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Author: Gïel'dyïeva G.V.
Title: Untitled (Karty antropogïennykh izmïenïeniï landshftov; Map of landscape changes resulting from human activity)
Publisher: Not published
| Date: approx. 1980-93 | Language: Russian |
| Available: | Gïel'dyïeva G.V., Institute of Geography (Russian: Institut Gïeografii; Kazakh: Gïeographiïa Instituty) of the Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, Alma Ata. |
| Classification: | 1C4 (cartography), 2A1-4, 2B2a-b |
| Region: | Kazakhstan, drylands of Central Asia |
| Summary: | A collection of maps at
various scales (mostly 1:250,000 to 1:2,500,000) showing
changes in the natural environment caused by human
activities. A map of the entire arid region of Central Asia (1:2,500,000); maps of the eastern shores of the Aral Sea and lands located on the shores of Lake Balkhash. The maps, without indicating the degree of desertification or the degree of danger of desertification, show the regions where vegetation has deteriorated due to lack of water, lands where there has been excessive deforestation, degraded rangelands and zones with high salinity. On some of these maps the changes in lake shorelines are marked as well as various types of dried seabed. Other maps show sand dune formation. These maps were drawn up on the basis of the landscape map of Kazakhstan (1:2,500,000) and the research material which was used in preparing it (cf. bibl. entry 2). In 1993 work was carried out primarily in the region of Lake Balkhash. |
Desertification: This term is used to designate those lands which undergo processes caused by natural factors or, more often, by human activity, which consist of a decrease in groundwater resources, vegetation degradation, the development of erosion, especially wind erosion (this information was obtained during an interview).
Author: Gïerasimov I.P., Kuznïetsov I.T., Kïes' A.S., Gorodïetskaïa
Title: Problïema Aral'skogo morïa i antropogïennogo opustynivaniïa Priaral'ïa (The problem of the Aral Sea and desertification in the surrounding area)
Publisher: Problïemy osvoïeniïa pustyn', N° 6, pp. 22-23, Ashkhabad
| Date: 1983 | Language: Russian |
| Available: | BiL Moscow, IG RAN Moscow, KR FAK Alma Ata, WGiSR UW Warsaw, UAM Poznan |
| Classification: | 2A1-4, 2B2f, 3C3, 4A1-4, 4B, 4C, 5A1-2, SD2b |
| Region: | Aral Sea |
| Summary: | Extensive and detailed
information on the decline of the Aral Sea, the
degradation of the natural environment and hydrological
conditions in the surrounding area. The first sand and
salt storms appeared on the seabed in the 1970's. They
occur 6 to 9 times per year and their range reaches
400-450 km to the west and southwest. The article examines the process of desertification affecting the shores of the Aral Sea and the Amu-Darya and Syr-Darya deltas. This is one of the first texts to discuss the economic and social losses resulting from the decrease in level of the Aral Sea. In 1980 losses were 92.6 million roubles which included: 39.1 million roubles in agriculture (cotton cultivation 30 million, livestock production 8.0 million, others 1.1 million), 28.9 million in fishing, 7.0 million in transport and 6.9 million roubles in hunting. Several detailed examples supplement this estimation; for example, in the Kyzyl-Orda oblast (district), milk production of cows has decreased two-fold, down to 998 kg/year in the kolkhozes and 724 kg/year in the sovkhoses. There is a deterioration in the health of the local population due to the mineralization and poor quality of water from the Syr-Darya. A brief review of methods of combating desertification due to human action is presented (pp. 29-32). There are projects in the following fields: scientific research and planning, socio-economic measures, water balance, and others. |
Methods of combating desertification caused by human activities:
1. Scientific research and the preparation of technical projects;
2. Socio-economic action (very general information is given on the necessity of creating new branches of the economy to open future prospects, such as the construction materials industry, and on the necessity of providing the nomad population with good quality drinking water;
3. Water management programmes (diversion of drainage water to the Aral Sea instead of to the Sarykamysh depression);
4. Improvement projects (in particular, the revegetalization of the Aral seabed).
Author: Glazovski N.F.
