Mikhail Blinnikov
Saint Cloud State University, Geography and Planning, Faculty Member
Phytolith analysis uses tiny silica particles of specific shapes, which are produced by certain plant taxa and get deposited in soil, to reconstruct plant community history. Along with better known pollen analysis, phytolith analysis... more
Phytolith analysis uses tiny silica particles of specific shapes, which are produced by certain plant taxa and get deposited in soil, to reconstruct plant community history. Along with better known pollen analysis, phytolith analysis allows studying the history of establishment of ecosystems, improves our understanding of vegetation dynamics, provides insights into the possible future of ecosystem development. Phytolith analysis becomes a new and powerful tool in paleoecology, providing additional data about qualitative and quantitative composition of the plant communities in the past.
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The Beganchik locality is a stratigraphic sequence of loessic deposits, pedogenic horizons and Paleolithic occupations located at the Kama-Volga confluence. The sequence is exposed on a bluff formed on the west side of an erosional... more
The Beganchik locality is a stratigraphic sequence of loessic deposits, pedogenic horizons and Paleolithic occupations located at the Kama-Volga confluence. The sequence is exposed on a bluff formed on the west side of an erosional remnant between the Kuybyshev Reservoir and the former channel of the Aktay River. Although the site is known for its Terminal Paleolithic-Mesolithic occupations of the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, evidence of older occupations and remains of fauna has been identified. Our research team identified evidence of human presence associated with a pedogenic horizon of MIS 3 age. Two AMS radiocarbon ages from a hearth produced ages around 47 000 years BP. Pollen and phytoliths from two soils horizons, including the one associated with the hearths indicate a steppe environment coincident with the formation of correlative soils elsewhere in the Russian Plain.
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We investigated 120 assemblages of phytoliths from modern top soils of 40 different plant communities of Northern and Western Altay region of Russia. The samples were collected from elevations between 360 m and 2360 m above sea level.... more
We investigated 120 assemblages of phytoliths from modern top soils of 40 different plant communities of Northern and Western Altay region of Russia. The samples were collected from elevations between 360 m and 2360 m above sea level. Using statistical analyses, it was discovered that many communities produce sufficiently distinct assemblages based on standard morphotypes. Specifically we studied 6 kinds of forests (larch, spruce, fir, pine, cedar pine and birch-dominated), 3 kinds of steppes (true, meadow and petrophytic), 5 kinds of meadows (steppe-like, upland dry, wet floodplain, subalpine, alpine), alpine tundra, and mountain shrubland communities. The communities were not evenly sampled, with more redundancy in some types than in others. Using PCA, it was possible to reveal the few morphotypes most responsible for distinguishing different communities, e.g., low conical rondels, rondel sum, long cell sum, lanceolate cells with massive base, and bulliform cell sum.
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Gigon (1987) suggested that in the alpine zone, environmental factors may play a leading role in excluding certain plant species from the less productive habitats (e.g., alpine heaths), while interspecific competition may play a more... more
Gigon (1987) suggested that in the alpine zone, environmental factors may play a leading role in excluding certain plant species from the less productive habitats (e.g., alpine heaths), while interspecific competition may play a more important role in the more productive habitats, e.g., in the alpine grasslands and meadows. Despite some recent contributions to the assessment of the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors along productivity gradients (Grace 1993, Keddy et al. 1994, Wilson & Tilman 1995, Goldberg & Novoplatsky 1997), Gigon’s hypothesis has not been tested with direct experiments.
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We propose a non-steady state model of the global temperature change. The model describes Earth’s surface temperature dynamics under main climate forcing. The equations were derived from basic physical relationships and detailed... more
We propose a non-steady state model of the global temperature change. The model describes Earth’s surface temperature dynamics under main climate forcing. The equations were derived from basic physical relationships and detailed assessment of the numeric parameters used in the model. It shows an accurate fit with observed changes in the surface mean annual temperature (MAT) for the past 116 years. Using our model, we analyze the future global temperature change under scenarios of drastic reductions of CO2. The presence of non-linear feed-backs in the model indicates on the possibility of exceeding two degrees threshold even under the carbon dioxide drastic reduction scenario. We discuss the risks associated with such warming and evaluate possible benefits of developing CO2-absorbing deciduous tree plantations in the boreal zone of Northern Hemisphere.
