‘The Environmental History of the Steppe in a Global Perspective’

David Moon

‘The Environmental History of the Steppe in a Global Perspective’

History

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

Abstract. This paper considers the importance of borderland
regions with environments that differ from the central regions of
states in the development of innovations in conceptualizing the
relationship between human societies and the ‘natural’ world. The
steppe in the south of the Russian Empire is taken as an example.
It is argued that there were three phases to the development of new
understandings of the Steppe environment: encounter and recognition
of difference; exploration and scientific research; and innovation. The
principal innovations considered are genetic soil science, devised by
Vasilii Dokuchaev in the 1870s-80s, and methods of cultivating the
soil to retain scarce moisture, known as dry farming. The article also
considers the transformation of the steppe environment as a result of
wholesale ploughing up over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The significance of the steppe borderland is analyzed in comparison
with the American Great Plains, which borrowed innovations from the
steppe, and European colonialism around the globe.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Ekologicheskaya istorii v Rossii
Subtitle of host publication	Etapy stanovleniia i perspektivnye napravleniia issledovanii. Materialy mezhdunarodnoi konferentsii (g. Elabuga, 13-15 noyabrya 2014 g.)
Editors	E.E. Merzon
Place of Publication	Elabuga, Tatarstan, Russian Federation
Publisher	Izdatel'svo Elabuzhskogo instituta KFU
Pages	8-31
Number of pages	23
ISBN (Print)	978-5-600-00830-4
Publication status	Published - 2014
Event	Environmental History in Russia, Elabuga Institute, Kazan’ Federal University, Tatarstan, Russia, 13-15 November 2014 - Elabuga Institute, Kazan' Federal University, Elabuga, Russian Federation Duration: 13 Nov 2014 → 15 Nov 2014

Conference

Conference	Environmental History in Russia, Elabuga Institute, Kazan’ Federal University, Tatarstan, Russia, 13-15 November 2014
Country/Territory	Russian Federation
City	Elabuga
Period	13/11/14 → 15/11/14

Keywords

Russia, environmental history, steppe, soil science, dry farming

3 Seminar/workshop/course
1 Invited talk
1 Lecture
1 Public lecture

“The Amerikan steppe (Американская степь): Influences from Russia and Ukraine on the Great Plains, 1870s-1930s”, “Sunday-Afternoon-at-the-Museum”, Kauffman Museum, N. Newton, Kansas, USA
Moon, D. (Invited speaker)
28 May 2017
Activity: Talk or presentation › Public lecture
‘The Amerikan Steppe (Американская степь): Influences from the Russian Empire and USSR on the Great Plains, 1870s-1930s’, Dept of History, National Research University-Higher School of Economics, St Petersburg, Russia, 20 March 2017.
Moon, D. (Invited speaker)
20 Mar 2017
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
Centre for Russian Studies, School of Slavonic and East European Studies
Moon, D. (Invited speaker)
2 Nov 2015
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Seminar/workshop/course

2 Finished

Exploring Russia's Environmental History
Moon, D. (Principal investigator)
15/07/13 → 14/09/16
Project: Research project (funded) › Research
From the Steppes to the Great Plains: A Study in Transnational Environmental History
Moon, D. (Principal investigator)
THE BRITISH ACADEMY
1/07/12 → 30/09/14
Project: Research project (funded) › Research

Cite this

Moon, David. / ‘The Environmental History of the Steppe in a Global Perspective’. Ekologicheskaya istorii v Rossii: Etapy stanovleniia i perspektivnye napravleniia issledovanii. Materialy mezhdunarodnoi konferentsii (g. Elabuga, 13-15 noyabrya 2014 g.) . editor / E.E. Merzon. Elabuga, Tatarstan, Russian Federation : Izdatel'svo Elabuzhskogo instituta KFU, 2014. pp. 8-31

@inproceedings{fdfa4e7d43574c76b42c6008ce981549,

title = "{\textquoteleft}The Environmental History of the Steppe in a Global Perspective{\textquoteright}",

abstract = "Abstract. This paper considers the importance of borderlandregions with environments that differ from the central regions ofstates in the development of innovations in conceptualizing therelationship between human societies and the {\textquoteleft}natural{\textquoteright} world. Thesteppe in the south of the Russian Empire is taken as an example.It is argued that there were three phases to the development of newunderstandings of the Steppe environment: encounter and recognitionof difference; exploration and scientific research; and innovation. Theprincipal innovations considered are genetic soil science, devised byVasilii Dokuchaev in the 1870s-80s, and methods of cultivating thesoil to retain scarce moisture, known as dry farming. The article alsoconsiders the transformation of the steppe environment as a result ofwholesale ploughing up over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.The significance of the steppe borderland is analyzed in comparisonwith the American Great Plains, which borrowed innovations from thesteppe, and European colonialism around the globe.",

keywords = "Russia, environmental history, steppe, soil science, dry farming",

author = "David Moon",

year = "2014",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-5-600-00830-4",

pages = "8--31",

editor = "E.E. Merzon",

booktitle = "Ekologicheskaya istorii v Rossii",

publisher = "Izdatel'svo Elabuzhskogo instituta KFU",

note = "Environmental History in Russia, Elabuga Institute, Kazan{\textquoteright} Federal University, Tatarstan, Russia, 13-15 November 2014 ; Conference date: 13-11-2014 Through 15-11-2014",

