Chronosequence of soil degradation and wind erosion and in the semi-arid Kulunda steppe in Western Siberia

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The agriculturally used soils in semi-arid steppe regions are especially threatened by erosion processes. An example is the investigation area, the Kulunda steppe in the south-eastern part of Western Siberia. Knowledge concerning wind erosion and soil degradation in the semi-arid steppe areas is scarce, especially for the steppe areas in Siberia. Many studies investigated losses of soil organic matter, but only few considered also the effect of wind erosion on nutrient availability. The proposed short project focuses on the effects of wind erosion on topsoil horizons and changes in soil quality in the Kulunda steppe, a main aim will be to quantify the eroded sediments, the organic and mineral soil components. The buried topsoils of soils in protected areas at the edges of the fields are compared with topsoils of cropped fields using pedological and geochemical methods (mainly particle size distribution and elemental analysis), and using 137Cs concentrations as chronological marker. The results will be the base for a full proposal in which the effects of wind erosion would be investigated using additional methods along a climatic gradient.