ECOLOGY
AND NOOSPHEROLOGY
ISSN 1726-1112 (P in )
ISSN 2310-4309 (Online)
Ecol. Noosphe ., 31(2), 59–64
doi: 10.15421/032009
Palaeoecological aspec s o an Uk ainian Uppe Holocene che nozem
J. M. Recio Espejo*, O. V. Ko o ych**, F. Díaz del Olmo***,V. A. Go ban**,
R. Cáma a A igas***, O. M. Masyuk**, C. Bo ja Ba e a***
*Uni e si y o Co doba, Co doba, Spain
**Oles Honcha Dnip o Na ional Uni e si y, Dnip o, Uk aine
***Uni e si y o Se ille, Se ille, Spain
A icle in o
Recei ed 15.04.2020
Recei ed in e ised o m
23.04.2020
Accep ed 29.04.2020
Uni e si y o Có doba,
Campus de Rabanales,
14001-Có doba, Spain.
Tel.: +003495-721-85-97
E-mail: [email p o ec ed]
Oles Honcha Dnip o
Na ional Uni e si y,
Gaga in A e., 72, Dnip o,
49010, Uk aine.
Uni e si y o Se ille,
Ma ia de Padilla,
41004-Se illa, Spain.
Recio Espejo, J. M., Ko o ych, O. V., Díaz del Olmo, F., Go ban, V. A., Cáma a A igas, R.,
Masyuk, O. M., Bo ja Ba e a, C. (2020). Palaeoecological aspec s o an Uk ainian Uppe
Holocene che nozems. Ecology and Noosphe ology, 31(2), 59–64. doi:10.15421/032009
A physicochemical, palynological and ch onological analysis o a soil p o ile co esponding o a
Haplic Che nozem (FAO, 2015) de eloped in he Uk ainian s eppe allow he in e p e a ion o ecen
en i onmen al changes ha ha e condi ioned i s o ma ion. Uni o med unde he blackening
p ocess, i s su ace ho izon da k colo con as s wi h yellowish colo loessic pa en al ma e ial; i is
deca bona ed and he o ganic ca bon con en on he su ace is 2.24%.The ex u e is sil y in su ace
bu sandy in lowe ho izon deno ing a clea wind selec ion and an ene gy change in aeolian
sedimen a ion p ocesses. The clays p esen simila alues in he h ee analyzed ho izons. The
p esence o wo discon inui ies in he p o ile has made i possible o dis inguish a e y sandy
blackened ho izon o 2500 +/- 25cal BP ch onologies om ano he sil y su ace and black ch omas
o age 1336–1256 cal BP. A o al o i een pollen ypes ha e been iden i ied; supe icial ho izon
(A11) has a high p esence o pollen o he Ama an haceae ype, he Poaceae a e he mos abundan
and Que cus gende is iden i ied. The sandy ho izon (2A/B) shows Poaceas, Pinus, and Oleaceas
p esence oge he pollen o Rosaceas ype (14%). Pollen da a e eal ege a i e changes in he h ee
ho izons wi h he p esence o e en non-exis en species oday, linked bo h o ecen an h opic-
clima ic and holocene- ype changes on a millennial scale since he las glacial pe iod.
Keywo ds: s eppe; Uk ainian che nozem; palaeoecology
In oduc ion
The p esen wo k ep esen s a con ibu ion o he esea ch
line main ained by he au ho s in ela ionship o he ecological
ac o s and geomo phological condi ions ha mo i a e he
blackening and i si ica ion p ocesses o some pedological
ho izons o Ve isols, Che nozems o chilean Andosols (Núñez
e al., 1997; Recio e al., 2017, 2018, 2019, a, b; Guaja do e
al., 2020). The s udy o a polyphasic p o ile co esponding o a
Calcic Che nozem (FAO, 2015) has allowed us o deepen his
p ocess as well as o e alua e some o he palaeocological
condi ions ha ha e con olled i s o ma ion (Alexand o skiy
and Chichago a, 1998; Khokhlo a and Ko ale skaya, 2001).