Title: The Aral Crisis. Source, Current Situation and Way Out
Publisher: Artobolevskiy S.S., Kuklin' ski A., "USSR in the Perspective of Global Change," pp. 167-199, Polish Association for the Club of Rome, Warsaw, Globality versus Locality, vol. 3.
| Date: 1991 | Language: English |
| Available: | ex-Soviet Union - private collections, WGiSR UW Warsaw |
| Classification: | 2B2f, 5D2a-b |
| Region: | Aral Sea |
| Summary: | A study of various proposals
for saving the Aral Sea. General information. The author analyzes:
|
Author: Glazovski N.F.
Title: Sovrïemïennoïe solïenakaplïeniïe v aridnykh oblastïakh (Current salinization conditions in drylands areas)
Publisher: Naouka (Akademiïa Naouk SSSR - Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow, 192 pp.
| Date: 1987 | Language: Russian |
| Available: | BiL Moscow, IG RAN Moscow, WGiSR UW Warsaw |
| Classification: | 2A2, 2B2a, 2B2h, 2B2j |
| Region: | Kazakhstan, Dagestan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan |
| Summary: | Detailed analysis of salt
migration in the groundwater of arid and semi-arid
regions in the ex-Soviet Union (without definitions or
boundaries). Twenty-eight basins or groups of basins are
identified. Characteristics of flow and salinization
(quantity, composition of groundwater) are shown on
several charts. The quantity of salt carried by
groundwater to the Caspian Sea, Lake Balkhash and
Issyk-Kul' is estimated. The effect on soil salinization
of using deep groundwater is discussed; in certain
regions it is the chief factor in the salinization of
lands. Although the facts are not complete, a minimun of
7 million tonnes of salt are estimated to enter the soil
each year through groundwater. On the Apsheron Peninsula,
oil exploitation brings in 1 million tonnes of saline
water per year, and in Dagestan the use of groundwater
brings in yearly almost 2.7 million tonnes. In this work there is also an interesting study of salt migration in the atmosphere: mechanisms by which salt enters the atmosphere (deflation), return of salt to the soil, an attempt to estimate the extent of this phenomenon. |
Note: A very extensive bibliography, almost exclusively in Russian.
Authors: Glïants M.K. (Glanz M.H.), Zonn I.S., Orlovskiï N.S.
Title: Ob oprïedielïenii protsïessa opustinivaniïa (Definitions of the Process of Desertification)
Publisher: Problïemy osvoieniïa pustyn', No 2, pp. 3-12, Ashkhabad
| Date: 1984 | Language: Russian |
| Available: | BiL Moscow, IG RAN Moscow, KR FAK Alma Ata, WGiSR UW Warsaw, UAM Poznan |
| Classification: | 1A |
| Region: | - |
| Summary: | This publication presents
different definitions of desertification, from A.M.
Aubréville (1949) * to L.I. Kurakova (1983). Most of
these definitions are presented in a chart where factors
and symptoms of desertification are classified. The
definition according to L.I. Kurakova (1983) is given
below. The authors point out that in defining
desertification the following factors are emphasized:
long-term climate trends, climate fluctuations, droughts,
methods of soil use, overgrazing, collecting fuelwood,
"use of technology" (routes, mines, etc.) * A, M. Aubréville, Climats, forêts et désertification de l'Afrique Tropical (Climates. Forests and Desertification in Tropical Africa), Paris, 1949 |
Definition: Factorial definition of desertification according to L.I. Kurakova: Factor irrational use of ecosystems by man in arid lands or lands subject to drought; symptoms deterioration of the condition of the natural environment in arid and semi-arid zones, manifested by the appearance and development of processes characteristic of deserts: the degradation of vegetation and soil, the disappearance of water resources and a rapid decrease in biological productivity.
Author: Grigorrïev A.A.
