Ecological evaluation of rangeland quality in dry subtropics of Azerbaijan

The results of ecological evaluation of soil-landscape complexes of winter rangelands of Gobustan with the use of energy criteria are discussed. The diagnostic characteristics of soil fertility and correction coefficients for the thickness of texture of soil horizons, soil salinization, soil erosion...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Eurasian soil science 2014-12, Vol.47 (12), p.1283-1292
Main Author: Gasanova, A. F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Conservation of Soils
Degradation
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Ecology
energy
Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences
landscapes
monitoring
Rainforests
Range ecology
Rangelands
Rehabilitation
Salinization
Soil conservation
Soil erosion
Soil fertility
Soil horizons
Soil quality
Soil salinity
soil salinization
Soil texture
Soils, Salts in
Steppes
subtropics
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Summary:The results of ecological evaluation of soil-landscape complexes of winter rangelands of Gobustan with the use of energy criteria are discussed. The diagnostic characteristics of soil fertility and correction coefficients for the thickness of texture of soil horizons, soil salinization, soil erosion, and microelemental composition of soils have been used to separate the soils of winter rangelands into several quality groups. A larger part of the soils belongs to the medium quality group with the mean weighted quality factor (bonitet) of 52. Special assessment scales have been suggested for the differential ecological assessment and monitoring of the rangelands. In the past 40 years, the area of steppe landscapes has decreased from 22.7 to 12%, whereas the area of semideserts has increased up to 64%. The area of best-quality soils within the studied rangelands had decreased by three times, and their average quality factor has decreased from 92 to 86.
ISSN:1064-2293
1556-195X
DOI:10.1134/S1064229314120047