}

Moon, D 2014, ‘The Environmental History of the Steppe in a Global Perspective’. in EE Merzon (ed.), Ekologicheskaya istorii v Rossii: Etapy stanovleniia i perspektivnye napravleniia issledovanii. Materialy mezhdunarodnoi konferentsii (g. Elabuga, 13-15 noyabrya 2014 g.) . Izdatel'svo Elabuzhskogo instituta KFU, Elabuga, Tatarstan, Russian Federation, pp. 8-31, Environmental History in Russia, Elabuga Institute, Kazan’ Federal University, Tatarstan, Russia, 13-15 November 2014, Elabuga, Russian Federation, 13/11/14.

‘The Environmental History of the Steppe in a Global Perspective’. / Moon, David.
Ekologicheskaya istorii v Rossii: Etapy stanovleniia i perspektivnye napravleniia issledovanii. Materialy mezhdunarodnoi konferentsii (g. Elabuga, 13-15 noyabrya 2014 g.) . ed. / E.E. Merzon. Elabuga, Tatarstan, Russian Federation: Izdatel'svo Elabuzhskogo instituta KFU, 2014. p. 8-31.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

TY - GEN

T1 - ‘The Environmental History of the Steppe in a Global Perspective’

AU - Moon, David

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Abstract. This paper considers the importance of borderlandregions with environments that differ from the central regions ofstates in the development of innovations in conceptualizing therelationship between human societies and the ‘natural’ world. Thesteppe in the south of the Russian Empire is taken as an example.It is argued that there were three phases to the development of newunderstandings of the Steppe environment: encounter and recognitionof difference; exploration and scientific research; and innovation. Theprincipal innovations considered are genetic soil science, devised byVasilii Dokuchaev in the 1870s-80s, and methods of cultivating thesoil to retain scarce moisture, known as dry farming. The article alsoconsiders the transformation of the steppe environment as a result ofwholesale ploughing up over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.The significance of the steppe borderland is analyzed in comparisonwith the American Great Plains, which borrowed innovations from thesteppe, and European colonialism around the globe.

AB - Abstract. This paper considers the importance of borderlandregions with environments that differ from the central regions ofstates in the development of innovations in conceptualizing therelationship between human societies and the ‘natural’ world. Thesteppe in the south of the Russian Empire is taken as an example.It is argued that there were three phases to the development of newunderstandings of the Steppe environment: encounter and recognitionof difference; exploration and scientific research; and innovation. Theprincipal innovations considered are genetic soil science, devised byVasilii Dokuchaev in the 1870s-80s, and methods of cultivating thesoil to retain scarce moisture, known as dry farming. The article alsoconsiders the transformation of the steppe environment as a result ofwholesale ploughing up over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.The significance of the steppe borderland is analyzed in comparisonwith the American Great Plains, which borrowed innovations from thesteppe, and European colonialism around the globe.

KW - Russia, environmental history, steppe, soil science, dry farming

M3 - Conference contribution

SN - 978-5-600-00830-4

SP - 8

EP - 31

BT - Ekologicheskaya istorii v Rossii

A2 - Merzon, E.E.

PB - Izdatel'svo Elabuzhskogo instituta KFU

CY - Elabuga, Tatarstan, Russian Federation

T2 - Environmental History in Russia, Elabuga Institute, Kazan’ Federal University, Tatarstan, Russia, 13-15 November 2014

Y2 - 13 November 2014 through 15 November 2014

ER -

‘The Environmental History of the Steppe in a Global Perspective’

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

Activities

“The Amerikan steppe (Американская степь): Influences from Russia and Ukraine on the Great Plains, 1870s-1930s”, “Sunday-Afternoon-at-the-Museum”, Kauffman Museum, N. Newton, Kansas, USA

‘The Amerikan Steppe (Американская степь): Influences from the Russian Empire and USSR on the Great Plains, 1870s-1930s’, Dept of History, National Research University-Higher School of Economics, St Petersburg, Russia, 20 March 2017.

Centre for Russian Studies, School of Slavonic and East European Studies

Projects

Exploring Russia's Environmental History

From the Steppes to the Great Plains: A Study in Transnational Environmental History

Cite this