JournalTOCs

Arid Ecosystems
Journal Prestige (SJR): 0.2

Number of Followers: 2

Hybrid journal (It can contain Open Access articles)
ISSN (Print) 2079-0961 - ISSN (Online) 2079-0988
Published by Springer-Verlag

[2468 journals]

The Seasonal and Annual Dynamics of Hydrothermal Conditions in the Eastern
Natural and Agricultural Zone of the Rostov Region in 1961–2020
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  Abstract: Based on data from the Remontnoe weather station located in the Eastern natural and agricultural zone of the Rostov region, the seasonal and annual dynamics of the average temperature and precipitation have been evaluated for the period of 1961–2020, as well as the dynamics of hydrothermal conditions expressed by the De Martonne aridity index. A significant trend to the growth of the average annual temperature and a trend to the growth of annual precipitation were observed for the studied period. A significant trend to an increase in the average seasonal temperature was observed for all seasons except autumn, for which a positive trend was registered. A downward trend in precipitation was revealed for summer seasons, whereas the opposite trend was observed for other seasons. The annual hydrothermal regime was characterized as moderately to slightly arid in 75% of cases. Moderately arid conditions also dominated in the spring (43%), summer (55%) and autumn (47%) seasons. The observed seasonal changes in the temperature and precipitation regimes during the studied period resulted in a shift in the character of hydrothermal conditions. Winter and summer seasons were characterized by a tendency of a hydrothermal regime shifting towards greater aridity, whereas spring and autumn were characterized by the opposite trend. In the case of the annual evaluation interval, a shift of the hydrothermal regime to a greater humidity was observed simultaneously with the increased precipitation. Thus, based on the revealed annual trends, we can conclude that the Remontnoye weather station was characterized by humid warming during 1961–2020.
  PubDate: 2023-06-01
The Fractional Composition of Compounds of Metals and Sulfur in the Upper
Layer of Soils of the Impact Zones of a Coal Mine (Central Russian
Forest-Steppe)
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  Abstract: The unreclaimed dumps of the Moscow coal basin are a long-term spontaneous experiment reflecting the transformation of soils and toxic technogenic material under the influence of acid mine drainage with compounds of heavy metals and metalloids. In the Tula region, the particle size distribution, pH value, the electrical conductivity of a water extract, the concentration of total organic carbon and three mobile fractions, as well as the total content of Al, Ca, Fe, Mn, and S were obtained to analyze the transformation of the fractional composition of compounds of six elements in the soils of sulfuric acid geocomplexes at 11 key sites (a total of 57 samples). Heavy loamy chernozems that were not exposed to the waste heap contain up to 9% total organic carbon, have a near-neutral environment, and low electrical conductivity. In these, the average mobility of elements (in %) decreases in the series: Ca (62) > Mn (35) > Al, Fe (14) > S (3). Among the mobile compounds of Ca, exchangeable ones predominate, while Al, Fe, and Mn are extractable in 1 N HNO3 at close levels of the S concentration of the three studied mobile fractions. Medium-heavy loamy toxylithostrats of the bare surface of the waste heap with a predominantly very acidic environment often have sulfate salinity. In these, the average mobility of elements decreases in the series Ca (80) > Fe (36) > S (15) > Al, Mn (3). Among the mobile compounds of Ca, Mn, and S, exchangeable compounds predominate, that is, Al and Fe, extracted with 1 N HNO3. Acid mine drainage and solid matter from the waste heap form toeslope talus that bury highly productive chernozems. In terms of the fractional composition of the Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, and S compounds, the bare soils of the talus are close to the toxic substrates of the waste heap and the grass-covered soils of the toeslope talus are close to the background chernozems. Relative to the waste heap material, the content of mobile compounds and total Ca and S is reduced in the displaced substrate from toeslope talus. Presumably, due to the influence of vegetation in the grass-covered substrate, the contents of mobile Mn compounds and the mobility of Al are significantly increased, while due to the lower supply of substances from the body of the waste heap, the mobility of Fe is reduced. The AUx horizon of chernozems has increases in the content of mobile compounds and total S, as well as water-soluble Ca2+ and Mg2+ with a decrease in the content of mobile compounds and total Mn.