This soil p o ile (Calcic Che nozem) (FAO, 2015) s udied
by he au ho s (Fig. 1) a e loca ed o coo dena es posi ion
48° 45' 36.9"N, 35° 27' 40.5"E wi hin he i gin s eppe land o
wa e shed pla eau in a culmina ing posi ion (sou h-eas e n pa
o he And ee ka illage).
The cu en majo i y ege a ion suppo by he supe icial
ho izon is cons i u ed by Fes uca alesiaca Schleich o me
Gaudin, (Poaceae), Koele ia mac an ha (Ledeb.) Schul
(Poaceae), Thymus ma schallinus Wilid. (Lamiaceae), Linum
hi su um L. (Linaceae), Sal ia nemo osa L. (Lamiaceae),
Aus ian A emisia Jacq (As e aceae).
Ma e ial and me hods
Fo i s mo phological and physicochemical
cha ac e iza ion ha e been used he guide FAO (1977), he
colou pa ame e s was de e mined by Munsell (1990),
ca bona es (Duchau ou , 1975), we and igni ion loss by
M.A.P.A (1986), o al o ganic ca bon by Sims and Haby
(1971), magne ic suscep ibili y (Dea ing, 1999) and ex u al
analysis and dis ibu ion pa icle size by Soil Su ey England
and Wales (1982) (Table 1, 2, 3, Fig. 1).
F om his p o ile he pollen p esen on he ho izons (A11,
0–20 cm) and lowe zone p o ile (2A/B and 3BC1) has been
iden i ied ollowing he me hod desc ibed by Dup é Oli ie
(1979), wi h some modi ica ions p oposed by Ma ín
Consueg a (1996) and by López e al. (2003). Wi h he pollen
ex ac ed, i s iden i ica ion has been ca ied ou unde op ical
mic oscopy h ough he use o he e e ence palino eca and
di e en pollen a lases (Table 3).
Ch onological da ing by C14 cal. BP was pe o med in he
humine ac ion o he supe icial ho izon (A11) by he Be a
Analy ic Labo a o y (Miami, Flo ida, USA) and he medium
ho izon (2A/B) by he Accele a o Na ional Cen e o CSIC-
Uni e si y o Se ille (Se ille, Spain) (Fig. 2).
Ecol. Noosphe ., 31(2) 59
Fig. 1. Loca ion o s udied a ea
Fig. 2. Haplic Che nozem (FAO, 2015)
Ecol. Noosphe ., 31(2)
60
Resul s and discussion
Table 1 shows he physical-chemical cha ac e iza ion
ca ied ou in he p o ile. The da k colo o he su ace ho izon
(10YR 4/1) con as s sha ply wi h he yellowish ones o he
pa en al loess (10YR 7/4), a 130cm om he su ace, and
equally a ec s he wo su ace ho izons (A11 and 2A/B),
uni o med unde he blackening p ocess.
The o ganic ca bon con en on he su ace is 2.24%, and a
80 cm dep h (3BC1) i becomes 0.72%, g ea e han in he
o e lying ho izon. The loss on igni ion is 7.88% on he su ace,
so we can conside ha 49% o i is humidi ied, compa ed o
20% in 2A/B and 35% in 3BC1 espec i ely (Table 1).
I is deca bona ed, hese being accumula ed in he o m o
powde y spo s on he 3BC1 ho izon (14.6%). Magne ic
suscep ibili y alues a e low, highligh ing hose ound in 2A12
much lowe han he es o he ho izons. In ela ion o he
densi y and po osi y ha he ho izons p esen , coincide wi h
he alues p e iously ound by Nuñez e al. (1997) and e y
di e en om hose p esen ed by blackening ho izons Andosol
(FAO, 2015) s udied by Guaja do e al. (2020) and de eloped
on yellowish ash o olcanic o igin.
