Arid Ecosystems最新文献

{"title":"Possible Impact of the Planned Works on the Reconstruction of the Chirkei Hydroelectric Power Plant for Aquatic Bioresources","authors":"R. M. Barkhalov,&nbsp;N. I. Rabazanov,&nbsp;M. M. Osmanov,&nbsp;A. A. Abdurakhmanova,&nbsp;D. A. Ustarbekova,&nbsp;M. M. Alijadzhiev,&nbsp;I. A. Stolbunov","doi":"10.1134/S2079096126700174","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096126700174","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Information on the possible impact of construction and repair work on the reconstruction of the Chirkei hydroelectric power station on the aquatic bioresources of the Chirkei reservoir is presented. The collection and primary processing of hydrobiological and ichthyological materials were carried out using generally accepted methods and identification guides in science and practice. All available information on the state of aquatic bioresources in the hydroelectric power station reservoir was used, including scientific and technical information and archival data from field studies. Taking into account the characteristics of water bodies, multicomponent positive and negative factors affecting aquatic bioresources during the construction and reconstruction of various types of hydroelectric power plants were analyzed. It is concluded that the death of fish food as a result of being carried away by the flow of water through the turbines of hydroelectric power plants is not a basis for calculating damage, since food organisms are not removed from the water body, but serve as food for fish in the lower pools of reservoirs. In general, the implementation of work on the comprehensive reconstruction of the Chirkei hydroelectric power station will probably not disrupt the established hydrological and hydrochemical regime and will not cause harm to aquatic bioresources. It is important and necessary to continue conducting research and development work on environmental monitoring during the planned reconstruction of hydraulic structures, as well as after their completion.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":"16 1","pages":"158 - 167"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regularities of the Manifestation of the Stages of Desertification on Different Continents of the World","authors":"Z. G. Zalibekov,&nbsp;N. B. Butaeva,&nbsp;R. M. Adamova","doi":"10.1134/S2079096126700095","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096126700095","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Natural desertification in the classical sense is characterized by a variety of stages that differ fundamentally in form, content, and the nature of the impact on environmental components. Numerous publications, reports, and various sources of information note the manifestation of stages of desertification as part of the corresponding gradations of aridization. The content and parameters of each stage from deserts to semi-arid regions are characterized in an indefinite form and without diagnostic features (<i>Agroklimaticheskii spravochnik…</i>, 1959; Akaev et al., 1996). The damage caused by desertification and the formation of deserts affects the state of existing agriculture and forestry, as well as the protection of natural resources. However, it can be eliminated using some technological methods, which means that this phenomenon is reversible. It is fundamentally different from the category of continental deserts of Africa, Australia, South America, and other regions. The reversibility of arid degradation provides grounds for restoring the conditions necessary for the functioning of arid ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":"16 1","pages":"78 - 84"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modern Status of the Territorial Nature Protection System in the Umnugovi Aimag, Mongolia","authors":"T. P. Kalikhman","doi":"10.1134/S2079096126700162","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096126700162","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The features of the current status of territorial nature protection system in the Gobi Desert in the south of Mongolia and in the north of Irkutsk and Chita oblasts and in the south of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in Russia are analyzed within the framework of the scientific project on the comparison of the most rapidly developed areas. Each of these areas is characterized by a low population, inaccessibility, and difficult physical-geographical conditions for living and economic activity. On the other hand, these characteristics favor better preservation of biotic and landscape diversity. The purpose of this scientific research is to identify the features of formation of a modern network of specially protected natural areas and the prospects for the formation of a system of territorial nature protection in the Umnugovi aimag. The analysis is based on the results of research performed during the expedition period of 2022–2025, on primary materials of the Ministry of Nature Protection and Climate Change of Mongolia and of the Administration of the Umnugovi aimag, and on information provided by the directorates of individual protected areas. The analysis includes general statistical information, using cartographic and remote methods. Protected areas are represented in Gobi by various categories, and their total area is