Title: Krupnomashtabnyïe izmïenïeniïa prirody Priaral'ïa po nabliudïeniïam iz kosmosa (Large-scale environmental changes in the area surrounding the Aral Sea as seen in satellite imagery)
Publisher: Problïemy osvoïeniïa pustyn', N° 1, pp. 16-21, Ashkhabad
| Date: 1987 | Language: Russian (summary in English) |
| Available: | BiL Moscow, IG RAN Moscow, KR FAK Alma Ata, WGiSR UW Warsaw, UAM Poznan |
| Classification: | 2A1-5, 2B2f, 4A |
| Region: | Aral Sea |
| Summary: | For over 25 years, changes
in the Aral Sea region have been observed by means of
satellite imagery. From 1961 to 1984 the level of the sea
decreased by 10 m (an average of 0.45 m per year). Five
zones were identified and studies were made of the
primary natural and man-made processes in the regions in
question:
|
Authors: Kharin N.G., Kiril'tsïeva A.A.
Title: Novyïe dannyïe o ploshtchadïakh opustynïennykh zïemïel' v aridnoï zonïe USRR (New data on the area of lands affected by desertification in the drylands of the USSR)
Publisher: Problïemy osvoïeniïa pustyn', N° 4, pp. 3-8, Ashkhabad
| Date: 1988 | Language: Russian (summary in English) |
| Available: | BiL Moscow, IG RAN Moscow, KR FAK Alma Ata, WGiSR UW Warsaw, UAM Poznan |
| Classification: | 2A, 2B2a |
| Region: | USSR drylands, particularly Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan |
| Summary: | Data presented at the
Nairobi Conference (1977), published in "World
Desert and Desertification Map," UNESCO/CNRS, Paris,
1976. These data do not show the true extent of
desertification. A chart is presented showing the regions
threatened by desertification (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan,
Turkmenistan) and a classification of the areas where the
following phenomena are evident:
All in all, the regions affected by desertification cover 60.2% of these regions (Uzbekistan 59.2 %, Kazakhstan 59.9%, Turkmenistan 66.5 %). The text also presents schematic maps of drylands in the USSR: degree of desertification, rate of desertification in the years 1965-1985, intrinsic danger of desertification. One map shows the resistance on the part of ecosystems and the influence of animals on the natural environment. On each map, four degrees of this phenomenon are identified: absence, light, moderate, strong. |
Authors: Kharin N.G., Orlovskiï N.S., Kogaï N.A., Makul'bïekova G.B.
Title: Sovrïemïennoïe sostoïaniïe i prognoz opustynivaniïa v aridnoï zonïe SSSR (Current conditions and forecast for desertification in drlylands of the Soviet Union)
Publisher: Problïemy osvoïeniïa pustyn', N° 5, pp. 58-66, Ashkhabad
| Date: 1986 | Language: Russian |
| Available: | BiL Moscow, IG RAN Moscow, KR FAK Alma Ata, WGiSR UW Warsaw, UAM Poznan |
| Classification: | 1B, 1C4 (cartography), 2A, 2B2a, 3B |
| Region: | Soviet Central Asia and Kazakhstan |
| Summary: | Short description of the
climate of drylands in the ex-USSR, notably droughts
which (according to the article) are instrumental in the
process of desertification because they contribute to an
increase in the earth's albedo. Presentation of a formula
for the danger of desertification (cf. Note). A
desertification map of arid and semi-arid lands in the
ex-USSR was drawn up to the scale of 1:2,500,000
(reproduction of a generalized form of the map - page
31). This map takes into account detailed analyses of
vegetation changes, wind and water erosion,
desertification caused by modernization and the salinity
of irrigated lands. The article indicates which aspects
were considered, e.g., vegetation changes, but their
boundaries are not shown. The map was prepared using
aerial photos and satellite imagery. Towards the end of the article, regional examples are given which illustrate the size of desertification. |
Bibliography: 34 titles.
Note: SOO danger of desertification:
SOO = SS + TO + VOO + VJP + SAV, where:
SS - current state of the natural environment; TO - rate of desertification; VOO - intrinsic vulnerability of ecosystems to desertification; VJP - influence of animals on the natural environment; SAV- degree of direct human influence on the natural environment.
Authors: Kharin N.G., Petrov M.P.
