across a broad region of the Southern Hemisphere, where many developing countries are located. Such changes are likely to be related to recent yield stagnation and collapses. Although our understanding of the impacts of recent climate change, particularly the incidence of climate extremes, on crop yields remains limited, our dataset offers opportunities to close parts of this knowledge gap.

In this paper, we present a new development of loop heat pipe (LHP) technology in its applications to cooling systems for high-power IGBT elements. An advanced method of LHP evaporator wick manufacturing has been proposed. Following this approach, a 16 mm outer diameter and 280 mm-length LHP evaporator was designed and manufactured. Nickel and titanium particles were used as raw material in LHP evaporator wick fabrication. LHP with a nominal capacity as high as 900 W for steady-state condition and more than 900 W for a periodic mode of operation at a temperature level below 100 °C and a heat transfer distance of 1.5 m was designed through the cooling of a high-power electronic module. An experimental program was developed to execute LHP performance tests and monitor its operability over a span of time. An investigation of the effects of LHP performance of parameters such as evaporator and condenser temperatures and LHP orientation in a gravity field was brought about. As regards the results of this initial series of tests, it was found that LHP spatial orientation within the nominal range of heat loads has no drastic effect on overall LHP functioning, whereas condenser temperature does play an important role, especially in the range of heat load close to critical. A 2D nodal model of the evaporator was developed and provides us with confirmation of the suggestion that when high-power dissipation levels are available, low wick conductivity is well adapted for LHP applications.

By a method of low-temperature nitrogen adsorption-desorption at the gas/solid interface, the trends in the adsorption and capillary-condensation properties of Al2O3/Al composites are studied as a function of the way of conjugate stages, namely, the metal hydrothermal oxidation and the replication of colloidal aluminum hydroxide by surfactants of the anionic, cationic, and non-ionogenic types.

The kinetics of aluminum powder oxidation by water at 100°C has been investigated using three types of aluminum powders. A “shrinking sphere” model was used for description of the experimental data at the initial reaction stage, whereas a “parabolic” diffusion equation was used at the second stage. Variation of the specific reactivity is discussed.

This chapter provides information about an emerging approach for rating agricultural soil quality (SQ) and crop yield potentials consistently over a range of spatial scales. We developed and tested the Muencheberg Soil Quality Rating (M-SQR), a straightforward, indicator-based overall method for agricultural SQ assessment. The aim of this chapter is to improve the precision and consistency of final ratings by updating the rating frames of most crop-yield-relevant indicators. M-SQR is a framework covering aspects of soil texture, structure, topography and climate which is based on 8 Basic Indicators and more than 12 Hazard Indicators. Ratings are performed by visual methods of soil evaluation and supported by monthly climate data. A field manual is then used to provide ratings from tables based on indicator thresholds. Finally, overall rating scores are given, ranging from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) to characterise crop yield potentials. The current approach is valid for grassland and cropland. Field tests in the main global agricultural regions have confirmed the practicability and reliability of the method. Many experimental sites have been assessed in Russia (Siberia included) and Central Asia. We found that at the field scale, soil texture and structure are most important criteria of agricultural SQ. At the global scale, climate-controlled hazard indicators of drought risk and the soil thermal regime are crucial for soil functioning and crop yield potentials. We present new rating tables for indicators that are most relevant to crop yields globally: a too-cold soil thermal regime (Hazard indicator 12) and agricultural drought (Hazard indicator 7). Final rating scores are well correlated with crop yields of cereals and grass. Regression equations express the relationships between overall M-SQR rating numbers and crop yield potentials at defined levels of farming inputs. We conclude that the combination of the Muencheberg Soil Quality Rating (M-SQR) with the World Reference Base of soil resources (WRB 2014) provides key information about main soil functions and processes. This system could be evolved for ranking and controlling agricultural SQ on a global scale. It should become a basis for more objective monitoring of global land quality, promoting sustainable land use and management, serving as one of the decision tools (decision support systems, impact assessment procedures) for economic trade-offs and land use planning. As a first step, the current concepts and data have led to a new crop yield potential map of Germany. The method and data given in this chapter could provide the basis for creating a similar map of Russia using the same methodology.