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The article presents the results of analysis of the phytolith composition of cereals in the Northern Altai. Some 23 species of Poaceae have been studied. For each species, we analyzed a set of silicon particles in leaves, stems, and... more
The article presents the results of analysis of the phytolith composition of cereals in the Northern Altai. Some 23 species of Poaceae have been studied. For each species, we analyzed a set of silicon particles in leaves, stems, and generative structures. We selected from 22 to 27 significant morphotypes of phytoliths, depending on their morphological affinity. Our results were compared with the wetting factor. We also analyzed the ratio of the composition of phytoliths of cereals and their ecological (edaphotopic) groups and life forms. We founded the correlations between several morphotypes of cereal phytoliths and life forms with optimum species moistening.
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The morphological analysis of plant species is necessary for a detailed study of important features of plant communities, such as plant adaptations, plant interactions and community structure (Raunkiaer 1934, Zaugol’nova et al. 1991,... more
The morphological analysis of plant species is necessary for a detailed study of important features of plant communities, such as plant adaptations, plant interactions and community structure (Raunkiaer 1934, Zaugol’nova et al. 1991, Pokarzhevskaya & Onipchenko 1995).
The article describes the results of investigations of the sub-recent assemblages of silica phytoliths in top soils of various modern plant communities of the Middle Volga region in Tatarstan, Samarskaya and Ulyanovskaya oblasts conducted... more
The article describes the results of investigations of the sub-recent assemblages of silica phytoliths in top soils of various modern plant communities of the Middle Volga region in Tatarstan, Samarskaya and Ulyanovskaya oblasts conducted in 2017–2020. Counts of various phytolith morphotypes from 40 samples suggest a relatively low level of vegetation community specificity as revealed by multivariate statistical analyses. Nevertheless, coniferous and mixed forests can be distinguished based on the presence of a suite of conifer phytoliths, while steppes can be identified based on high proportion of rondels. Deciduous forests of the region can be detected based on high proportion of straight elongates and acutous bulbosus (trichome) type. Some matchings are made to 10 archaeological samples from various strata and ages across the region. Such samples reveal high proportion of cultured grass phytoliths and are most similar to steppes or agricultural assemblages in the modern dataset.
Porteresia coarctata (Roxb.) Tateoka is a true halophytic perennial wild grass that grows profusely along newly formed, highly saline landmasses and mudflats in the coastal mangroves of the Indian subcontinent and acts as a pioneer... more
Porteresia coarctata (Roxb.) Tateoka is a true halophytic perennial wild grass that grows profusely along newly formed, highly saline landmasses and mudflats in the coastal mangroves of the Indian subcontinent and acts as a pioneer species in mangrove succession. Comprehensive phytolith analyses on sixteen P. coarctata samples collected from different swampy mangrove locations of four mangrove forests (Sundarbans, Bhitarkanika, Godavari and Krishna) along the Indian east coast show the significant and exclusive presence of a new specialized RONDEL having four distinct horns with flat base (named henceforth as RONDEL FOUR HORNED). Significant numbers of this morphotype have also been recorded in the surface sediment samples collected from these swampy mangrove sites. The RONDEL FOUR HORNED is a diagnostic phytolith morphotype of P. coarctata and a useful indicator of coastal swampy or intertidal mangroves of the Indian east coast. This morphotype was then used to identify past coasta...
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Moscow, Russia is the largest city in Europe with over 12.6 million residents. The remarkable fact is that it is also a biologically diverse ecosystem with a few dozen specially protected natural areas, including 15 large forest parks and... more
Moscow, Russia is the largest city in Europe with over 12.6 million residents. The remarkable fact is that it is also a biologically diverse ecosystem with a few dozen specially protected natural areas, including 15 large forest parks and a variety of smaller nature-places. The recent landscaping “improvements” conducted by the Moscow government since 2010 greatly increased negative impacts on the green infrastructure, e.g., a lot more paving, systematic grass mowing, widespread planting of exotic plant species, increased residential and commercial construction, more noise, etc. While quantification of the impacts of the above on the biota is not easy, we offer some insights into the changes over the last 10 years with respect to birds, insects, and plants within a few green spaces inside the city beltway. We then proceed to analyze these changes from the political ecology perspectives by looking at what Moscow residents feel and how they interact with the now more controlled nature...
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The article presents results of studies of silica phytoliths in seven species of Cyperaceae and two species of Juncaceae from Western Siberia. The participation of different morphotypes in the total phytolith assemblage was calculated as... more
The article presents results of studies of silica phytoliths in seven species of Cyperaceae and two species of Juncaceae from Western Siberia. The participation of different morphotypes in the total phytolith assemblage was calculated as percentages. The analysis of the specificity of different forms of silicification was carried out. Keywords: Carex; Cyperaceae; Juncaceae; Juncus; Luzula; phytoliths; monocotyledons References: Blackman, E. (1971). Opaline silica bodies in the range grasses of southern Alberta. Canadian Journal of Botany, 49, 769-781. DOI: 10.1139/b2012-070. Blinnikov, M. (2005). Phytoliths in plants and soils of the interior Pacific Northwest, USA. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 135, 71-98. DOI: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2005.02.006. Bobrov, A. A., Semenov, A. N., & Alexeev, Yu. E. (2016). Phytoliths of species some genera of the family Cyperaceae. Environmental dynamics and global climate change, 7(1), 27-33 (in Russian). Gol'eva, A. A. (2001). Phytoliths and...
