Abstract

The morphological and chemical properties and biological activity of soils on ancient agricultural terraces in the middle-high mountains of the Eastern Caucasus are considered. The studied terraces were constructed on sandstone, limestone, clay shale, and colluvium of clay and sandstone. The properties of soils formed on these terraces are determined by the properties of soil-forming rocks, as well as by the duration and intensity of human activity. The more favorable for agricultural development the initial soils, the longer and stronger their anthropogenic transformation. Diagnostic features inherent to all lithological varieties of mountainous anthropogenic soils of the Eastern Caucasus and features characteristic of soils developed on the particular types of soil-forming rocks have been identified. The most important diagnostic feature of the soil cover on agricultural terraces is the regular replacement of agrolithozems in the rear parts of the terraces with dark-humus stratozems in their front parts, near the terrace brows. Also, a common diagnostic feature for all soils of terraces is the presence of gravels (up to 3–5 cm in size) evenly distributed throughout the arable layer. Additions to the classification system of Russian soils have been proposed. The soils of human-made agricultural terraces should be classified as a new subtype in the type of stratozems. The proposed subtype name—agristratified soil (or Terrasozem)—reflects the mechanism of the development of stratified soil thickness, i.e., the long-term agricultural impact (agristratified soil, ast). The results of our study can be used in the assessment of the potential for agricultural use of soils in the Eastern Caucasus.

中文翻译：

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东高加索地区古代农业梯田的土壤

摘要

考虑了东高加索中部高山古代农业梯田上土壤的形态，化学性质和生物活性。所研究的梯田是在砂岩，石灰石，粘土页岩以及粘土和砂岩的砂砾层上建造的。这些阶地上形成的土壤的性质取决于形成土壤的岩石的性质，以及人类活动的持续时间和强度。初始土壤对农业发展越有利，人为转化的时间越长且越强。已经确定了东高加索山区人为土壤的所有岩性品种固有的诊断特征，以及在特定类型的成岩岩石上发育的土壤的特征。农业梯田土壤覆盖的最重要诊断特征是，在梯田后部附近的梯田眉毛附近定期更换梯田后部的农杆菌毒素。同样，对梯田所有土壤的共同诊断特征是砾石的存在（最大3–5 cm）均匀分布在整个耕作层中。已经提出了对俄罗斯土壤分类系统的补充。人工农用梯田的土壤应被分类为地层岩类型中的一种新的亚型。提议的子类型名称-强化土壤（或Terrasozem）-反映了分层土壤厚度发展的机制，即长期的农业影响（强化土壤，ast）。