Scientists from St Petersburg University find that bamboo slows soil degradation on the Kuril Islands

The Kuril Islands are among the most underexplored territories in Russia from a biological point of view. This is explained by the remoteness and inaccessibility of the territories, and by the presence of specific (unique to these landscapes) environmental and other conditions. According to scientists from St Petersburg University, the unique vegetation of the islands is of great interest to researchers today.

The research findings are published in the scientific journal Contemporary Problems of Ecology.

Plant communities develop in the area of low population density and low economic development, which is why fir, spruce, elm-maple, maple-oak forests, and thickets of dwarf pine and Sargent’s juniper have preserved in the mountains and on the rocks. Such a combination of natural complexes is rare.

According to the scientists, due to the geographical location of the Kuril Islands, their flora is similar to that of Eurasia, Australia and America. These territories are characterised by the widespread development of Sasa meadows — bamboo thickets, which are an integral part of the dark coniferous forest vegetation in the southern Kuril Islands, in the southern part of Sakhalin, and in Japan.

Previously, scientists from St Petersburg University, supported by a grant from the Russian Geographical Society, had conducted extensive geoecological assessment of the islands of Iturup, Kunashir and Shikotan, assessing the resistance of landscapes to anthropogenic impacts. They found that bamboo thickets play a key role in preventing exogenous geological processes such as soil erosion and degradation.

According to the University researchers, the modern flora of the Kuril Islands was formed under the influence of natural processes related to climatic features, ocean influence, volcanic activity, and anthropogenic impacts. The vegetation cover on the islands surveyed is disturbed to varying degrees, with the greatest disturbance on Shikotan, where forests were heavily felled by the Japanese in the first half of the 20th century. Anthropogenic transformation was recorded on about 30% of the area.

It is in such damaged areas, mainly on the sites of felling and fires, that several species of bamboo thickets can be found: largely Sasa senanensis and Sasa kurilensis. The former becomes the key edificator in areas previously occupied by native spruce, fir and mixed broad-leaved forests.

The formation of bamboo thickets, apochorous plant species present in small numbers in natural conditions and developing preferentially under anthropogenic disturbance, is a natural stage in the development of plant communities in the southern Kuril Islands, characteristic of phytocoenosis restoration stages after felling and fires. This process prevents soil degradation and restores forest stands in areas of continuous overgrowth.

‘Bamboo thickets are the most resistant to various mechanical impacts due to their high vegetative activity and hardiness. Additionally, Sasa sp. (Latin name of the genus bamboo) thickets firmly hold the soil with their roots and prevent erosion and trampling. Weeds cannot «penetrate» bamboo thickets, whose projective cover is up to 100%. However, it should be noted that bamboo thickets are susceptible to fires, so special care should be taken when organising tourism in nearby areas,’ said Marina Opekunova, the main author of the study, Professor in the Department of Geoecology at St Petersburg University.

Marina Opekuniva also noted that bamboo, which is a natural part of the flora of mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests, quickly occupies the vacated spaces and becomes dominant due to its high growth rate and biomass accumulation.

This is one of the reasons why bamboo cannot be used to prevent soil degradation in other areas. The researchers have found that the introduction of alien species into the plant community can have serious consequences in terms of biological contamination.

St Petersburg University, the oldest university in Russia, was founded on 28 January (8 February) 1724. This is the day when Peter the Great issued a decree establishing the University and the Russian Academy of Sciences. Today, St Petersburg University is an internationally recognised centre for education, research and culture. In 2024, St Petersburg University celebrates its 300th anniversary.

The plan of events during the celebration of the anniversary of the University was approved at the meeting of the Organising Committee for the celebration of St Petersburg University’s 300th anniversary. The meeting was chaired by Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. Among the events are: the naming of a minor planet in honour of St Petersburg University; the issuance of bank cards with a special design; and the branding of the aircraft of the Rossiya Airlines to name just a few. To mark the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg University, a postage stamp depicting the Twelve Collegia building and the monument to Count Sergey Uvarov was issued. Also, a Soyuz rocket bearing the symbols of the University was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

By the decision of the Governor of St Petersburg Alexander Beglov, 2024 is a year of the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg University in St Petersburg. On the day of the University’s 300th anniversary torches were lit on the Rostral Columns on the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. St Petersburg University flags were raised on the Palace Bridge. The city public transport was decorated with the University’s symbols. During St Petersburg’s City Day celebrations in May 2024, St Petersburg University acted as a participating venue. Additionally, the University has launched a website dedicated to the anniversary. The website contains information about outstanding University staff, students, and alumni; scientific achievements; and details of events held as part of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the University.