I s ex u e is sil y excep in he 2A12 ho izon whe e he
sand ac ion is he dominan one wi h 42.1% and whe e e y
hick ac ions a e ep esen ed (Table 2). In he supe icial
ho izons, he dominan sand ac ion is ha o diame e 0.25–
0.125 mm. deno ing a clea wind selec ion. On he con a y, he
3BC1 ho izon shows a loamie cha ac e , wi h a dominan
ac ion (74%) in he ac ion wi h he smalles diame e
(0.125–0.063 mm. In his sil ac ion, he la ges ac ions
(0.063 o 0.015 mm) a e always he mos ep esen a i e (Table 2),
deno ing hei wind selec ion. The clays p esen alues a ound
40% in he h ee analyzed ho izons (Table 1).
Ano he hand a o al o 15 pollen ypes has been iden i ied.
The quan i y has been exp essed in pollen g ains pe g am o
soil ho izon (Table 1). Supe icial ho izon A11 (0–20 cm) has
a high concen a ion wi h 473 pollen g ains pe g am, 45 a e in
2A/B, while BC1 (40–130 cm) has 64 pollen g ains pe g am
(Table 3). The 2A/B ho izon p esen s only 4 pollen ypes,
compa ed o 12 o he o he ho izons.
Table 3
Type polinics and i s equency in he di e en ho izons
Type polinics (%)/
Ho izons A11 2A/B 3BC1
Co ylus 2.33 (O) 0.00 (–) 8.57 (F)
Pinus 3.72 (O) 14.29 (C) 5.71 (F)
Oleaceae 3.26 (O) 14.29 C) 11.43 (C)
My aceae 0.00 (–) 0.00 (–) 2.86 (O)
Cup essaceae 0.00 (–) 0.00 (–) 2.86 (O)
Cas anea 0.93 (R) 0.00 (–) 8.57 (F)
Que cus 10.70 (C) 0.00 (–) 20.00 (C)
Poaceae 16.28 (C) 57.14 (A) 5.71 (F)
Ama an haceae 55.81(A) 0.00 (–) 11.43 (C)
U icaceae 1.40 (O) 0.00 (–) 2.86 (0)
Echium 2.33 (O) 0.00 (–) 2.86 (O)
Apiaceae 1.40 (O) 0.00 (–) 0.00 (–)
Salix 0.47 (R) 0.00 (–) 0.00 (–)
Rossacea 0.00 (–) 14.29 (C) 0.00 (–)
Composi ae 0.93 (R) 0.00 (–) 5.71 (F)
No de e mina ed 0.47 0.00 11.43
Types polinic 12 4 12
G ains by sample g ams 473 45 64
Abundan >25.0% (A)
Common 10.1–25.0 (C)
F equen 5.1–10.0 (F)
Occasional 1.1–5.0 (O)
Ra e 0.3–1.0 (R)
Ve y a e < 0.3% (VR)
Absen (–)
No e he high p esence o pollen o he Ama an haceae
ype ollowed by Poaceae on he su ace ho izon wi h alues
o 55% (A, abundan ) and 16% (C, common ) espec i ely. The
Que cus gende is also ep esen ed (10%) in bo h ho izons
wi h a common cha ac e (C). The 3BC1 sample has a lowe
concen a ion o pollen g ains and i s la ges ep esen a i e is
Que cus (C) ollowed by Ama an haceae and Oleaceae. (F,
equen and C, common). In his deepes le el he g ains o
pollen om che ies a e he bes ep esen ed, p esen ing wo
pollen ypes no p esen in he p e ious one (My aceae and
Cup essaceae) wi h an occasional (O) ecuency (2.86%).
The in e media e sandy ho izon shows, like he o he s, he
p esence o Poaceas, Pinus, and Oleaceas, and pollen
belonging o he Rosaceas amily 14% (C) a e only ep esen ed
he e. The majo i y ege a ion suppo ed by he cu en soil
supe icial ho izon is Poaceae; some speci ic gende s
de e mina es a e no cu en ly ep esen ed in he a ea.
