Vegetation degradation in Central Asia under the impact of human activities

Nikolaĭ Gavrilovich Kharin

Springer, 2002 - Science - 182 pages

This book is about desertification. The author describes vegetation degradation as a part of the integral process of desert ecosystem degradation in Central Asia under the impact of human activities. A connection is made between political and social factors and degradation of desert environments in historical perspective. Fragile desert ecosystems suffer first of all from the loss of vegetation. Wildlife is reduced, productivity of desert rangelands fall and the people also suffer from a shortage of food. The after-effect of this process is catastrophic, not only for the desert itself but also for the people living in the desert. Several measures are also discussed in the book for conservation of desert vegetation and rehabilitation of desert lands.

Contents

• INTRODUCTION: 1
• 12 Global extension of desertification: 2
• 13 Change of biological diversity: 4
• 14 Degradation of the drylands of Asia: 5
• Capital punishment for ecological crimes: 9
• PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT: 11
• 22 Climate and desertification: 12
• Specific climatic features of Central Asia: 13
• Drought and desertification: 14
• 2 3 Soils: 18
• Soils of the irrigation zone: 19
• Vegetation of sandy deserts: 20
• Vegetation of salt deserts: 21
• 25 Livestock raising: 22
• 26 Crop production: 25
• Dryland agriculture: 28
• 28 Summary and conclusion: 30
• HISTORICAL INTERACTION OF DESERT AND SOCIETY: 33
• 32 Land use and impact of war during the Middle Ages: 37
• 33 Land reclamation ecology and social life in Russian Turkestan: 40
• Russian conquest of Central Asia: 41
• Crop production: 42
• Traditional system of animal husbandry: 45
• Forestry: 47
• Khiva and Bukhara: 49
• A new commonwealth of the Socialist nations: 54
• 35 We shall even control the drought: 56
• Transfer of river flow from Siberia: 58
• The dam of the KaraBogazGol Gulf: 60
• 36 Conclusion: 63
• POLITICAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPACT OF LAND DEGRADATION DURING THE SOVIET PERIOD: 65
• Rooting out the survivals of the past from the peoples mind: 66
• Improvement of public health care: 68
• 42 Cadre determines all: 69
• 43 Change of social and ecological conditions in rural area: 71
• 44 Pripiska and its role in land degradation: 73
• Cotton affair in Uzbekistan: 74
• Pripiska and corruption in other republics of Central Asia: 75
• 45 Conclusion: 76
• METHODOLOGY OF DESERTIFICATION ASSESSMENT AND MAPPING: 77
• Scales for desertification assessment: 78
• Criteria for assessment of vegetation degradation: 81
• Criteria for assessment of water logging rangelands: 82
• Criteria for assessment of inherent risk of desertification: 83
• Specifications of remote sensing for desertification monitoring: 85
• 5 3 Compilation of desertification map of Turkmenistan: 87
• Database on desertification: 88
• 54 Use of NOAAAVHRR data to study desertification: 90
• 55 Multistage desertification monitoring: 92
• 56 Conclusion: 94
• STATUS OF DEGRADED ARID LANDS: 95
• Plant species from The Red Data Book: 97
• 62 Degradation of forests: 98
• Volume of nuts and other products stored in forests: 99
• Protective and sanitary functions of forests: 102
• Degradation of forests during the Soviet period: 103
• 63 Degradation of desert rangelands: 104
• Vegetation degradation around watering points: 105
• 64 Soil degradation: 107
• Water erosion: 108
• 65 Change of desert environment along the Karakum Canal bordering area: 110
• 66 Summary and conclusion: 113
• CHANGE OF WILDLIFE: 115
• Protection of animals in the reserves: 118
• Saigak: 119
• Kulan: 120
• Snakes: 121
• 73 Hunting and poaching: 122
• 74 Conclusion: 124
• ACCUMULATED ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN NEW INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES OF CENTRAL ASIA AFTER 1991: 125
• Corruption and shady economy: 126
• Refugees and displaced persons: 128
• 82 Scarcity of water resources: 130
• 83 Worsening ecological and social conditions in the areas affected by desertification: 133
• Tedzhen case study: 135
• 84 Enormous economic and social damage caused by desertification: 136
• 85 Conclusion: 140
• CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION A GLEAM OF HOPE AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL: 141
• 92 Regeneration of forests: 143
• 93 New approaches and arrangements: 144
• What is better topdown approach or bottomup approach?: 145
• Capacity building: 146
• Promotion of new sources of income in agriculture: 147
• 94 National Action Program to Combat Desertification NAPCD in Turkmenistan: 148
• Conservation of biodiversity: 149
• Melioration of irrigated farm lands: 150
• 95 Creation of enabling environment for implementation of NAPCD: 153
• International cooperation: 156
• 96 Summary and conclusion: 157
• SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSION: 159
• 102 Uptodate situation: 160
• 103 The requirements of future activities in desertification control: 161
• GLOSSARY OF LOCAL AND SPECIAL TERMS: 163
• REFERENCES: 171
• INDEX: 181

Bibliographic information

• Title: Vegetation degradation in Central Asia under the impact of human activities
• Author: Nikolaĭ Gavrilovich Kharin
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Springer, 2002
• ISBN: 1402003978, 9781402003974
• Length: 182 pages
• Subjects: Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection; Science / Life Sciences / Ecology