Soil Science and Russian Ecology

Abstract

Neither Vinogradskii’s scientific worldview nor his laboratory research translated easily into the ecological trends of soil science and geobotany. Although he did not participate in the expeditions himself, there are indications that he would have been familiar with their goals, organizational structure, and methodologies. As a new member of the Institute of Experimental Medicine, and a returning student of the St. Petersburg scientific circle, he maintained connections with his previous colleagues. He would have heard about the findings of the Dokuchaev expeditions, which were presented at the meetings of the St. Petersburg Society of Naturalists. He also had contact with the Forestry Institute, seeking their experts out for advice on managing the forests on his Ukrainian estate. Even in close proximity to these scientists, however, he did not adopt their Humboldtian, Darwinian, or ecological language.