Phytomelioration in the Southern Aralkum

Abstract

Desertification in the Aral Sea region is a product of complicated interactions between the social and economic systems and natural factors. Only a wide-scale phytomelioration of the dry seafloor can mitigate ecological tension in the southern Aral region and create more favourable living conditions and a sound environment for the local population. On the dry seafloor of the Aral Sea, protective wood or shrub plantings based on one common scheme are not possible because of the obvious variability of the natural environment and soils, in particular. Therefore, an edaphic typology network of conditions was developed to adapt plantations on the desiccated seafloor of the Aral Sea to a distinct grain size of the substrate, to the levels and types of soil salinities and to groundwater depth. Phytomelioration is now using this edaphic typology network of conditions for the plantation sites. Accordingly, it enabled a plant assortment to be selected for every sediment type. On the desiccated seafloor of the Aral Sea in the south the following wood plants are used: Haloxylon aphyllum, Salsola richteri and Calligonum caput-medusae. For pastures and fodder crops the following plants are used: Ceratoides papposa, Salsola orientalis, Aellenia subaphylla, Kochia prostrata, Salsola arbuscula and Aristida karelinii. Plantations are also needed in other parts of the desiccated seafloor. This is possible by increasing capacities. Then, the ecological situation may improve, additional pastures will be formed and new opportunities for cattle breeding and beekeeping may arise. Thus, plantations also contribute to poverty reduction.