Alexandra Golyeva is the leading researcher of soil phytoliths in Russia

• Post by: Admin
• January 31, 2025
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Biographical information.

Alexandra Golyeva was born on October 11, 1958 in Syktyvkar in the family of a prominent soil scientist – I. V. Zaboeva. She graduated from the Soil Faculty of Moscow University. In 1987, she defended her candidate’s dissertation “Opal bioliths of podzolic soils of the middle taiga” under the supervision of academician G. V. Dobrovolsky. In 2006, she defended her doctoral dissertation “Microbiomorphic complexes of soil-landscape systems: genesis, geography, information role”.

 

Microbiomorphology of soils

Alexandra Golyeva has substantiated a new direction of soil morphogenesis research — microbiomorphology. The methodological basis of the research is microbiomorphic analysis based on the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of microscopic biogenic residues (phytoliths, detritus, diatoms, coal, etc.). Special attention in the works of Alexandra Golyeva is paid to the qualitative and quantitative distribution of phytoliths in the soil.

 

Landscape evolution and archeology

Alexandra Golyeva has published more than 300 articles and monographs (personal and collective) on landscape evolution, archeology and paleopedology. Her recent research has focused on the following topics: paleolandscape evolution in Western part of the eastern European Plain, paleopedological and microbiomorphological study of Medieval Kurgans in Moscow Region, Microbiomorphic analysis in the study of the late glacial natural environment, formation of a «Pink horizont» in varved glays of the Onega Ice Lake, Anthropogenic transformations of the landscapes of the Eastern Crimea in the ancient era. Alexandra Golyeva’s work involves constant expeditions.

 

 

Training young researchers

Most modern phytoliths researchers in Russia are learners of Alexandra Golyeva. She has a great influence on researchers from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Barnaul, Krasnoyarsk and other cities of Russia. A. Golyeva was elected as the Chairperson of the Russian Association of Phytolith Researchers in 2016.