  PubDate: 2023-06-01
Assessment of the Impacts of Animals on the Ecological State of Soils
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  Abstract: Animals have a significant impact on the territory where they live by the process of their lives. The studied objects are located in the zone of dry steppes, where climatic conditions limit the development of vegetation and contribute to changes in soil characteristics, which, in combination with the impact of animals, enhances the effect. The purpose of the work was to assess the impacts of animals on the ecological state of the soils of the enclosures of the Wildlife of the Steppe Association. In the course of the study, the main indicators of the ecological state of soils in enclosures with animals on the territory of the enclosures of the Wildlife of the Steppe Association in the arid regions of the Rostov region were determined. We explored enclosures of different sizes, with African ostriches (Struthio camelus), emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), goats (Capra sp.), Przewalski’s horses (Equus ferus przevwalskii) and saigas (Saiga tatarica), and on the territory with semi-free grazing of ungulates, that is, horses (Equus caballus), camels (camelus bactrianus), buffaloes (Bubalus arnee), yaks (Bos mutus), and lamas (Lama ganicoe). The studied areas differed in the intensity of soil degradation. To assess the physical condition the moisture, temperature, density, and structure of the soil were determined; pH, the gross chemical composition of soils, humus content, and biological activity were also assessed, and plots were ranked according to the degree of pasture digression. In the course of the study, the enclosure with African ostriches had the maximum degree of degradation of ten, which is characterized by severe inhibition of vegetation and soil degradation. As well, the soil density in the enclosure with African ostriches was the highest, 1.49 g/cm3, and the percentage of structure was the smallest, 37%. These parameters had a close negative correlation with the pressure of the animals' hooves and paws on the ground (–0.9). The humidity level in the studied areas did not rise above 11%; despite this, the enzymatic activity of the soils no longer depended on hydrothermal conditions, but on the influence of excretions of animal waste products. In enclosures with ungulates, in particular in the enclosure with goats, the activities of catalase and urease were always higher than in other areas. A high content of humus, 10.3%, was also noted there, which is uncharacteristic for chestnut soils and confirms the influence of animal life on them. According to the research results, the lowest quality of the structure, humus, and biological activity, as well as increased soil density, occurred in the enclosure with the African ostrich. The data we obtained explain the decrease in the growth and development of vegetation in the area where animals kept in crowded conditions live.
  PubDate: 2023-06-01
Soil Properties and Organic Carbon Stock of Soils under Arid Coastal
Ecosystem Oasis in Southern East of Tunisia
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  Abstract: Our knowledge about soil properties and soil organic carbon stock under arid ecosystems is crucial if we are to optimize soil organic carbon sequestration to mitigate climate changes. This study aims at investigating soil properties, soil organic carbon (SOC) pools, and stocks in soil under arid ecosystem oasis. Soil samples were randomly collected from 0–5 and 0–30 cm depths in 17 sites (34 samples). The bulk density, pH, electrical conductivity EC, calcium carbonate and gypsum were measured in soil samples. Total SOC, particulate organic carbon (POC), SOC associated with the fine mineral fraction concentrations and stocks were also determined. Results showed that soils under oasis are characterized by high pH and EC values. Similarly we recorded great amount of CaCO3 and gypsum among sites and depths. However bulk density values ranged from 1.23 to 1.30 and 1.18 to 1.35 g cm–3 respectively in 0–5 and 0–30 cm layer depths. The total SOC concentrations range on average between 8.47 to 13.25 g kg–1 and between 9.27 to 11.06 g kg–1 in 0–5 and in 0–30 cm layers respectively. In all samples the SOCff represents the major organic pools of SOC (>60%). Among sites the SOCs in 0–5 cm layer depth were between 0.4 and 0.8 kg C m–2 and reach 4 kg C m–2 (40 t ha–1) in 0–30 cm. The POCs constitute only between 21 and 34%. The correlation matrix established between soil properties shows significant negative correlation (p = 0.05) between POC and EC. However, SOCs are largely positively correlated (p = 0.01) with different SOC pools. It can be said that soils under oasis store relatively high amount of organic carbon. Therefore, this study confirms that arid soils can be considered as a potential sink in North Africa to sequester SOC.