Siberia has experienced significant transformations over the past 70 years and particularly since the introduction of the market economy 25 years ago. This has caused implications for landscape processes and for the status of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. We review the role of science and technology in monitoring, understanding and developing Siberian landscapes. Data sources were international literature and own expeditions and studies. Russia has great traditions in landscape research disciplines such as geography, soil science, hydrology and agronomy. Substantial progress has been achieved in all these fields over the past 25 years. We found particular progress in landscape research based on international projects in the fields of Arctic research, climate change and carbon cycle. Other fields such as agricultural research remained traditional and underdeveloped. In the 1990s there was a great shift of knowledge and technology in the better-interlinked English-speaking European scientific community. In Russia, at the same time, the introduction of the market economy accelerated environmental problems, caused a greater discrepancy between the livelihoods of urban and rural populations, created new knowledge gaps and enlarged the gap between theory and practice in landscape research. The decay of infrastructure in rural landscapes produced an inhospitable environment for science and technology. In view of this, landscape research in Siberia and in the Far East remained very traditional. Other deficits were based on a lack of communication with the international community due to language barriers. Cooperation between leading Russian and European scientists is still poorly developed and funded. The Russian academic scientific system was highly organized until 2013. However, efficiency was low and scientific outputs did not meet the requirements of decision-makers. The ongoing reform of the academic system entails the risk that precisely the opposite to the desired effects of higher efficiency could come true, such as accelerated brain drain and loss of objectivity. We conclude that Trans-Eurasian research cooperation is becoming very important in the current critical transition phase. Modern analytical methods, sophisticated technologies, models and evaluation schemes for landscape research and environmentally friendly soil management technologies are available in the English-speaking community. Substantial progress in monitoring, understanding and controlling landscape processes in the framework of international research projects could be achieved by applying new research methods in Siberia. We present some of them in the following chapters of this book.

This chapter reviews and summarises the overall content of the book “Novel Methods for Monitoring and Managing Land and Water Resources in Siberia”. The book starts with an extended analysis of water and land resources, characterising the natural conditions of Siberian landscapes, their ecosystems, crucial processes and human impacts on soil and water quality. The status of research and monitoring is characterised in another chapter, pointing both on substantial progress achieved during the past decades, but also on gaps in our knowledge. Both chapters reveal the Siberian landscapes’ great potential for economically and ecologically viable business activities, but also inefficient and unsustainable land and water management practices and the decay of the rural infrastructure. Sustainable practices should be introduced soon, and this must be based on modern monitoring and management technologies. Some more studies show that thorough and innovative research and monitoring of water and land quality is provided by Siberian institutes and their leading researchers. Addressing climate change requires innovations in landscape research. Further book chapters deal with modern monitoring and management methods developed outside Siberia but having clear potential for application. We depict some highlights which could (a) lead to a significant knowledge shift, (b) initiate sustainable soil resource use and (c) trigger substantial improvement of the ecosystem status, if introduced into Siberia or applied there very soon on a wide scale. These are (1) soil and hydrological laboratory measurement methods, (2) process-based field measurement and evaluation methods of land and water quality, (3) remote sensing and GIS technology-based landscape monitoring methods, (4) process and ecosystem modelling approaches, (5) methods of resource and process evaluation and functional soil mapping and (6) tools for controlling agricultural land use systems such as nutrient balancing methods, conservation agriculture and their technologies. More than 15 concrete monitoring and management tools could immediately be introduced into research and practice, some of them without monetary investment. We conclude that strengthening international and national research cooperation in these fields will be a key for making novel methods operational. Agri-environmental research projects should have high priority as gaps in our knowledge are particular high, and a particularly large amount of novel measurement, evaluation, modelling and management tools are available. Various tools are ready for immediate introduction into Siberian landscapes in the framework of mutual pilot projects: state-of-the-science field monitoring technologies for soil and forest hydrology (EEM-HYPROP, virtual and real lysimeters), agro-ecological models and DSS (MONICA, LandCare-DSS), soil and land quality classification and evaluation tools (WRB 2014, Muencheberg-SQR), nutrient balancing tools, and technologies of conservation agriculture. The role of internationally linked monitoring capacities is particularly emphasised, with some existing stations established in the vast agri-environmental monitoring network and others to be newly built in remote regions of Siberia and the Far East, and supported by the latest remote sensing technologies. The book contributors represent an immense innovation network which should be employed to achieve both significant disciplinary and synergetic outreach effects. This should be imbedded into more sustainable strategies aiming at research cooperation between partners from EU countries, the Russian Federation and countries of Central Asia. Maintaining the functions of great landscapes for future human generations will be the reward of those efforts.

