Geology, geography and global energy

Scientific and Technical Journal

Kalmykia’s black lands: complex research projects and gis development

2012. №4, pp. 155-170

Tashninova Lyudmila N. - D.Sc. in Biology, Institute arid zones of the Southern Scientific Centre of Russian Academy of, Sciences , 8 Ilishkin st., Elista, Republic of Kalmykia, Russian Federation, 358000, annatashninova@mail.ru

Buvaev Dmitriy A. Post-graduate student Institute arid zones of the Southern Scientific Centre of Russian Academy of Sciences 8 Ilishkin st., Elista, Republic of Kalmykia, Russian Federation, 358000 E-mail: buvaev_ecolog@mail.ru The article discusses the Black Lands, in the Republic of Kalmykia, basing its conclusions on up-to-date cartographic materials and GIS (geographic information system)-oriented analyses. Data for the latter were derived, inter alia, from multi-thematic maps and satellite imagery. The paper calculates the territory’s open sands area, relating to its anthropogenic and natural transformation over a 150-year-long period of time. The study area is located west of the Right Caspian Bank, and includes the Central Chernozemelskiy lowland plains, Prikumskaya plain, part of Naryn-Hudukskogo lake district, and even a section of the coastal plain sand and marshes. Desertification of the study area, according to the paper, commenced in 1970-1980 and covered a large section of the Black Lands. This geological transformation was apparently caused by an imbalance of natural ecosystems, depletion of certain species and population diversity. The imbalance also affected the pastures, which were subjected to natural and anthropogenic impacts. The result was a fundamental change in the structure-functional relationships, which had formed in the course of their evolution. The critique says that the consequence of this transformation has been additional open sands, salinization and other negative phenomena. In order to identify the extent of these processes, an ecological forecast should be organized. However, the optimal solution for identifying the geological processes would be to use the geographic information system (GIS), alongside thematic maps and other materials (on the space-time dynamics of the biotic and the abiotic parameters) covering all of the Black Lands’ territory.

Key words: anthropogenesis development of deserts,ground,ecological systems,maps,open sand

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