  PubDate: 2023-06-01
The Palatability of Plant Communities as One of the Criteria for the
Qualitative Assessment of Pastures in Mongolia
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  Abstract: The study of the state and economic value of pasture ecosystems in Mongolia in the context of their progressive degradation continues to be very relevant. The existing methods of forage assessment of pastures are either laborious (the zootechnical method) or do not reflect the real situation (assessment of overall productivity) in the formation of low-species or monodominant degraded communities. To determine the nutritional value and productivity of pasture ecosystems in Mongolia, the palatability coefficient (PC) is proposed, which is determined on the basis of data on the nutritional usefulness of plant species that make up the community, as well as the diversity of eaten species. The PC was calculated as the ratio of the phytomass eaten to the total aboveground phytomass, multiplied by the number of eaten species included in the composition of dominants and codominants. The PC was determined for 158 communities of meadow and steppe pasture ecosystems. These were ranked in four categories. It has been established that a significant part of the studied communities have a high PC. Although these communities are characterized by varying degrees of anthropogenic disturbance, including severe ones, the high PC is due to the fact that some of the digressively active species have satisfactory or good palatability. This fact probably supports the potential for an increase in the number of livestock in Mongolia, which have a wide range of food preferences. At the same time, there is a high proportion of pastures with low and very low PCs. To a greater extent, such pastures are formed by communities of real and dry steppes, which experience the greatest pasture load in Mongolia.
  PubDate: 2023-06-01
Geographical Connectivity, Migration Routes, and Wintering Grounds of the
Common Crane in the Northern Moscow Region
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  Abstract: The results of a 3-year tracking of a common crane equipped with a GPS-GSM transmitter have made it possible to better understand the geographical connectivity, migration routes, and key sites of summer stays and migration stopovers of individuals of this species that nest in the center of the European part of Russia. Flyways and wintering sites have been traced and key and short-term migration stopovers have been identified in the arid areas of Ukraine, Turkey, Israel, and Ethiopia. It has been established that the crane used different wintering grounds in different years. It has been revealed that immature cranes of the Dubna premigratory gathering (Moscow Region) can use areas where other premigratory gatherings are formed, in particular, in Smolensk Region. Successful nesting of a common crane at the age of 3 years noticed.
  PubDate: 2023-06-01
Extreme Drought on the Eastern European Plain during the Early 20th
Century Warming: Climate Characteristics and Analogues under the
Conditions of Modern Climate
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  Abstract: The unprecedented anomalies of the annual runoff of the Volga and the Northern Dvina rivers in 1920–1940s are considered in the context of global warming in the mid-twentieth century and climate extremes of recent decades. The analysis of climate characteristics demonstrates that the global temperature rise during a given period manifested itself in the long-term drought in 1934–1940s on the Eastern European Plain, which, according to Palmer’s classification, has no analogues in the region in terms of intensity and duration and caused extreme hydrological events. The results of the spectral analysis of the river runoff variability, as well as the analysis of empirical orthogonal functions of atmospheric pressure anomalies, suggest that the droughts of 1972 and 2010 can be considered as the closest similar phenomena, but significantly inferior in their impact on the natural environment.
