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Paleosols buried by colluvial deposits and artificial agricultural terraces wereinvestigated to reconstruct natural and man-induced environmental change in the central NorthCaucasus. The profiles buried under ancient man-made agricultural terraces (1000-1500 years B.P.)are similar to recent surface Chemozems. Minor differences in thickness, humus and carbonatecontent of Ah horizons are due to anthropogenic disturbance before burial or diagenesis. Thisindicates that a steppe ecosystem persisted in the central North Caucasian piedmont during lateHolocene. The sections of colluvial sediments in downslope positions show alternation of coarsestony slope deposits and well developed though truncated paleosol profiles. This indicates thatperiods of soil formation and low activity of colluviation alternated with dramatic intensificationof mass movement on slopes. The early medieval anthropogenic deforestation may havedestabilised slopes and activated development of the upper layer of the coarse colluvium.Pedofeatures related to ancient cultivation were detected in the paleosol below this layer.
Paleosols buried by colluvial deposits and artificial agricultural terraces were investigated to reconstruct natural and man-induced environmental change in the central NorthCaucasus. The profiles buried under ancient man-made agricultural terraces (1000-1500 years BP) are similar to recent surface Chemozems. Minor differences in thickness, humus and carbonatecontent of Ah horizons are due to anthropogenic shake before burial or diagenesis. Thisindicates that a steppe ecosystem persisted in the central North Caucasian piedmont during lateHolocene. The sections of colluvial sediments in downslope positions show alternation of coarsestony slope deposits and well developed though truncated paleosol profiles. This indicates thatperiods of soil formation and low activity of colluviation alternated with dramatic intensification of mass movement on slopes. The early medieval anthropogenic deforestation may havedestabilized slopes and activated development of the upper layer of the coarse colluvium.Pedofeatures related to ancient cultivation were detected in the paleosol below this layer.