Open AccessThe effect of grazing intensity on the productivity and floral diversity of natural pastures of the Volgograd Trans-Volga region
Author(s) -
Н. А. Ткаченко,
А. В. Кошелев
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
iop conference series. earth and environmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1755-1307
pISSN - 1755-1315
DOI - 10.1088/1755-1315/341/1/012104
Subject(s) - overgrazing , grazing , pasture , agroforestry , geography , biodiversity , desertification , productivity , rangeland , arid , ecosystem , ecology , environmental science , biology , forestry , macroeconomics , economics
Arid pastures, which account for 50-75% of the country’s natural fodder lands, are a unique natural territory of the Russian Federation. However, more than a half of the pasture areas, which are concentrated in the Caspian Sea region, are to some extent degraded. In Volgograd Zavolzhye, due to the plowing of virgin lands, overgrazing and irrational use of agricultural land, an outbreak of deflationary desertification occurred in the 70-80s. At present, the region continues to use its land resources unabatedly, which has led to the intensification of degradation and desertification processes on pastures and a decrease in their productivity. Feed-valuable species have disappeared or become rare. Coenotically and floristically full-membership pasture phytocenoses have become incomplete, biologically impoverished communities, so maintaining ecological balance, productive potential of pasture ecosystems and restoration of their biodiversity is a fundamental task for the region.