  PubDate: 2023-06-01
The Influence of Soil-Climate Factors on the Groundwater Parameters of the
Slope Agrolandscape
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  Abstract: The purpose of this research was to establish the influence of soil and climatic factors on the depth of occurrence and the degree of salinization of groundwater in a slope–hollow landscape. The observational data for 1990–2021 served as the material for the research. Hydrogeological monitoring of six wells occurred at the research stations of the Federal Center of Agriculture Research of the South-East Region. An analysis was made of the dynamic changes in the level of groundwater on various relief elements in wells located on the Volga Upland in the city of Saratov on the Elshano-Guselskaya plain. As a result of the analysis, a general trend towards an increase in the level of groundwater was established, both in the conditions of the upland and in the conditions of the slope–hollow relief. The chemical composition of atmospheric precipitation as the main source of groundwater nutrition has been established. The largest percentage of the total chemical composition of sediments belongs to sulfates, 35% and hydrocarbonates, 22%. The main ions that determine the chemical type and degree of mineralization of the studied waters have been identified. An excess of the MPC by average values was established for sulfates, calcium, magnesium, and sodium. The level of water mineralization on the flats is 27% higher than in the wells in the hollows. According to long-term average data, the groundwater, as selected according to relief elements, is characterized as saline.
  PubDate: 2023-06-01
Soil-Geographical Phenomenon in the South of European Russia
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  Abstract: The southern part of European Russia includes regions between two mainland-forming seas: the Black Sea from the northwest and the Caspian Sea from the southeast. The Caucasus Mountains characterized by variegated topography stretch between these seas in the submeridional direction for the total distance of more than 1500 km. The temperate and subtropical belts of steppes, semi-deserts, deserts, forests, and shrub vegetation are located to the north of the mountains within 42°–48° N and 38°–49° E (Dokuchaev, 1951). Ideas about generally the accepted parallels and meridians along which systems with increased geodynamic activity stretch are formulated within the framework of the zonal concept of nature. Latitudinal mountain belts clearly belong to the 36°–60° parallels on some continents and include a wide range of landscapes and conditions of soil cover formation. It is well known that within 30°–40° N, the atmospheric pressure is at its maximum, and these latitudes are called roaring latitudes, because winds that blow from them are transformed into catastrophic storms that affect the development of aridization and desertification.
  PubDate: 2023-06-01
The Status of Coenopopulations of Xylosalsola Chiwensis (Popov) Akhani
& Roalson and Scorzonera Bungei Krasch. & Lipsch. on the Ustyurt
Plateau (Uzbekistan)
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  Abstract: Environmental monitoring, protection of rare plant species, research to assess the status of populations of rare and endangered plants by coenopopulation approaches, and preservation of plant communities with their participation are priority tasks. The aim of this work was to study the ecological and phytocoenotic parameters of coenotic populations of rare species of the Ustyurt Plateau: Xylosalsola chiwensis and Scorzonera bungei listed in the Red Data Book of Uzbekistan (2019). Plant communities with the participation of coenopopulations of the studied species are characterized. The ontogenetic structure of these species has been studied. The results show that coenopopulations under the ecological and coenotic conditions of Ustyurt are normal and incomplete. The basic ontogenetic spectrum is centered with a peak of middle-aged generative plants. The spectra of particular coenopopulations are centered and left-sided, which is related to ecological conditions of habitats and fluctuations in weather conditions. The protection of these species should be continued during the development of free-range animal husbandry and the planning of linear infrastructures. The results we obtained will be used in subsequent editions of the Red Data Book of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
  PubDate: 2023-06-01
The Influence of Climatic Conditions on the Regional Aspects of Adaptation
of the System of Soil Use
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  Abstract: Global climate changes in modern conditions are the determining factor of the research on the rational use of soil resources. In the southern regions of Russia, including the Republic of Dagestan, agricultural conditions are complicated by the aridity of the climate, and progressive aridization and desertification. Studies show that without taking the directions of adaptive changes in the state of the soil cover into account, the economic efficiency of the measures that are being developed may decrease. Therefore, the goal of this research was to determine a set of regional adaptation changes to reduce the negative impacts associated with the manifestation of droughts, dry winds, and dust storms that affect the economic performance of Dagestan.
