Abstract
The low productivity of pastures and its sharp fluctuations in the desert regions of Central Asia are due to the natural-historical factors of this natural zone. However, in recent years, these shortcomings of pastures have been further aggravated as a result of the rapid growth of the population, the continuous development of industry and transport in desert areas, and the pressure of anthropogenic and man-made factors on vegetation and soil is increasing from year to year. This caused disruption of the structure and normal functioning of pasture ecosystems, and their degradation. Mass degradation of pasture ecosystems in arid regions of Central Asia occurs in a short time, which dictates the need for environmental restoration of these destroyed pasture lands. The United Nations General Assembly, by resolution 73/284, adopted at the 69th plenary meeting on March 1, 2019, decided to proclaim 2021-2030 as the "United Nations Decade for the Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems" and called on UN member states to help strengthen political will, mobilize available resources, strengthening scientific studies on ecosystem restoration at the global, regional, national and local levels. To restore the lost biodiversity of the forage productivity of degraded pasture ecosystems in the Central Asian Karnabchul Desert, dominant species of forage plants were sown in the following ratio: Haloxylon aphyllum (15 %), Halothamnus subaphyllus (20 %), Artemisia diffusa (50 %) and Poa bulbosa (15 %). The conducted studies allow to conclude that use of zonal-typical life forms of dominant species of forage plants and sowing of their mixtures (combinations) ensures formation of multi-species multi-level pasture ecosystems with high and stable forage productivity over the years in the Central Asian desert. The restored multi-level and multi-species pasture ecosystems are endowed with the property of self-renewal and self-maintenance of the structural and functional organization. The restored multi-species shrub-semi-shrub-herbaceous pasture ecosystems with a characteristic set of species inherent in natural pasture communities are characterized by high stable forage productivity and perform a conservation function in the Central Asian desert.
Highlights
The current state of desert pastures is characterized by a disturbed structure and destabilized functions [1]
Our observations showed that under the canopy of black saxaul sown together with it, Halothamnus subaphyllus and wormwood are found in large numbers and in a good vital condition, ephemera – insignificantly, mainly Schismus arabicus, Herniaria hirsuta, Hordeum leporinum, Heliotropium dasycarpum
The studies carried out allow to conclude that the use of zonal typical life forms of dominant species of forage plants and the sowing of their mixtures provides the formation of multi-species multi-level pasture ecosystems with a characteristic set of species with high and stable forage productivity over the years in the Central Asian desert
Summary
The current state of desert pastures is characterized by a disturbed structure and destabilized functions [1]. Their productivity does not exceed 0.15-0.3 t/ha of fodder in terms of dry matter. The productivity of desert pastures is highly dependent on meteorological conditions, it fluctuates sharply over the years and seasons. A hectare of pastures in deserts provides twice as much feed in relation to the average harvest year, in unfavorable years it decreases by 3-5 times. 100 kg of dry pasture feed in spring contains 8090 fodder units, in winter — 18.3 fodder units [3] The amount of forage for winter on pastures decreases 2.5 times, the protein content in pasture forage of Kyzyl Kum decreases from 20 to 5 %, protein — from 13 to 4 %. 100 kg of dry pasture feed in spring contains 8090 fodder units, in winter — 18.3 fodder units [3]
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