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The spatial distribution of 14 species of the orchid family (Orchidaceae) was studied at the left bank of the Koynikha River (Iskitimskiy District, Novosibirsk Region, Russia). Four species are listed in the Russian Federation Red Data... more
The spatial distribution of 14 species of the orchid family (Orchidaceae) was studied at the left bank of the Koynikha River (Iskitimskiy District, Novosibirsk Region, Russia). Four species are listed in the Russian Federation Red Data Book, four are listed in the Novosibirsk Region Red Data Book. The number of individual plants is sufficient to ensure the long-term viability of each red-listed orchid population. What is apparently one of the largest populations of Cypripedium macranthos in the region is described (up to 5,000 individuals). Some of the orchids discovered require further study, namely interspecific hybrids of Dactylorhiza and Gymnadenia and distinctive floral developmental morphs of Platanthera. Аpplying the international criteria for allocation of an “Important Plant Area”, we nominate a new one for South Siberia. Based on the analysis of plant species composition of protected areas in Novosibirsk Region, we conclude that in situ preservation of orchids in the regio...
Opal phytoliths, as silicon dioxide inclusions, are abundant in different parts of a plant. It is known that grasses are the most representative in this respect. The research of phytoliths, removed from 25 most common grass species in the... more
Opal phytoliths, as silicon dioxide inclusions, are abundant in different parts of a plant. It is known that grasses are the most representative in this respect. The research of phytoliths, removed from 25 most common grass species in the arid and semiarid lands of the Junggar Basin and adjacent areas, has been undertaken. The visual estimation of diversity and variability of silica cells and identification of their morphological types (patterns) were also the aim of our research. Since the work is preliminary, we have emphasized on the visual estimation of silica cell variability and involved only the leaf blades in the analysis. Drawings of the revealed silica cells, characteristic of 25 species, are provided. The sig-nificant morphological diversity of phytoliths has been revealed, as well as their taxonomic similarity at the level of subfamilies. These data can be used for the identification of phytoliths from sediments.
Introduction: Russia and Post-Soviet Northern Eurasia. Part 1. Physical Geography. Relief and Hydrography. Climate. Biomes. Environmental Degradation and Conservation. Part 2. History and Politics. Formation of the Russian State. The... more
Introduction: Russia and Post-Soviet Northern Eurasia. Part 1. Physical Geography. Relief and Hydrography. Climate. Biomes. Environmental Degradation and Conservation. Part 2. History and Politics. Formation of the Russian State. The Soviet Legacy. Post-Soviet Reforms. The Geopolitical Position of Russia in the World. Part 3. Cultural and Social Geography. Demographics and Population Distribution. Cities and Villages. Social Issues. Health, Wealth, Poverty, and Crime. Cultures and Languages. Religion, Diet, and Dress. Education, Arts, Sciences, and Sports. Tourism. Part 4. Economics. Oil, Gas, and Other Energy Sources. Heavy Industry and the Military Complex. Light Industry and Consumer Goods. Fruits of the Earth: Agriculture, Hunting, Fishing, and Forestry. Infrastructure and Services. Part 5. Regional Geography of Russia and Other FSU States. Central Russia: The Heart of the Country. Russia's Northwest: Fishing, Timber, and Culture. The Volga: Cars, Food, and Energy. The Cauca...
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The Beganchik locality is a stratigraphic sequence of loessic deposits, pedogenic horizons and Paleolithic occupations located at the Kama-Volga confluence. The sequence is exposed on a bluff formed on the west side of an erosional... more
The Beganchik locality is a stratigraphic sequence of loessic deposits, pedogenic horizons and Paleolithic occupations located at the Kama-Volga confluence. The sequence is exposed on a bluff formed on the west side of an erosional remnant between the Kuybyshev Reservoir and the former channel of the Aktay River. Although the site is known for its Terminal Paleolithic-Mesolithic occupations of the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, evidence of older occupations and remains of fauna has been identified. Our research team identified evidence of human presence associated with a pedogenic horizon of MIS 3 age. Two AMS radiocarbon ages from a hearth produced ages around 47 000 years BP. Pollen and phytoliths from two soils horizons, including the one associated with the hearths indicate a steppe environment coincident with the formation of correlative soils elsewhere in the Russian Plain.