  PubDate: 2023-06-01
Modeling the Evaporation Process
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  Abstract: Mathematical methods for description of the processes of evaporation from the soil surface under conditions of the sub-arid zone of the south of Russia are discussed. Theoretical studies in this area and the results of their practical application have been analyzed. Natural observations are explained using mathematical modeling. Mathematical models of evaporation from the soil surface are divided into two types: physico-mathematical, which are based on the interaction between the water and the soil carcass, and phenomenological, which are based on balance ratios. The data on the evaporation from the surfaces of light soils have been analyzed with allowance for the diffusive and film transfer of moisture within the pore space. The cumulative evaporation from extended areas has been analyzed using a semi-empirical model, which connected evaporation intensity with the precipitation and the hydrophysical state of the soil moisture in the aeration zone. Good agreement between the theory of the capillary transfer of moisture and the data on the evaporation from the surface of open sandy soils has been revealed. A nonlinear relationship between the evaporation rate and the depth of the underlying surface, as well as the capillary-sorption pressure, has been revealed. The amount of annual precipitation in the south of Russia and the cumulative evaporation are associated with each other via a power dependence indicating the capillary-sorption nature of the evaporation.
  PubDate: 2023-06-01
The Ecological Aspects of Using Geothermal Waters under Arid Climate
Conditions
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  Abstract: This article analyzes the problems of inappropriate discharges of geothermal waste waters to open ground and surface water bodies, as well as problems of the release of associated combustible gases with geothermal water into the open atmosphere as a result of flaring. An assessment and possible ways of technical prevention of environmental pollution due to the use of geothermal waters in arid regions are given. Schematic solutions for the operation of geothermal systems in the regime without scaling under conditions of the utilization of the associated combustible gas (methane) are presented. It is shown that the addition of carbon dioxide to the geothermal waste water that was reinjected into the aquifer provides the longevity of the injection wells.
  PubDate: 2023-06-01
The Long-Term Dynamics of Stocks of the Live Aboveground Phytomass in a
Steppe Phytocoenosis after a Fire (Based on the Example of the Burtinskaya
Steppe Site of the Orenburgsky Reserve)
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  Abstract: In recent years, in the arid regions of Russia, there has been a catastrophic increase in the area and frequency of fires in the steppes. At the same time, the entire above-ground part of phytocenoses burns out, which significantly reduces the reserves of the live above-ground phytomass, the productivity of communities, and changes the structure and composition of steppe phytocenoses. The purpose of our work was to study the effect of the pyrogenic factor on the stocks of the live aboveground phytomass and determine the timing of its recovery. In the Burtinskaya Steppe area of the Orenburgsky State Nature Reserve six monitoring sites were laid in 2015 after a fire, each included a control (unburnt) site and a burnt site. To identify the features of the dynamics of the stocks of live aboveground phytomass, standard geobotanical methods and the method of cutting areas were used. The studies were carried out in the 2015–2020 period. As a result of studying the effect of the pyrogenic factor on the vegetation cover of the steppes, it was found that the reserves of live aboveground phytomass (g/m2) reach the value of the control communities in the second year of the study. The seasonal dynamics of live phytomass stocks from 3–4 years after the fire depends more on the composition and type of the community and not on whether it was exposed to a pyrogenic factor. Over the entire period of the study the share of live phytomass reserves in the total aboveground phytomass of burned communities approached the values of control phytocenoses; however, there was always more in the control, which indicates incomplete restoration of the structure of the aboveground phytomass in the burnt areas.
