Assessment of degradation of semidesert and arıd steppe field landscapes and pasture lands under the condition of modern climate change

Abstract

It was determined that degradation of pasture soils in semi-desert and arid field landscapes of the Kur depression intensified under the condition of modern climate changes. Temperature rose 1,2°C, the precipitations amount was 65,7 mm in 1995–2015 in comparison with 1970–1994. These changes are resulted in landscape desertification and soils degradation. Main criteria were adopted for degradation assessment, and plant cover degradation, water erosion, defilation and salinization are concerned here. The features of these processes were defined depending on desertification degrees. The pastures were divided into 3 parts: useful, limited useful, useless. The relief of the useful zone occupies the zones with unchanged morphological signs less than 7° of inclined degree, and not exposed to negative processes, with the precipitations amount more than 300 mm. The limited useful pastures are: morphological signs changed to a mean degree (inclination of soils is 17–15°), exposed to changed negative processes to a weak and mean degree, precipitation number is 300–250 mm. The useless soils are: inclination is more than 15°, morphological features are fully disturbed, strongly exposed to negative processes, the precipitation number is less than 250 mm.