Title: Glossary of Terms on Desert Environment and Land Reclamation
Publisher: Ylym, Ashkhabad, 144 pp.
| Date: 1975 | Language: English |
| Available: | BiL Moscow, WGiSR UW Warsaw |
| Classification: | 1A |
| Region: | Global |
| Summary: | This work was prepared for
the International Geographical Congress which took place
in Moscow in 1976. It is a dictionary containing more
than 1,200 entries, mainly in the field of physical
geography, relating to arid and semi-arid lands and humid
savannahs in Africa and South America. "Aridification" is defined as a natural process of decreasing precipitation and the intensification of evapotranspiration. |
Definition: "Desertification = the process whereby a desert becomes a region devoid of life. During this process all signs of organic life are reduced and the desert environment slowly changes into a "dead desert." Desertification is habitually related to the improper use if arid lands. The desiccation which often accompanies desertification accelerates the process. "
Author: Kharin N.S.
Title: Primïenïeniïe distantsionnykh mïetodov dlïa izucheniïa protsïessov opustynivaniïa v aridnoï zonïe (Use of satellite imagery to analyze the process of desertification in drylands)
Publisher: OON. Mïejdunarodnyï uchïebnyï sïeminar OON po praktichïeskomu primïenïeniïu zïemli v oblasti lïesnogo khozïaïstva, Moskva 21/5 - 916184. (UN. United Nations international scientific seminar on the application of remote sensing to forest management, Moscow, 21/5 -916184), 16 pp.
| Date: 1984 | Language: Russian |
| Available: | BiL Moscow |
| Classification: | 1C1 |
| Region: | Central Asia, Turkmenistan |
| Summary: | The author presents different estimations made by researchers of the total area of moving sands in Turkmenistan. The figures vary from 13,200 km2 to 40,000 km2. Aerial photos and satellite imagery are necessary for analyzing wind erosion, using the same criteria and classification for both. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. The author presents the criteria for measuring wind erosion according to "Provisional Methodology for Assessment and Mapping of Desertification", FAO, 1983 (p. 5). He also gives the criteria used by the Institute of Deserts of Ashkhabad (pp. 8-9), which are only a simplification of those used by FAO (degree of desertification - 4 categories instead of 5, rate of desertification - 2 instead of 4, danger of desertification - 3 instead of 4). Unfortunately, the author has not explained the criteria for the simplification. |
Authors: Kiïevskaïa R.K., Mozhaïtsïeva N.F., Bogachïev V.P.
Title: Izmïenïeniïe prirodnykh uslovii sovrïemïennoï dïelty Syrdar'i v svïazi s zarïegulirovanïem ïeïe stoke (Environmental changes in the present-day Syr-Darya delta resulting from water use)
Publisher: Problïemy osvoïeniïa pustyn', N° 4, pp. 11-17, Ashkhabad
| Date: 1979 | Language: Russian |
| Available: | BiL Moscow, IG RAN Moscow, KR FAK Alma Ata, WGiSR UW Warsaw, UAM Poznan |
| Classification: | 2A4, 2B2b, 3C3, 4A2 |
| Region: | Kazakhstan (Syr-Darya) |
| Summary: | An alarming document on land
degradation. The regulation of the flow and the use of
water of the Syr-Darya have produced catastrophic
effects. At Kazalinsk, the annual flow decreased from 9.8
km3 in 1960 to 0.61 km3 in 1975.
During the last decade, the area of irrigated land in the
lower part of the river has diminished. The depth of
groundwater has lowered by 3.0-4.5 m. Lakes such as Kauk,
Kokkol, Tabankol, and others have dried up. The
vegetation has undergone important changes. On three
experimental areas detailed analyses (1:25,000) of
vegetation types and the* productivity (charts pp. 14-15)
have been made. In each case, a significant decrease in
the productivity of vegetation was observed:
|
Authors: Koksharova I.H., Isakov G.J.