  PubDate: 2023-06-01
Remote Monitoring of Desertification in Kalmykia
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  Abstract: Geoinformation technologies for assessing the desertification of arid territories provide the determination of the spatial position of research objects, as well as the fixation of changes in the territories in the spatio-temporal aspect under the influence of climatic and anthropogenic factors that determine such changes. Remote, spatio-temporal monitoring consists in mapping desertification areas with accurate geo-referencing of objects and determining the changes that have occurred on them over time (Mariam Akhtar-Schuster, 2020). The assessment of the degree of desertification is based on the classification of desertification types and the methodology of remote studies of degradation sites and geoinformation technologies (Yuferev, 2007). Taking the criteria of ecological state zones (norm, risk, crisis, and disaster) for various types of agricultural land (Vinogradov, 1984) as a basis, we determined the criteria for remote monitoring of environmental disaster zones using up-to-date satellite images on the territory of the Republic of Kalmykia. The use of remote methods for desertification assessment for monitoring makes it possible to identify spatial changes in the monitoring area when the level of impact of anthropogenic and climatic factors changes. Mathematical and statistical processing of the results obtained in spatio-temporal studies make it possible to identify the functional relationships between the area of desertification and the magnitude of the natural and anthropogenic factors, on the basis of which it becomes possible to develop a mathematical model of such changes. Such a model reflects the probable development of the area of desertification, depending on the actual combination of the most significant factors, thus, the choice of such factors is important in modeling. Modeling the degree of degradation is based on an assessment of the size of areas subject to a certain degree of degradation and a mathematical description of the processes of changing their state. As a result, the desertification areas and changes in the areas of these zones were determined in the study area. The monitoring of desertification according to remote survey data of the territory of Kalmykia made it possible to determine an increase in areas subject to desertification by almost 4 times, from 750 to 3000 thousand hectares from 1984 to 2020.
  PubDate: 2023-03-01
Some Results of the Implementation of Programs to Combat Desertification
in Black Earth and Kizlyar Pastures
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  Abstract: The Western Caspian Sea is a traditional zone of pastoral animal husbandry based on natural fodder lands. Intensive and unsystematic use of bioresources of sandy pastures in the 1980s led to the formation of the first man-made desert in Europe. For more than 35 years, programs aimed at curbing the processes of desertification of the territory have been implemented on the territory of the Republic of Kalmykia. This article discusses some of the results of the implementation of programs to combat desertification. Data are given on the scale of phytomeliorative measures carried out over the past 35 years in three constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The achieved results are analyzed and their shortcomings are noted. Measures are proposed that will help to overcome further degradation of the territory and improve the pasture economy of Kalmykia.
  PubDate: 2023-03-01
Investigation of the Structure and Properties of Sludge for the Purpose of
Application as a Soil Improvement in Agriculture of Arid Regions
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  Abstract: This work carried out comprehensive studies of the structure, mineralogical composition, and main indicators of silt sediment from the treatment facilities of the city of Volzhsky. Analysis of the data shows that the silt sediment is characterized by a complex mineralogical composition and has high fertilizing properties; it contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (3.30; 4.27; 0.31%, respectively), as well as organic matter (32%). Using the methods of scanning electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy, and X-ray phase analysis, the studied sludge was found to have the ability to absorb and retain water, which is an important property for fertilizers used in areas where there is no artificial irrigation. This article discusses the features of using silt sludge as a soil ameliorant in dry farming in the Volgograd region based on the example of safflower cultivation. To increase the microbiological activity of the soil, as well as the yield of dye safflower, it is recommended to apply sludge as an ameliorant at a dose of 10 t ha–1 with the use of deep chisel tillage by the Rancho working body.
