C - Lublin

We performed microbiological investigation of several dozens of kurgans
created at Eneolith Epoch, Bronze Epoch, Early Iron Age and the Middle Ages
within the dry and desert steppe zone. Using the complex of microbiological
methods the information about microbial biomass, populations of microorganisms
of different trophic groups and fungal colony-forming units, and microbial
respiration rate was obtained and some original coefficients were calculated.
For the first time the distribution of microorganisms in a kurgan embankment
and buried paleosoil was investigated. The quantity of microorganisms of different
trophic groups in the horizon A1 of the paleosols is 10-fold higher than that in the
kurgan embankments. The values of microbiological parameters in modern soils
decrease downward. In the buried paleosols the distribution of microorganisms is
either similar to that in the modern soils or increase downward depending on the
digenetic changes, lithology, and climate conditions in the past.
In order to establish the relationship between the state of microbial
communities and modern soil-forming conditions the comparative analysis of
microbial communities of modern light-chestnut soils and solonetzes within the dry
and desert zones in the Lower Volga region has been performed. It was established
that microbial characteristics are mainly depend on the local peculiarities of
pedogenesis. Within the same soil type the microbial communities vary
significantly subject to the lithological and geomorphologic conditions, as well as
the location in the landscape. And vise versa, the microbial communities in
different soil types are often similar if the soils have similar location in the
landscape, soil forming rocks and depth of ground water. Therefore we suppose the
state of microbial community at certain historical period depends on the
regularities of soil evolution and climate changes in concrete area.
The dynamics of microbial community states in the various paleosols has also
been studied. It was shown that during some historical periods the variability of
microbial community haracteristics was considerable (burial places “Abganerovo”:
the turn of the IV-III Millennium BC (PS-1), XIX-XVII cc. BC (PS-2), III-IV cc.
AD (PS-3), IV c. AD (PS-4) (Fig.1); “Malyaevka”: the turn of the III-II millennium
BC, XVI-XV cc. BC, III-IV cc. AD, XIII-XIV cc. AD, and during other ones it
was not great (burial place “Kolobovka” the first part of the I c. AD (PS-5), I-II cc.
AD (PS-6), II-III cc. AD (PS-7). The data obtained are evidences of variability of
microbiological parameters caused by natural condition changes. Predominance of
the microorganisms, consuming an easily available organic matter, high values
of ratio of microbial population consuming plant residues to that consuming
humus substances, and low index of oligothrophicity allows one to suppose high
amount of organic matter entering into the soil, the process occurring in conditions
of high precipitation norm. And vise versa, the drought increasing leads to
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