DIAGNOSTICS OF SOIL DEGRADATION PROCESSES IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN PART OF THE ROSTOV REGION WITH THE USE OF GIS

The research aims determination of peculiar dry land processes in the most fragile systems like pasturelands and forest shelter bands. The research is made for Dubovskoe, Zimovniki, Zavetnoe administrative districts of Rostov Region. For the degression scale of pasturelands and artificial forestry condition determination, remote sensing methods are used. Standard soil observations for soil morphology were performed. Establishment of bench marks were made with geobotanical observation and plant cover determination. The territory of each observation site was mapped using benchmarking method. The derived data processed in ESRI ArcGIS software environment by controlled automatic classification. Pastureland degradation processes are characterized by depletion of turf surface, silt and loam particles removed from the topsoil layer, and decreasing in plant communities’ productivity. Pastureland degradation risk estimation performed according to recently developed scale. Artificial forestry objects in dry semi-arid lands have significant climatic pressure and therefore they haven’t enough resources for self-renovation. Trees of the first forest floor are fading and dying leaving the second floor and forest bed under the sun which is the driver of plant community transformation to ruderal type. The results we reached tell us about uneven use of pasturelands which leads to local soil degradation risk.

degradation processes, desertification, geographic information system, remote sensing, pasturelands, forest shelter belts