Microbiomarkers of the local environment and interior of Neolithic and Eneolithic dwellings (settlements of Mergen 6 and 7)

The paper concerns the analysis of the local environment around the multi-layer settlements of Mergen 6 and 7 situated in the immediate vicinity of each other. The settlements existed successively (partly contempora-neously in the early and high Neolithic) in the forest-steppe belt of Western Siberia. Two methods were chosen to obtain the results: spore-and-pollen (palynological) and microbiomorphic analyses of the cultural layers of the settlements of Mergen 6 and Mergen 7. In the settlement of Mergen 6, the following samples were collected for the palynological and microbiomorphic investigation: a vertical column from the center of the ditch of the dwelling no.5; areal soil samples of the dwelling no.5 from underneath the pottery debris of the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods; areal samples from the bottom layer of the dwelling no.21. In the settlement of Mergen 7, two vertical core samples were selected for the pore-and-pollen analysis: in the ditch of the dwelling no.1; and in the inter-dwelling area. Samples from the hearthing of the dwellings and from the inter-dwelling space were collected for the microbiomorphic analysis. The obtained results show that both settlements existed during the forest-steppe conditions, although the original landscapes of the sites chosen by the people for building the settlements were different in the early and high Neolithic. It appears that during the early Neolithic, the settlement of Mergen 6 was associated with an open site with meadow-steppe vegetation; birch forests constituted a small part of the land-scape, whilst there were no pine forests in the close vicinity. During the middle Neolithic, people in the settlement of Mergen 7 preferred to settle in a birch wood, having cleared out a small area to build the dwelling. The results of the microbiomorphic analysis show that, despite the lack of pine forests nearby the settlements, people still used pine tim-ber in housebuilding, apparently, intentionally. The frequent occurrence of remains of the wood detritus at the level of the floor of the dwellings and under pottery supports the initial archaeological observations about timber decking inside the houses. However, pollen and phytolithic studies do not demonstrate a wide use of the wetland waterside vegetation in housebuilding, apparently, because the lake at the time was not overgrown on the banks by reed and cattail. There-fore, despite the close location of the two sites and their similar hunting-fishing specialization of the subsistences, their populations in different chronological periods preferred distinct local conditions.

Ecological Niche Modeling of the Main Forest-Forming Species in the Caucasus

Background: Ecological niche modeling of the main forest-forming species within the same geographic range contributes significantly to understanding the coexistence of species and the regularities of formation of their current spatial distribution. The main abiotic and biotic environmental variables, as well as species dispersal capability, affecting the spatial distribution of the main forest-forming species in the Caucasus, have not been sufficiently studied.Methods: We conducted studies within the physiographic boundaries of the Caucasus, including Russian Federation, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Our studies focused on ecological niche modeling of pure fir, spruce, pine, beech, hornbeam, and birch forests through species distribution modeling and the concept of the BAM (Biotic-Abiotic-Movement) diagram. We selected 648 geographic records of pure forests occurrence. ENVIREM and SoilGrids databases, statistical tools in R, Maxent were used to assess the influence of abiotic, biotic, and movement factors on the spatial distribution of the forest-forming species.Results: Geographic expression of fundamental ecological niches of the main forest-forming species depended mainly on topographic conditions and water regime. Competitor influence reduced the potential ranges of the studied species by 1.2–1.7 times to the geographic expression of their realized ecological niches. Movement factor significantly limited the areas suitable for pure forests (by 1.2–1.8 times compared with geographic expression of realized ecological niches), except for birch forests.Conclusion: Distribution maps, modeled by abiotic, biotic variables and movement factor, were the closest to the real distribution of the forest-forming species in the Caucasus. Biotic and movement factors should be considered in modeling studies of forest ecosystems if models are to have biological meaning and reality.

Resources of birch trees and their productivity for honey collection in conditions of the Leningrad region

The Leningrad Oblast has a rich food base for bees on forest land. Still, currently, there is no regulatory basis for assessing the honey resources of birch forest land at the regional level. Therefore, forest areas with woody, shrubby or herbaceous plants as part of the woody, shrubby or herbaceous layer are used as a forage base for bees. The birch forests of the Leningrad region are the second largest in terms of the area covered. The research aims to carry out an inventory of honey resources and determine honey productivity for the primary honey plants under the birch canopy and forest edges. We used a proven survey methodology for counting plants of the understorey at the experimental sites. The study presented 71 species from 31 families of melliferous plants of blueberry, wormwood and herb-meadow birch forests. Significant melliferous plants under the birch canopy are Aegopodium podagraria L. (herb-twine and sagebrush birch, 57 kilograms/hectare); Vaccinium myrtillus L. (birch bilberry and acidic birch, 27 kilograms/hectare); Veronica chamaedrys L. (acidic birch, 24 kilograms/hectare). Rubus idaeus L. (107 kg/ha) has maximum honey production in the forest margins. The honey yield of Frangula Alnus Mill. and Chamaenerion angustifolium (L.) Scop is 50-60 kg/ha; the honey yield of Trifolium medium L. is 32 kg/ha. The evaluation of the birch woodlands showed that the studied components of the forest phytocenosis are characterized by a significant number of honey-bearing plant species that have a wide range of honey productivity.