Title: O lïesomïelioratsii osushïennogo dna Aral'skogo Morïa (Revegetalization of the dried up Aral seabed)
Publisher: Problïemy osvoïeniïa pustyn', N° 5, pp. 48-55, Ashkhabad
| Date: 1985 | Language: Russian |
| Available: | BiL Moscow, IG RAN Moscow, KR FAK Alma Ata, WGiSR UW Warsaw, UAM Poznan |
| Classification: | 2A3, 2B2f, 5C2, 5C4 |
| Region: | Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Aral Sea |
| Summary: | During the last twenty
years, the catastrophic decrease in the level of the Aral
Sea has caused the drying up of 1.5 million ha of seabed.
300,000 ha of this are today sandy, non-saline areas with
the ground covered by the spontaneous growth of
psammophytes. These areas are perfectly suited to the
planting of shrubs. Diverse species of plants were
introduced experimentally in a variety of places and
topographical situations. Results have been promising.
During the subsequent two years the growth of these
plants was recorded - from 80 to 150 cm, their capacity
to survive, generally satisfactory, varies according to
the topography. The revegetalization of slightly saline lands has also begun. Strips of shrubs visibly limit wind processes. The afforestation of sandy areas of the seabed is recommended on a larger scale. |
Species planted in the Aral seabed: Haloxylon aphyllum (Minkw) Iljin, H. persicum Bunge, Calligonum caput-medusae Schrenk., Tamarix hispida Willd. and others.
Author: Komarov B.
Title: Le rouge et le vert. La destruction de la nature en URSS (The Red and the Green: the destruction of nature in the USSR)
Publisher: Seuil, Paris, 218 pp.
| Date: 1981 | Language: French (see Note) |
| Available: | Centre International des Recherches sur l'Environnement et le Développement, Maison des Sciences de l'Homme, Paris; in Moscow private collections |
| Classification: | 2A2-4, 3D (communist system) |
| Region: | Ex-Soviet Union |
| Summary: | A dissident study of the
degradation of the natural environment in the ex-Soviet
Union, concerned especially with chemical pollution in
the entire country and the deforestation of Siberia. The term "desertification" is virtually absent and only appears in the analysis of the problem of the decline in the area of arable lands. The author points to the significant losses in water during irrigation (40-70 % by evaporation and infiltration from the Karakumy and South Fergana Canals), the erosion and salinization of irrigated soil in Central Asia, wind erosion in the steppes of Kazakhstan and the Kalmyk republic. The area of lands so degraded by human action as to be no longer cultivable is estimated to be 1.45 million km2 including 630,000 km2 which are degraded because of salinization and erosion (as of 1977). The political system is blamed as the primary cause of this state of affairs (centralized planning, huge industries, lack of respect for nature, lack of respect for the law). |
Note: This book is published in Russian: B. Komarov, Unichtozhïeniïe prirody, Posser Verlag, Frankfurt/Main, 1978; and in English: B. Komarov, The Destruction of Nature in the Soviet Union, Pluto Press, London. This book has sensitized the countries of Central Europe and Soviet dissidents in the, USSR to ecological problems. It is little known in the USSR.
Authors: Kotlïav V.M., Glazovski N.F., Mukitanov N.K., et al.
Title: Osnovnyïe polozhïeniïa kontsïeptsii sokhranieniïia i vosstanovlïeniïa Aral'skogo rïegiona, normalizatsii ekologichïeskoï, sanitarno-gigiïenichïeskoï, mïediko-biologichïeskoï i sotsial'no-ekonomichïeskoï situatsii v Priaral'ïe (Main ideas for safeguarding and restoring the Aral Sea, and the ecological, sanitary, medico-biological and socio-economic normalization of the situation in the Aral Region)
Publisher: Izvïestiïa Akadïemii Naouk SSSR, serïa Gïeografishïeskaïa (Geography series), N° 4, pp. 8-22
| Date: 1991 | Language: Russian |
| Available: | BiL Moscow, IG RAN Moscow |
| Classification: | 2B2f, 5C5 |
| Region: | Aral Sea |
| Summary: | Beginning in the 1970's, the level of the Aral Sea has decreased by 14 15 meters, the salinity of the water has tripled and 200 species of flora and fauna have disappeared. The absence of economic structures appropriate to the vulnerability of these ecosystems is the main reason for the Aral crisis. Four environmental scenarios are possible in the future: 1) natural: level of the sea above 50 m; 2) changed: level of the sea above 40 m; 3) two separate "sea-lakes"; 4) three separate "sea-lakes" with a level of less than 36 m and very high salinity. Main proposals for solving these problems: changes in the cotton industry; elimination of waste in agriculture (15-40% of production is wasted); substitution of synthetic fibres for cotton; reduction in the surface area of rice cultivation; restructure of irrigation systems; introduction of modern technology for irrigation and revegetalization. By these means it would be possible to achieve the second type of environmental condition. To implement this program, three stages are proposed: I. 1991-1995 (cost: 21 billion roubles); II. 1996-2000 (35 billion roubles); III. 2001-2010 (10 billion roubles). Total cost: 66 billion roubles at the 1991 value. Water taxes and state, foreign and private investment would be the main financial sources. |
Author: Kovda V.A.