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The development of landscapes of the central part of the Middle-Volga region in the last 2500 years was a discontinuous process of the explosive growth of population and land utilization alternating with stages of depopulation and... more
The development of landscapes of the central part of the Middle-Volga region in the last 2500 years was a discontinuous process of the explosive growth of population and land utilization alternating with stages of depopulation and desolation. The periods of depopulation and transitions of cultures occurred at similar times to climate changes. Some cultures were associated with distinct climatic episodes, such as the association of the Dark Ages Cold Period with Hun, post Hun, Heraldic, and Khasarian times, and the Medival Warm Period with the time of Volga Bulgaria. A combination of archaeological and paleoecological analyses allowed us to reconstruct a sequence of landscape and land use changes in relation to the historical development of the region. The first millennium CE was a time of major changes in population, agricultural technologies, social structure, and settlement patterns in the forest-steppe zone. The Middle Volga region underwent a transition from a non-populated, mainly forested landscape of first centuries CE to a highly deforested agricultural landscape of the Volga Bulgarian state by the 11th century CE. Within several centuries, the landscape was transformed by shifting cultivation, wood and ore extraction, and the formation and expansion of pastures and road networks. The process of deforestation in the region was facilitated by the relatively warm climates of the Medieval Warm Period.
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With the advancement of spatial analysis and remote sensing technology, potentially devastating forest pathogens can be managed through spatial modeling. This study used Maxent, a presence-only species-distribution model, to map the... more
With the advancement of spatial analysis and remote sensing technology, potentially devastating forest pathogens can be managed through spatial modeling. This study used Maxent, a presence-only species-distribution model, to map the potential probability distribution of the invasive forest pathogen oak wilt (Bretziella fagacearum) in eastern and southeastern Minnesota. The model related oak wilt occurrence data to environmental variables including climate, topography, land cover, soil, and population density. Results showed that areas with the highest probability of oak wilt occur within and surrounding the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. The jackknife test of variable importance indicated land cover and soil type as important variables contributing to the prediction of the distribution. Multiple methods of analysis showed that the model performed better than random at predicting the occurrence of oak wilt. This study shows Maxent’s potential as an accurate tool in the early...
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In 2013 Minnesota had 151 active Tuberculosis cases, which is the rate of 28 cases per 100,000 people. Of the 87 counties, 24% reported at least one new case of Tuberculosis that year. Sixty of the cases occurred among Blacks and about... more
In 2013 Minnesota had 151 active Tuberculosis cases, which is the rate of 28 cases per 100,000 people. Of the 87 counties, 24% reported at least one new case of Tuberculosis that year. Sixty of the cases occurred among Blacks and about 95% of the cases were among foreign-born. In general, the vast majority Minnesota patients diagnosed with TB are foreign born, approximately 80%. In 2013, 123 cases Tuberculosis were reported among foreign born persons from 23 different countries. 47% of the foreign born patients were from Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2013 about 14% of foreign born persons were diagnosed within 12 months after arriving in the United States. 58% of the Minnesota cases had the disease exclusively in the lungs known as Pulmonary reported had Tuberculosis disease exclusively in the lungs known as Pulmonary Tuberculosis. In the United States factors that contribute to Tuberculosis in the Somali Community in Minnesota include but not limited to poverty, overcrowding, and limited ...
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Climate simulations for the Last Glacial Maximum using general circulation models typically show a glacial anticyclone that produced an easterly wind anomaly south of the North American ice sheets. Evidence of this phenomenon has not been... more
Climate simulations for the Last Glacial Maximum using general circulation models typically show a glacial anticyclone that produced an easterly wind anomaly south of the North American ice sheets. Evidence of this phenomenon has not been found in eolian sedimentary deposits that record surface wind patterns. Luminescence ages of loess and accompanying paleoecologic records from opal phytoliths and paleosol units across the Columbia Plateau, Washington State, United States, document a decrease, up to fivefold, in regional dust production and accumulation from 35 ka to 15 ka. This interval corresponds to simulations indicating that a glacial anticyclone weakened prevailing south-southwesterly winds that have shaped the eolian landscape of the Columbia Plateau since at least 75 ka. At the same time that the glacial anticyclone suppressed dust production and accumulation, enhanced cold and dry conditions resulted in soil formation dominated by intense bioturbation in periglacial steppe accompanied by shallow calcium carbonate precipitation. This is the first evidence from eolian deposits in North America verifying that the glacial anticyclone altered surface wind patterns and affected eolian systems during the Last Glacial Maximum.