Ранний - средний голоцен северного Сахалина

New palynological and radiocarbon data obtained from sections of two ancient peatbogs permitted to specify the landscape and climatic changes in the nature of the first half of the Holocene on the southern outskirts of North Sakhalin. The Early Holocene was generally colder and drier in comparison with modern climatic conditions. The vegetation cover was dominated by larch/birch forests with the shrub birch undergrowth. In the middle of the Boreal Period (9000-8400 yrs. BP / 10,100-9300 Cal. yrs. BP), the climate became significantly warmer and slightly wetter, yet remaining drier than the modern one. Birch forests with the presence of broad-leaved and dark coniferous tree species were widespread. In the initial phase of the Atlantic Period (probably 7800-7500 yrs. BP / 8800-8300 Cal. yrs. BP), in the climatic conditions warmer and much more humid than modern ones, the first expansion of spruce/fir forests occurred. The second half of the early and first half of the middle phase of the Atlantic Period (7500-6500 yrs. BP / 8300-7400 Cal. yrs. BP) were distinguished by decreased humidity and further warming of the climate, which resulted in dominating birch forests, subordinate spruce/fir taiga, and a lot of deciduous forests. There were two cold episodes at the beginning and in the middle of this stage. The first of them, about 7300 yrs. BP / 8100 Cal. yrs. BP, was dry and provided the return of birch/larch forests. The second, about 7100 yrs. BP / 7900 Cal. yrs. BP, had a more humid climate, which caused an increase in the role of dark coniferous taiga and a weakening of birch forests. In the second half of the middle and, possibly, the beginning of the late phase of the period (probably 6500-5400 yrs. BP / 7400-6200 Cal. yrs. BP), spruce/fir forests with participation of broad-leaved tree spread. They developed in a warmer and more humid climate, similar to the current climate in the south of the Sakhalin Island and close to the optimal climatic conditions of the post-glacial time. The middle of the Late Atlantic Period, about 5300 yrs. BP / 6100 Cal. yrs. BP, was marked by the second, maximum expansion of spruce/ fir forests, due to the onset of the cool and, possibly, the wettest episode in the Middle Holocene.

NON-WOOD RESOURCES OF ABOVE GROUND COVER IN GRASSY PLANTINGS OF THE SOUTH URAL TAIGA ZONE

Представлены результаты изучения ресурсов хозяйственно-ценных растений живого напочвенного покрова сосновых и берёзовых насаждений Южно-Уральской таёжной зоны Свердловской области. В качестве основного показателя для характеристики запасов была выбрана надземная фитомасса в аб- солютно сухом состоянии. Данные были получены на 28 пробных площадях в пяти наиболее распространённых в районе исследования типах леса. Для размещения пробных площадей подбирались наиболее типичные для района исследования насаждения различного возраста, происхождения, состава древостоя, относительной полноты и других таксационных показателей. Хозяйственно-ценные растения пред- ставлены ягодными, лекарственными, кормовыми и медоносными, а также растениями, содержащими дубильные красильные и эфиромасличные вещества. В березняках надземная фитомасса хозяйственно ценных растений варьирует от 10,1 до 1019,7 кг/га в абсолютно сухом состоянии. В сосняках данный показатель значительно ниже и составляет от 1,1 до 73,4 кг/га. Размещение ресурсов хозяйственно-ценных растений по территории неравномерно даже в пределах одного типа леса. Основной причиной являются отличия в таксационных показателях насаждений. Установлена корреляционная зависимость между надземной фитомассой полезных растений живого напочвенного покрова и относительной полнотой древостоя. Также существует тенденция увеличения запасов полезных растений с повышением возраста насаждений. В целом в живом напочвенном покрове березняков сосредоточены большие запасы кормовых растений, медоносов, а также значительна фитомасса лекарственных и пищевых видов. С точки зрения заготовки недревесной продукции живой напочвенный покров сосняков не представляет интереса из-за низкой фитомассы хозяйственно ценных растений. The article presents the results of studying resources of economically valuable plants of the above ground cover of pine and birch plantations in the South Ural taiga zone of the Sverdlovsk region. The aboveground phytomass in a completely dry state is used as the main indicator for the stock characteristics. Data were obtained on 28 sample areas in the fi ve most common forest types in the study area. Plantings of various ages, origin, stand composition, relative completeness, and other taxational indicators were selected to accommodate the sample areas. Economically valuable plants are represented by berry, medicinal, forage and honey-bearing species, as well as plants containing tannic dyes and essential oils. In birch forests, the aboveground phytomass of economically valuable plants ranges from 10.1 to 1019.7 kg/ha in a completely dry state. In pine forests, this indicator is much lower and varies from 1.1 to 73.4 kg/ha. The distribution of resources of economically valuable plants across the territory is uneven, even within the same type of forest. The main reason is the differences in the taxation indicators of plantings. A correlation was established between the aboveground phytomass of useful plants of the living ground cover and the relative fullness of the stand. There is also a tendency to increase the stocks of useful plants with increasing age of plantings. In general, in the living ground cover of birch forests, large stocks of forage plants are concentrated, and the phytomass of medicinal and food species, as well as honey plants, is also signifi cant. From the point of view of harvesting non-wood products, the living ground cover of pine forests is not of interest, due to the low phytomass of economically valuable plants.

MORPHOLOGICAL STRUCTURE AND SOME AGROPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SANDY LOAM AND LOAMY GRAY FOREST SOILS OF THE BIE-CHUMYSH UPLAND UNDER THE BIRCH FOREST

The research goal was to study the morphological structure and some agrophysical properties of the gray forest soils of the Bie-Chumysh Upland under a birch forest. The study showed that under the birch forests, loamy and sandy loam soils were formed, belonging to the type of gray forest soils. All studied ag-rophysical characteristics are typical for this type of soil. The morphological structure also corresponds to the type of soil with clear signs of woody vegetation.