First International Field Summer School on Paleopedology for young scholars “Paleosols as a depository of data on past environments”, August 3-7, 2010, Western Siberia, Russia

The school was organized by the Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry of the Siberian branch

of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk. The Institute is well known for its more then 20

years expertise in paleogeographic reconstructions for continental Eurasia based on the study of

paleosols, with a special focus on humus substances (pedohumus method). The Commission on

Paleopedology of IUSS and Dokuchaev Soil Science Society were active in the organization of the

conference.

The school was held around a small village Volodarka, 250 km south of Novosibirsk and 100 km

south of Barnaul, on the bank of river Ob. This is a part of an extensive loess plateau famous for its

loess-paleosol sequences with a detailed record of lower, middle and upper Pleistocene. Due to

combination of tectonic activity and erosion cycles a set of buried, surface and exhumed paleosols

can be observed in river exposures up to 50 m high.

Paleopedology is experiencing such rapid development that latest approaches, methods and ideas

are not presented in usual lecture courses. The main intention of the school was thus to teach young

scholars recent advances and field techniques in paleosol studies.

45 participants were senior undergraduate and post-graduate students from different parts of Russia

(Novosibirsk, Ulan-Ude, Sverdlovsk, Moscow), Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Training included

lectures, field excursions, and master classes. Lectures were given by experts in paleopedology on

general aspects of paleopedology and Quaternary stratigraphy (Alexander Makeev, Moscow),

classification of paleosols (Irina Fedeneva, Novosibirsk), records of the former environment in

paleosols (Alexander Alexandrovski, Moscow), catenary sequences of paleosols (Svetlana Sycheva,

Moscow) and comparative studies of humus in surface and buried Chernozems (Igor Ivanov,

Puschino). Few lectures were devoted to new techniques of paleosol studies: microbiomorphic

analysis (Alexandra Golyeva, Moscow), pedohumus method (Maria Dergacheva, Novosibirsk),

paleomagnetism (Zinaida Gnibidenko, Novosibirsk), isotopic study of organic substances

(Wolfgang Zech, Germany).

A special session was organized for students’ presentations. Each student presented results of own

studies of buried and surface paleosols in different regions (Western Siberia, Tuva, Urals, Baikal

area, Russian Plain, Central Mexico and others). Students were awarded by books relevant for

palaeo-environmental studies.

During the field part of the school students examined loess-paleosol sequences of river Ob

exposures. Master classes, presented by lecturers (Alexandrovski, Golyeva, Dergacheva, Ivanov,

Makeev) focused on the field study of buried and exhumed paleosols (morphology, field

interpretation, sampling for different analyses, etc.). A separate master class was given on field

research of paleosol sequences of ancient erosion landforms (Sycheva).

At the end of the summer school participants enjoyed a trip to Teletskoye Lake – one of the most

famous beauties of the Altai Mountains.

All participants (both students and lecturers) admit that the first school on paleopedology was

successful. The next school is scheduled for August, 2011.

Students wishing to attend are advised to contact Maria Dergacheva (mid555@yandex.com).

Maria Dergacheva

Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk

and

Alexander Makeev

Institute of ecological soil science, Moscow State University