Monitoring the ecological status of agricultural land is a fundamental precondition for controlling its sustainable functions for human society and for maintaining the ecosystem’s capacity. We analyze fundamentals, developments, and trends and present results of agroecological monitoring in Russia. This system has been developed and operated by the Pryanishnikov Institute of Agrochemistry in Moscow. Agroecological monitoring in Russia was installed in the 1970s and is based on a regular 5-year agrochemical survey of agricultural lands all over the country, more than 300 field experiments in all bioclimatic zones of the country, and more than 1000 reference monitoring plots. In trials with different inputs of fertilizers, the focus is on analyzing soil fertility indicators and their impact on productivity. Some of these experiments are long-term experiments and part of international networks. Their results are of fundamental importance for monitoring, modeling, and controlling the status of soils in future despite climate change. In a regular survey, we found tendencies toward decreasing soil fertility in some regions, for example with decreased contents of humus and plant-available minerals, and topsoil acidification. Nutrient withdrawals must be compensated for by regular fertilization regimes, nutrient mining must be avoided. We detected some gaps in knowledge on the topic of balancing elements and modeling the agroecosystem’s response to climate and land use changes. We conclude that there is a need to implement modern measurement and modeling systems in some key long-term trials. The Pryanishnikov Institute has taken responsibility for coordinating running programs in different regions and administrative units of the Russian Federation, and for elaborating methodical guidelines and highly advanced monitoring technologies. National and international cooperation, research programs and networks are key for agroecological monitoring systems of the twenty-first century in addressing challenges for a highly productive, stable, sustainable, and environmentally safe food production.

Nutrient balance, calculated at the national and regional level, is a useful tool to gain information on trends in nutrient depletion or enrichment which can be used to choose nutrient management strategies and to assess the undesirable effects of nutrient mining and environmental pollution. The balances of the main plant nutrients like nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were calculated by taking into consideration the inputs of nutrients with mineral and organic fertilizers, seeds, biologically fixed N (symbiotic and non-symbiotic fixation) and rain, plus the outputs of nutrients through crop uptake, and losses through leaching, erosion, and denitrification. The increase in the scope of chemicalization in Russia led to the gradual elimination of the N and P deficit, and the surplus of these nutrients at the national level—from the approximate balance since the mid-1960s up to 37 and 25 kg/ha and between 1986 and 1990, respectively. The annual deficit of K was also gradually reduced in the same period from −15 to −2 kg/ha. Present-day agriculture has a serious annual excess of removal over input, with a long-term deficit of up to 30, 10, and 27 kg/ha for N, P, and K, respectively as the result of a drastic decrease in mineral and organic fertilization, since the 1990s. The regional balance also provides a link with monitoring data of nutrient availability in arable soils. For the regions with high-input agricultural production, the analysis of agrochemical survey data shows a consistent decrease in the weighted average content of available P and K forms in arable lands. This negative tendency became clear when the input of nutrients was inadequate to maintain soil fertility, being permanently lower than its removal from the agrolandscapes. The balance method helped to identify hot spots of unbalanced fertilization, where N consumption outstripped that of P and K. Siberia is one of these regions where arable lands are not only underfertilized, but mainly receive N fertilizers at the expense of P and K as a result of farmers concentrating on short-term decisions instead of long-term sustainability, while in the Russian Far East the situation is much more favorable. The development of policies and strategies relating to the fertilization requirements of Russian agriculture should be based on providing balanced nutrition conditions for sustaining agricultural systems and soil fertility conservation.