In iew o hese esul s, he e seems o be a clea
disag eemen in he p o ile linked o an ene gy change in eolian
sedimen a ion p ocesses. E osi e-sedimen a y p ocesses o a
sandy na u e ha e come o in e up he ini ial and inal sil -
loessic sedimen a ion p ocesses ound in he p o ile, and which
ha e shaped changes in he s a ing pa en al ma e ial linked o
an h opiza ion (ag icul u al e osion) o o en i onmen al
humidi y-a idi y changes ela ed o Bond cycles (Bond e al.,
1997). This palaeoen i onmen al condi ions and he p o ile
ch onology ob ained may sugges his o ma ion unde he
in luence o millennial-scale clima e cycles. The da ing has
e ealed a ch onology o 1336–1256 cal BP o ho izon uppe
sil y supe icial ho izon (A11), and 2500 +/-25 cal BP o he
middle ho izon (2A12) de eloped on sandy pa en al ma e ial
(Fig. 3).
Fig. 3. Ch onology da ing
Ecol. Noosphe ., 31(2) 61
Table 1
Physicochemical cha ac e iza ion o Che nozem soil p o ile s udied
Ho iz./Dep h
(cm) Colou (d) Colou (w) CO3= (%) We (%) TOC (%) O.M. (%) L. Ign. (%) M.S. (X10-9) Dap.
(g/cm3) D eal.
(g/cm3) Po osi y
(%) Sand
(%) Sil
(%) Clay
(%)
A11 (0–20) 10YR 4/1 10YR 6/2 1 4,61 2,24 3,85 7,88 900 1,13 1,94 41,75 10,1 47,4 42,5
2A/B (20–40) 10YR 6/2 10YR 4/1 2,3 3,88 0,48 0,82 4,01 65 1,23 2,01 38,50 42,1 20,4 37,5
3BC1 (40–130) 10YR 7/4 10YR 5/4 14,6 3,01 0,72 1,23 3,51 500 1,17 2,1 44,28 2,6 59,9 37,5
Table 2
Pa icle size dis ibu ion o sand and sil ac ion o Che nozem soil p o ile s udied

Ho iz./Dep h
(cm) 2,0–1,0
(%) 1,0–0,5
(%) 0,5–0,25
(%) 0,25–0,125
(%) 0,125–0,063
(%)
0,063–
0,031
(%)
0,031–
0,015
(%)
0,015–
0,007
(%)
0,007–
0,0039
(%)
0,0039–
0,0019
(%)
A11 (0–20) 0 0 3,55 63,95 32,48 7,5 22,5 5 5 2,5
2A/B (20–40) 1,09 3,03 23,15 63,27 9,45 n.d n.d n.d. n.d. n.d.
3BC1 (40–130) 0 0 2 24 74 17,5 25 10 5 5


To explain he ege a ion clima e changes wi h he ini ial
deepes ho izon, we could use he Types o Bioclima ic
Regimes o Cáma a (2004) applied in o he geog aphic
egions (Cáma a e al., 2005) om he Wo ldclim clima e
da abase (Hijmans e al., 2005). The change om d y-
Conclusions
The blackening p ocess ha a ec s he uppe pa o he
p o ile s udied comes o mask he p esence o wo e y di e en
ho izons o med unde di e en en i onmen al condi ions.
As a consequence o hese e osi e phases, he pedogenesis ha
subhumid mesoc yo-mesophylle condi ions (16) wi h he
p esence o pines and deciduous o es s owa ds he
cu en subhumid-d y and semia id c yo-mesophylle condi ions
(7 and 8) co esponding o he s eppe could explain he
p esence o some o he pollen ypes ound (Fig. 4).
a ec s he ini ial pa en al loessic ma e ial appea s independen
o ha o hese highe ho izons. These changes ha e occu ed
on a his o ical scale wi h ecological signi icance o he las
2500 yea s BP de i ed om an h opogenic and/o clima ic
ac ion wi h he p esence o di e en species om hose
cu en ly p esen .
Fig. 4. Types o bioclima ic egimen changes zones (Cáma a, 2004) om clima e da a base wo dclim (Hijmans e al., 2005)
Ecol. Noosphe ., 31(2) 63

Ecol. Noosphe ., 31(2)
64
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