significant. Nevertheless, there are natural areas that should be included in a unified system of protected areas. A major problem for this system is represented by the state border with China, which violates the integrity of the Gobi Desert area, and by existing transport corridors. In addition, there is a network of roads and railways, which is expanded and reconstructed. The effect of rapidly developed mining industries and of the means of the transportation of their products on wide-range and migratory animal species is particularly negative. Recommendations for optimizing the current system of protected areas are based on the results of the analysis. The necessity to increase the area of national protected areas (two strictly protected areas and one national park), to change the status to a more significant one for five protected areas of the somon level, and to create four new protected areas is substantiated as practical recommendations for the development of territorial nature protection. The need to provide passages under railways and highways for wide-range and migratory animal species and their regular cleaning from sand is one of the main conclusions of the study.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":"16 1","pages":"151 - 157"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural and Functional Organization of Larch Forests and Pasture Ecosystems of the Tesiin-Gol Bulnain-Nuru National Park (Mongolia)","authors":"E. V. Danzhalova,&nbsp;S. Khadbaatar,&nbsp;Yu. I. Drobyshev,&nbsp;Yu. A. Rupyshev,&nbsp;S. A. Korotkov,&nbsp;I. A. Petukhov,&nbsp;I. V. Khusainova,&nbsp;S. N. Bazha","doi":"10.1134/S2079096126700034","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096126700034","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The results of a study of forest and pasture ecosystems in one of the youngest protected areas in Mongolia, the Tesiin-Gol Bulnain-Nuru National Park, established in 2019, are presented. In 2024, the Joint Russian–Mongolian complex biological expedition of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Sciences of Mongolia was undertaken. Geobotanical and silvicultural studies of the main types of ecosystems in the park were conducted, including a study of the structure of vegetation and productivity and an assessment of disturbances. The forests of the national park are represented by mountain taiga and subtaiga shrub–green moss, dwarf shrub, and herbaceous larch forests with good natural regeneration without transition to small-leaved stages. Severely and very severely disturbed forests had been subject to fires and logging in the recent past, which affected the density, composition, and structure of the shrub–herb layer and litter reserves. Local logging is still observed today. Cattle grazing is quite widespread in the forests, which leads to a change in the ground cover from lingonberry to cereals and forbs. The pasture ecosystems along the transect we laid out, which primarily include petrophytic and mountain–meadow steppes and marshy and alkaline meadows, experience strong and very strong pressures, which leads to a change in the dominant composition, a decrease in phytocenotic indicators, and also a loss of their forage value. In this regard, it is necessary to strengthen control over economic activity on the territory of the national park, regulate grazing, and prevent logging in order to preserve the natural potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":"16 1","pages":"22 - 35"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soils of the Floodplain–Estuary Part of the Transboundary Uldza River of the Endorheic Arid Uldza–Torei Basin (Southeastern Transbaikal, Dauria)","authors":"L. L. Ubugunov,&nbsp;V. I. Ubugunova,&nbsp;T. A. Ayushina,&nbsp;A. D. Zhambalova,&nbsp;V. L. Ubugunov,&nbsp;Ts. N. Nasatueva","doi":"10.1134/S2079096126700083","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096126700083","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The effect of global warming and increasing anthropogenic pressure with subsequent climate aridization and desertification of landscapes is especially noticeable in regions with severe cryoarid bioclimatic conditions, in particular, in the endorheic Uldza–Torei basin, located in the transboundary territories of northeastern Mongolia and southeastern Transbaikalia (Russia). This problem is exacerbated by the characteristic 25- to 30-year cyclic arid (regressive) and humid (transgressive) climatic phases of the region. Climate change affects the hydrology of rivers and the functioning of floodplain–valley landscapes, including the soil cover. Study of the soils of the floodplain–estuary part of the Uldza River was carried out at the stage of transition from the arid phase to the humid one. This article examines the conditions of soil formation and establishes that alluvial dark-humus (meadow and sod-meadow) and alluvial light-humus (sod) carbonate soils predominate in the soil cover. They are characterized by a heavy granulometric composition of the upper horizons and sandy–sandy loam of the underlying layers, highly alkaline and alkaline pH values, and saturation with carbonates. Light humus soils are characterized by a low humus and nitrogen content, while dark humus soils are characterized by a medium content. The exchange cations are dominated by Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺. The