Siberia is the backbone of the economy of modern Russia due to huge reserves of gas, oil, land and water. Not only resource extracting and processing industries, but also forestry and agriculture capitalize these resources with implications for local and global processes of nature and society. We analysed the state of land and water resources with regard to the impacts of human activity and climate change. The environmental status of forests, agricultural lands and inland water bodies was evaluated based on our own research and the recent literature. The focus was on agro-ecosystems. Our synthetic review revealed that peatlands and Tundra ecosystems are endangered by resource-extracting industries and industrial air pollution. Mining and industrial activity damage soil and vegetation and accelerate thermokarst processes. Forest ecosystems suffer increasingly from fires, insect outbreaks and improper management. Past and recent mining and industrial activity has polluted soils and water seriously in many regions. Permafrost melting could expose cases of old and inherited pollution. The impact of agriculture on water quality is still low but will increase. Agriculture is in a recession and operates inefficiently, destroying the soil. There is largely a lack of any agri-environmental monitoring in many regions. The rural infrastructure is on the verge of collapse, in the High North and the Far East in particular. State natural reserves (zapovedniks) are endangered by illegal activities and lack integration into scientific monitoring. Overall, monitoring programmes on the status of land and water resources lack consistency and modern technology. Climate change will put a great deal of additional pressure on Siberian landscapes, but hard data are required, and monitoring systems need to be modernized. Siberian landscapes have great potential for the mitigation of climate change through carbon sequestration and for improving people’s livelihoods. Environmentally friendly business activities such as organic food production, environmental tourism and recreational fishing are still underdeveloped. We conclude that the status of food production and the disintegration of rural areas are risks for Russian food security and national security. Modern technologies for monitoring and research ecosystems are needed to generate sustainable developments in managing the land and water resources of Siberia.

The main versions of the synthesis of a new class of porous cermet materials such as Al2O3/Al, MOx/Al2O3/Al, and M1/MOx/Al2O3/Al and ceramic composites on their basis were analyzed. These ceramic composites were prepared through the stage of the hydrothermal oxidation of aluminum powder and were designed for catalytic and adsorption processes. Equations that express the dependence of the apparent density of the resulting composite on the density of the initial powder mixture, on the concentration of the powdered active component, and on the conversion of aluminum are given. It was found that the formal kinetics of aluminum oxidation with water at 100°C can be described by the Kolmogorov-Erofeev equation. The results were compared with data obtained in an autoclave at higher temperatures and steam pressures. The synthesis parameters that affect the total pore volume and the specific surface area of aluminum oxide obtained from aluminum powder were determined. For the case of the transfer of soluble components from an autoclave to a press mold, the molar coefficients of this process were calculated. The texture peculiarities of composites were analyzed. The texture exhibited a polymodal character with developed micropore, mesopore, and ultramacropore structures, which are responsible for the high permeability of granulated composites. Factors affecting the mechanical properties of metal ceramics were studied. The catalysts and products of composite materials were exemplified.

The stability of soil organic matter (SOM) is a major source of uncertainty in predicting atmospheric CO2 concentration during the 21st century. Isolating the stable soil carbon (C) from other, more labile, C fractions in soil is of prime importance for calibrating soil C simulation models, and gaining insights into the mechanisms that lead to soil C stability. Long-term experiments with continuous bare fallow (vegetation-free) treatments in which the decay of soil C is monitored for decades after all inputs of C have stopped, provide a unique opportunity to assess the quantity of stable soil C. We analyzed data from six bare fallow experiments of long-duration (>30 yrs), covering a range of soil types and climate conditions, and sited at Askov (Denmark), Grignon and Versailles (France), Kursk (Russia), Rothamsted (UK), and Ultuna (Sweden). A conceptual three pool model dividing soil C into a labile pool (turnover time of a several years), an intermediate pool (turnover time of a several decades) and a stable pool (turnover time of a several centuries or more) fits well with the long term C decline observed in the bare fallow soils. The estimate of stable C ranged from 2.7 g C kg−1 at Rothamsted to 6.8 g C kg−1 at Grignon. The uncertainty associated with estimates of the stable pool was large due to the short duration of the fallow treatments relative to the turnover time of stable soil C. At Versailles, where there is least uncertainty associated with the determination of a stable pool, the soil contains predominantly stable C after 80 years of continuous bare fallow. Such a site represents a unique research platform for characterization of the nature of stable SOM and its vulnerability to global change.