AGRO-LANDSCAPE OF THE LOWER VOLGA REGION IN THE XVIII-XX CENTURIES ACCORDING TO THE DATA OF PALEOSURFACE STUDIES

The agricultural landscapes of the Lower Volga region underwent changes during the late Holocene as a result of the impact of natural and anthropogenic factors. The change of climatic conditions and soil-forming processes were imposed on the construction of settlements and agricultural use of land in the XVIII century, as well as on the construction of reservoirs on the Volga in the XX century. The medieval climatic optimum was characterized by humid conditions of soil formation in the steppe and dry steppe zones, which contributed to the flourishing of the Golden Horde settlements, the salinization of steppe soils and favored agriculture. The small ice Age that followed it from the XVI century led to the decline of settlements and negative soil processes. The soils and cultural layers of the settlements of the Volga Germans who occupied these territories in the XVIII century are characterized by an increase in morphological signs of salinity and salinity in the content of carbonates. In addition, due to climatic changes and the consequences of forest destruction, soil erosion has intensified. The intensification of slope and landslide processes as a result of the construction of reservoirs on the Volga in the XX century led to increased degradation of settlements and rural landscapes of the Right Bank.