share of Na²⁺ increases only in the lower part of the profile. The content of K⁺ in all horizons is minimal. The activity of Na⁺, Cl^–, and F^– has low values. The amount of easily soluble salts is insignificant, among which toxic forms predominate. The chemistry of salinization in terms of the cation ratio is predominantly magnesium–sodium, and in terms of the anion ratio, it is chloride–soda. Taking into account the soil chemistry, they are considered slightly saline. The contents of total nitrogen and total phosphorus are low, while the total potassium content is quite high. The most important compounds for plant nutrition, nitrate nitrogen, and mobile phosphorus are at an insignificant level of supply, while mobile (exchangeable) potassium is at an average level, which, from an agrochemical standpoint, allows us to classify the soils as low-fertility. The location of the studied soils on the territory of the Daurskii State Nature Reserve, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site “Landscapes of Dauria” and has international status, makes it necessary to preserve them as a vital component of the ecosystems of this unique natural area. Limited use of land in the form of hayfields and pastures near populated areas is recommended. We believe that the obtained materials are useful for monitoring studies of the Uldza–Torei basin, which is characterized by arid and fluctuating climatic conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":"16 1","pages":"67 - 77"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Current Status of the Saiga Population in the Northwestern Caspian Region: Prospects for Conservation and Sustainable Use","authors":"S. A. Bogun,&nbsp;A. A. Abushin,&nbsp;B. I. Ubushaev,&nbsp;G. I. Erdnenov","doi":"10.1134/S2079096126700137","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096126700137","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The saiga is the only surviving European antelope and is of great ecosystem significance in the steppes of southern Russia. An independent population inhabits the Northwestern Caspian region, the range of which includes the territory of Kalmykia, the western regions of the Astrakhan region, and northern Dagestan. At their peak, the migrating herds entered the heavily plowed areas of Volgograd and Rostov oblasts and Stavropol krai bordering Kalmykia. Uncontrolled poaching, which intensified in the late 1990s, led to a rapid and large-scale decline in numbers from 180 000 individuals in 1998 to 15 000–19 000 in 2001 (Melnikov and Sidorov, 2009). After the introduction of a ban on commercial and sport hunting, the population size was stabilized at a low level. The period of depression of the saiga population in the Northwestern Caspian region lasted 16 years. In 2015, their numbers reached their lowest levels in modern history at 3500 individuals with a male population share of 3.0%. Thanks to the active fight against poaching, we can now confidently speak of positive population dynamics and the restoration of a normal population structure. In 2020, the saiga antelope was listed in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation (Lushchekina and Neronov, 2021), and by 2025 their population reached approximately 53 000 individuals. Given the high reproductive potential of saigas, further population growth raises a number of environmental and socio-economic issues, such as habitat loss and degradation, poaching, conflicts with farmers, and the sustainable use of the saiga resource. In this article, we will analyze the current state of the population and present our vision for solving current and future problems with further sustainable growth.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":"16 1","pages":"122 - 131"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Method of Determining the Degree of Fixation of Sands in the Desert Zone of Kalmykia by Vegetation Using Satellite Radar","authors":"M. A. Vanyarkho,&nbsp;A. Sh. Ziyatdinov,&nbsp;I. L. Prokofiev,&nbsp;N. L. Fedorova,&nbsp;S. S. Ulanova","doi":"10.1134/S2079096126700149","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096126700149","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A method for assessing land degradation in the desert zone of Kalmykia has been developed, combining radar and multispectral remote sensing data. The basis is the assessment of the projective cover of vegetation and the change in nanorelief using the interferometric coherence method, supplemented by spectral indices (SAVI, LAI, shortwave albedo). The resulting feature space allows us to classify a section of territory into one of five possible types of objects: salt marshes, open sands, and weakly, moderately, or densely overgrown sands. The classification accuracy of the trained neural network was confirmed by field data with a correspondence of 70 to 100% depending on the class, with the average accuracy being 90%.