REPORT ON V INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM AND FIELD WORKSHOP ON PALEOPEDOLOGY “PALEOSOLS AND MODERN SOILS AS STAGES OF CONTINUOUS SOIL FORMATION, ” (Suzdal, Russia, 10-16 July 2000)

REPORT ON V INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM AND FIELD WORKSHOP ON PALEOPEDOLOGY “PALEOSOLS AND MODERN SOILS AS STAGES OF CONTINUOUS SOIL FORMATION, ” (Suzdal, Russia, 10-16 July 2000).

Elizabeth Solleiro-Rebolledo, UNAM, Mexico.

The Symposium was organised within the scientific program of the III Congress of Dokuchaev Soil Science Society in the ancient city of Suzdal, Vladimir region, 230 km east of Moscow. It was attended by 45 participants: about 30 participants from Russia and 15 participants from 5 foreign countries. Discussed were 24 oral and 2 poster presentations, which are summarised in a publication. We also had numerous guests – participants of the Third Congress. Symposium had three-day oral presentations, interrupted by one-day mid-symposium field trip. The morning session of the first day, held in the beautiful Gallery of Our Savior and St. Euphimius Monastery, was combined with the Paleopedology Symposium of the Third Congress. The Secretary-General of the IUSS gave an opening speech. After opening words of Dr. Alexander Makeev, secretary of the INQUA/IUSS Paleopedology Commission, a number of presentations focused on developments in paleopedology in Russia was given. The next 2 days the sessions took place in halls of the Main Tourist Centre of Suzdal. The papers given fell under the following topics:

Polygenetic concepts of Quaternary paleosols.
Buried Quaternary and pre-Quaternary paleosols as tools for reconstructing and modelling environmental changes.
Methodological recognition of soils with relic properties: definition, classification and modelling.
Paleosol magnetic properties.
Rates of development of pedogenic features.
Environmental implications of paleopedogenic features for agriculture, forestry etc.

Intensive discussions were held about the correlation between Middle-Late Pleistocene pedostratigraphic schemes of Central Europe and the Russian Plain, as well as about the paleoenvironmental interpretation of the last (Eemian – Mikulino) interglacial paleosols.

In the mid-conference tour we visited Vladimir Opolie (from the Russian word polie-field), where we could observe paleocryogenic features in the gray forest soils, now cultivated. During this excursion, we also visited the marvellous Archangel Michael Monastery where the Museum of agricultural exploration of Vladimir Opolie is located and the ancient St. George cathedral, in the city of Yurév-Pols´skii.

Two post-conference tours followed the Symposium. In the first excursion we observed fantastic Late Pleistocene loess-soil-cryogenic formation of the Vladimir Opolie, in the Bogolyubovo section on the right bank of the Nerl River. Additionally, we went to the famous Sungir Palaeolithic campsite where artefacts are scattered in Late Pleistocene Bryansk paleosol. This excursion finished with a cultural program visiting the great XII-XIV century monuments of Vladimir. This well-organized tour ended at the Gololobovo section in Kolomna Opolie, where a Middle -Late Pleistocene loess-paleosol sequence is exposed with 4 well-developed interglacial paleosols. The participants had the opportunity to visit very large and well prepared expositions.

The excellent team of local organisers, Drs. A.O. Makeev, A.A. Velichko, T.D. Morozova, E.Yu. Yakimenko, V.P. Nechaev, K.G. Dlussky, and N.O. Bader led the cultural and scientific program that allowed us to enjoy wonderful paleosol-sequences, combined with cultural highlights.

It was decided to have the next INQUA-IUSS paleopedology meeting in 2001 in Mexico.