SBR-9511627 Martin I. Hoffert, Principal Investigator (PI) Andrei Lapenis, Co-PI New York University Understanding Atmosphere-Soil Interactions - A Pilot Study of Historic Russian Soils Archived samples of soils located at the Russian Academy of Forestry in St. Petersburg are well documented and in exceptionally good condition after a century of storage. US and Russian investigators will identify samples from the collection and corresponding sites for future studies on soil dynamics in relation to post-industrial atmosphere-soil interactions. Atmosphere-soil interactions targeted for study include carbon cycling, acid rain deposition and effects on buffering capacities of soils, and atmospheric contaminants of the post-industrial era. The approach is to establish a suite of samples and corresponding collection sites along a climate/soil gradient that can be revisited in 1996/1997. Selecting samples along a gradient enhances understanding of processes that control atmosphere-soil interactions such as how rates of carbon turnover vary along a precipitation gradient. This pilot project will ascertain the condition of selected samples, availability of documentation on corresponding sites from which the samples are believed to have been taken, and the condition of the corresponding sites.