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":"16 1","pages":"132 - 141"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis of Morphometric Variability of a Rare Species Lepidium meyeri in Orenburg Region","authors":"A. N. Mustafina,&nbsp;L. M. Abramova,&nbsp;O. A. Karimova","doi":"10.1134/S2079096126700071","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096126700071","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This research focuses on <i>Lepidium meyeri</i> Claus, a rare species endemic to chalk outcrops in the southeastern European part of Russia and Western Kazakhstan. A study of the habitats of five populations in the Orenburg region revealed that the species thrives in diverse types of calciferous, mostly semi-shrub communities on exposed chalk landscapes. Communities of the <i>Anabasietea cretaceae</i> Golovanov et al. 2021 are a dominant vegetation. Morphometric variability was maximal in the “Verkhnechibendinskie chalk mountains”, specifically at its northern end. Conversely, <i>Lepidium meyeri</i> plants from “The Pokrovskie chalk mountains”, located in an area significantly impacted by human activity, displayed the lowest levels of morphological variability. The analysis of variance showed that habitat conditions significantly influence all studied parameters. A factor analysis revealed that morphometric variability depends on environmental conditions. Based on vitality analysis, four cenopopulations were categorized as thriving and one was designated as struggling. While the majority of the examined cenopopulations are in good condition, residing within protected zones, they necessitate continuous monitoring. Notably, “The Pokrovsky chalk mountains” cenopopulation stands out as particularly susceptible, enduring severe threats from intensive chalk quarrying, leading to significant degradation. For the conservation of sensitive chalk grassland habitats, it is critical that chalk extraction is monitored and grazing is regulated.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":"16 1","pages":"61 - 66"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecological Analysis of Pastureland Vegetation of Karakalpak Ustyurt (Uzbekistan)","authors":"N. K. Rakhimova,&nbsp;H. F. Shomurodov,&nbsp;T. Rakhimova,&nbsp;A. T. Sultamuratov,&nbsp;J. S. Sadinov,&nbsp;A. N. Mirzambetov","doi":"10.1134/S2079096126700058","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096126700058","url":null,"abstract":"<p>To assess the ecological position of the pasture vegetation of Karakalpak Ustyurt, belonging to the middle and southern subzonal types of Turanian deserts and represented by the perennial saltwort ecological–physiognomic type of vegetation (<i>Botanicheskaya geografiya…</i>, 2003), an ecological analysis of geobotanical descriptions collected in various years, 1953–1973 and 2017–2021, was carried out. The data array analyzed represents various types of pastures: biyurgun (<i>Anabaseta salsae</i>), wormwood (<i>Artemisieta terrae-albae</i>), hawthorn (<i>Xylosalsoleta arbusculae</i>), black saxaul (<i>Haloxyleta ammodendron</i>), keireukove (<i>Caroxyleta orientale</i>), potash (<i>Kalidieta caspicum</i>), and sarsazan (<i>Halocnemeta strobilacei</i>). They are common on gray–brown zonal saline, sandy, gypsum, takyr, and solonchak soils. According to the moisture scale developed by I.A. Tsatsenkin (1967), communities occupy a segment from 10 to 58 steps, which corresponds to desert and dry meadow moisture. On the soil richness–salinity scale, the values vary from 17 to 20 steps, reflecting predominantly the moderately saline level of salinity. The CCA-ordination of geobotanical descriptions allowed us to consider the differentiation of vegetation in the space of three ecological factors: W, soil moisture; S, soil salinity; D, degree of anthropogenic degradation. For the central group of descriptions, an in-depth analysis of the species composition was carried out, followed by ordination, the results of which are presented in the form of a cluster dendrogram. The analysis showed that the greatest scatter of data is observed for the salinity factor (S), which indicates its leading role in structuring vegetation. The central group is represented by background pasture communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":"16 1","pages":"41 - 51"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climatic Factors of Aridity and Desertification of Nakhchivan Geosystems","authors":"S. Yu. Guliyeva,&nbsp;S. M. Zeynalova,&nbsp;I. Ya. Kuchinskaya,&nbsp;E. J. Karimova","doi":"10.1134/S2079096126700010","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096126700010","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The article examines the climatic prerequisites of the formation of arid conditions and desertification processes in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Key climatic characteristics, determining the aridization intensity and spatial differentiation of arid conditions, have been identified based on a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach, including climatic, geographical, geomorphological, and cartographic analyses. It has been revealed that specific features of the aridity manifestation largely depend on landscape features of the area. A map of desertification has been compiled on the basis of climatic and geomorphological data. It is shown that rational use of natural resources may stabilize the ecological status of arid geosystems and slow down desertification despite extreme climatic conditions. The results obtained are of practical importance for environmental monitoring, territorial planning, and development of adaptive land use schemes under conditions of climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":"16 1","pages":"1 - 8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}