  PubDate: 2023-03-01
Elements of the Technology of Reproduction of Robinia Pseudoacacia L. for
Protective Afforestation under Conditions of Land Degradation and
Desertification
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  Abstract: The effect of mineral fertilizers and a growth biological stimulant on the development and fruiting of the species Robinia pseudoacacia (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is analyzed. The introduction of robinia into plantations of various types has been performed from 1904 to the present time. It has been revealed that this North American species successfully grows and develops under arid conditions of Volgograd oblast, is adapted to local soil and climatic conditions, and is stable. Observations were performed in the Kirov Forestry of Volgograd oblast and in the production nursery of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Volgogradskoe of the Federal Scientific Center for Agroecology, Complex Melioration, and Protective Afforestation of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The studies enabled us to determine the effect of treatment with preparations Biostim and Agrovit on reproductive ability, biometric parameters of young and mature robinia plants, and germination of seeds. Seeds of Robinia pseudoacacia are needed for 2633 ha in Volgograd oblast and for 192 ha in the semi-desert zone. The need for seeds for the entire area of protective forest plantations in Astrakhan oblast and the Republic of Kalmykia is 333 and 2594 kg, respectively. The testing of the Biostim Start growth biostimulant has shown that it optimal treatment rate for robinia seeds is 15 mL/L. A higher rate causes a decrease in vitality and mold development on seeds. The use of the Agrovit preparation causes an increase in the growth and diameter of trees in 10-year-old plantations. Application of the preparation in combination with mineral fertilizers causes a growth to 40 cm of young frost-tolerant plants and to 60 cm of tall trees. The crown diameter of frost-tolerant plants increases to 6.2 cm. The research results show the possibility of sowing robinia seeds at the rate of 2 kg/ha and at a distance of 2.5 m between rows with the use of Agrovit fertilizer.
  PubDate: 2023-03-01
Assessment of the Dynamics of Land Cover at the Local Level to achieve
Land Degradation Neutrality (for Desertified Lands of the Dry-Steppe
Zavolzh’e)
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  Abstract: The land structure in dry-steppe Zavolzh’e is complicated and includes irrigated and rain-fed croplands and pastures in natural steppe areas and on abandoned plow lands, which results in significantly incorrect assessment of the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) based on standard approaches elaborated to analyze the land status at the global and regional levels. The problem of interpreting the results of the assessment of the dynamics of land cover as one of the main global indicators of LDN proposed by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification is analyzed in this work. A method based on the analysis of seasonal series of Landsat satellite images, using Kohonen self-organizing neural networks implemented in the Scanex Image Processor software package was developed and applied for the study area. It is shown that this approach makes significantly greater the possibilities of assessing the LDN as a result of the detailed analysis and delineation of a larger number of cartographic areas and when using the transition assessment matrix based on the extended classification of the land cover. The application of the Change Detection module of the SAGA GIS software package enables us not only to identify the nature of restoration and degradation changes, but also to compare the trends for land categories. The combination of the proposed approaches in the form of a functional algorithm may be recommended for monitoring and evaluation of the achieving LDN at the local level.
  PubDate: 2023-03-01
Increasing the Reclamation Efficiency of Forest Belts in Dry Conditions
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  Abstract: The ongoing aridization of the climate in the steppe zone forces the development and implementation of more sustainable forest reclamation plantations. The studied combined design of forest belts differs from the existing ones by differences in the degree of openwork of the vertical profile, alternating from dense, blown, to openwork. Its study was carried out in the steppe conditions of the city of Volgograd and the Kletsky district of the Volgograd region. The indicators of reclamation efficiency were the nature of snow distribution, soil moisture, and freezing depth. The study of the parameters was carried out along profiles perpendicular to the forest belt. It has been established that snow deposition in the agroforest landscape occurred most optimally under its influence. Snow remained in the forest belt without the formation of high snowdrifts in the zone of the lower plume. The low-growing shrubs prevented snow from blowing out of the forest belt, while keeping the snow in the field. The combined design of the forest belt provided additional accumulation of soil moisture in a 0–50 cm layer on average over 5 years during the winter period in the field of 52 mm, and in the forest belt, 90 mm. Under its influence, the depth of soil freezing was reduced. The studies showed the reclamation efficiency of forest belts of a combined design in steppe conditions.
  PubDate: 2023-03-01