The event was organized by the World Mollisols Association under the Alliance of International Scientific Organizations (ANSO). Representatives from countries with widespread Mollisols, including the Russian Federation, China, the USA, Argentina, and the Czech Republic, attended the meeting. On July 21, the conference featured presentations on the degradation of Mollisols in various regions worldwide and discussed soil protection methods against anthropogenic impacts.
Prominent speakers included Prof. Shaban Khan, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in East Asia; Prof. Richard Cruse, Director at Iowa State University, USA; Prof. Xiaobing Liu, former Director and current Head of the Laboratory at the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Prof. Peter Strauss, Director of the Federal Water Resources Agency, Austria; and Prof. Hui Sun, Director of the Bureau of International Cooperation at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, among others.
Mikhail Semenov, Head of the Laboratory of Soil Carbon and Microbial Ecology, presented research on organic matter pools and microbial drivers of carbon distribution in Russian chernozems. His report highlighted that the main carbon losses in Russian soils occur in chernozems and other "black soils," primarily due to inadequate agricultural practices. The presentation discussed the size and chemical composition of soil organic matter pools and the taxonomic and physiological diversity of the chernozem microbiome, depending on land use type. This research was conducted under the state assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (No. FGUR-2022-0018).
During the working session, the World Mollisols Association presented awards to distinguished researchers. Dr. V.M. Semenov, Doctor of Biological Sciences and Chief Researcher at the Federal Research Center Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, received an honorary award for his outstanding contributions to the study of organic matter in gray forest and chernozem soils. Prof. Richard Cruse from Iowa State University and Prof. Zhiyi Zhang from Heilongjiang University were also honored.
On July 22 and 23, the participants visited the Agro-Ecosystem Experimental Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hailong. On the first day, they observed experiments simulating global warming (increased temperatures and CO₂ concentrations) to assess the long-term effects on soils and agroecosystems. Other experiments focused on the long-term application of organic fertilizers, monitoring CO₂ emissions, and examining how crop rotation and land-use practices influence Mollisol properties.
The second day was dedicated to discussions on soil erosion and anti-erosion strategies. A key regional issue identified was gully erosion. Chinese researchers demonstrated various hydraulic structures designed to prevent gully expansion, stabilize slopes, and fill shallow gullies several kilometers long but only 2 meters deep. They also presented experiments on no-till farming on erosion-prone slopes, runoff sites equipped with automatic sediment samplers, and studies on crop yields from soils with different erosion levels and fertilizer rates.
A short video about visiting the Station can be viewed on the website: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/
On July 24 and 25, thematic group discussions were held on current issues related to Mollisol degradation and potential avenues for international collaboration. Mikhail Semenov was invited to the Mollisol Agroecology Laboratory at the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The laboratory has collected Mollisol samples from several countries, including China, the USA, Argentina, Ukraine, and Australia. At the organizers' request, staff from the Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute brought a sample of typical chernozem from the Kursk region of Russia. An in-depth discussion followed on a long-term international experiment examining the impact of global warming on microbial communities and organic matter stability in chernozems and chernozem-like soils. Semenov proposed modifications to the experimental design by incorporating several microbiological indicators successfully used in his laboratory’s previous research. The outcomes of these experiments will contribute to identifying mechanisms for carbon stabilization and sequestration in agricultural chernozems. The findings will also support the implementation of the national project, Unified National System for Monitoring Climate-Active Substances (Consortium No. 4, "Carbon in Ecosystems: Monitoring," Agreement No. VIP GZ/24-4, March 11, 2024).
