State Scientific
Agricultural Library Ukrainian
Academy Agrarian Sciences
Kyiv, Ukraine
V.
Vernadskiy's first achievements of science in Ukraine
V.I.
Vernadskiy carried out soil research in Ukraine in 1884 for the first time. He
had a great interest in the activity of rainy worm and published his article
«Itinerary notes about soils of river Chaplinka basin in Novomoscow district
Ekaterinoslav province» in the pages of the «Works of Free Economic
Association» by the Dokuchaev's
recommendation. This article was an object of quoting as the unique research
about the animals influence on the soils by many zoologists.
Vernadskiy
began to research soils in Poltava province. They included search in geology
and vegetation of the district. Dokuchaev together with young Vernadskiy
carried out tests in Poltava and Kremenchug provinces.
The
scientist researched geological texture, soils, natural conditions of
Kremenchug province. As a result he published his essay in the «Works of
expedition» (15th issue) with the province soil map. V.I. Vernadskiy
took part in making general soil map of Poltava province on scale 10 versts to
1 inch (1:420000). He studied the influence of hamsters on the soils and published his search results in the
«Works of Soil Committee». It had organized as the part of Free Economic
Association by soil scientist Dokuchaev.
He
gifted to Poltava Museum of local lore the archaeological map with mapped
tumuli and some sculptures that he brought to the province. Dokuchaev was the
initiator of the Museum creation, and Vernadskiy played a major role in its
organization. V.I. Vernadskiy had directly special and great interest
concerning the role of living organisms in origin and development of soils.
Later these features had got the brightest development in his activity.
Vernadskiys'
work with the description of mechanic texture, features of dividing processes
and soil genesis in Kremenchug province was published in 1892 in «The Materials
of Marking the Soils in Poltava Province». It consisted of 16 volumes and 2
soil maps.
A new
methodology of soil studying and the role of living substance in soil formation
are the main objects of Vernadskiy's work about Poltava soils. The scientists
suggested that the importance of live organisms as the elements of soil
formation in the steppes had paid an attention to serious studying. It should
be based on the live biological search in different seasons and could not be
been the result of usual soil researches.
Vernadskiy
formed his point of view of gyps creation and formation of sandy black earth on
the slopes during his search.
Young
scientist's original opinions about the origin, chemistry and stages of saline
soils had been formed during the investigations of Kremenchug soils.
V.I.
Vernadskiy considered the question about the influence of salts solutions on
the silicates and clays that had been collided with them. He had drawn his
conclusion about saline soils as the soils that had been changed by the salts
solutions. They were formed by the dissoluble magnesium, sodium and other
silica salts. They could loose some salts but at that time stayed saline.
It
should be observed that during V.I. Vernadskiy's writing the fundamental work
in Ukraine ‑ in Shishaki, Poltava, Kiev (1916-1919), later Crimea, - he
wanted to wide and published some aspects as the articles. The local problem
could be very important concerning the scientific role. And author had natural
desire to present to scientific public the results of his researches as quickly
as possible. His original work «The Role of Live Organisms in the Soils
Formation» was born in these conditions.
The
scientist V.I. Vernadskiy briefly outlined the main directions of living
organisms' influence on the processes of soil formation. He analysed their
different functions in soil formation and presented wide search program. There
were the notion of the live substance as the totality of organisms according to
their weigh, mass, chemical composition and energy that they contained. The principle
of chemical analysis of search living substance were argued and compared with
another masses - water, air, minerals and rocks by V.I. Vernadskiy.
The
article contained a lot of other ideas. They are important for the modern
theoretical and practical soil science. Among them is the elucidation the
influence ways of live substance on the soils. It should be marked that mainly
V.I. Vernadskiy went to the biogeochemistry through the soil science. Soil paid
scientists' attention as the powerful biogeochemical laboratory.
The
scientist considered the influence of forms of live matter's manifestation on
soil science. It transformed chemical soil processes in biochemical and
disturbed the balance of power. Living substance mainly influenced on soil
fine-grained and brittling. The soil scientist explained the action of live
matter as growing shallow and good scolding of soil parts as a result after
physiologic and biochemical processes. It had geochemical meaning and
influenced on dispersion chemical elements in the biosphere. Observing animals
activity in these processes, V.I. Vernadskiy paid attention to such an
important ecological question as vertical migration of soil inhabitants in view
of daily earth's revolution and season of the year.