Title: Problïemy bor'by s opustynivaniïem i zasolïeniïem oroshaïemykh pochv (Problems in Combating Desertification and Salinization of Irrigated Lands)
Publisher: Kolos, Moscow, 304 pp.
| Date: 1984 | Language: Russian |
| Available: | BiL Moscow, WGiSR UW Warsaw |
| Classification: | 2A2, 2B1, 2B2, 2B2a, 5C3, 5D1c |
| Region: | Arid and semi-arid regions of the ex-USSR - Central Asia, the Caucusus - and the world |
| Summary: | This document presents the principal saline regions of the world, illustrated with schematic maps showing the distinctive features of the salinization of groundwater and soil, and the geochemical classification of desert regions, illustrated with examples from the ex-Soviet Union and other regions of the world. Maps showing the mineralization of groundwater and soil in selected deserts and semi-deserts of the ex-Soviet Union are also presented, as are charts showing the chemical composition of groundwater and soil, a description of different methods of desalinization applied throughout the world and in the USSR in particular, and the possibilities of using saline water for irrigation. The efficiency of these desalinization methods depends on the chemical characteristics of the soil; where there is chloride or sulphate in the soil, one chemical treatment is sufficient, whereas the presence of sodium requires several treatments. Thanks to effective treatments, salinization has been reduced in several regions of the USSR (in Tajikistan, 35% of irrigated soil was formerly saline; in 1972 only 9% remained saline). |
Geochemical classification of deserts:
1. Saline deserts and desert steppes (with chlorine and nitrate);
2. Calcareous and gypseous deserts;
3. Clay deserts with takyrs;
4. Sand deserts
Authors: Lalymïenko K.K., Lalymïenko I.I., Bïerdyïev S.
Title: Osvoïeniïe takyrovykh pochv s ispol'zovaniïem mïestnogo povïerkhnostnogo stoke (Management of the soils of takyrs using local surface waters)
Publisher: Ylym - Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, Ashkhabad, 286 pp.
| Date: 1983 | Language: Russian |
| Available: | IP Ashkhabad, WGiSR UW Warsaw |
| Classification: | 5C4, 5C1, 5C5 |
| Region: | Turkmenistan |
| Summary: | This is a technical report on the development of takyrs. In the ex-Soviet Union, deserts of takyrs cover more than 13 million hectares and the prospects for their economic use are considered as poor as for solonchaks. Takyrs are entirely, or almost entirely, devoid of vegetation. This document gives a very detailed description of the soil structure and the chemical composition of water in takyrs. Successes in developing takyrs using artificial irrigation near the Karakumy Canal are described. Attempts made in western Turkmenistan in the 1950's to plant black saxaoul without irrigation completely failed. There are new projects to construct a network of deep canals on takyrs connected to shallow furrows that collect water for the irrigation of selected areas. One cultivated hectare requires the collection of water from 15-25 hectares. The authors provide examples of the formation of furrows and the distances between them. The planting of black saxaoul was started at the same time as the cultivation of grasses, vines, almonds, and plants of the squash family. These efforts succeeded. In the authors' opinion, the results of these experiments can be used on similar soils in other regions of the world. The bibliography (437 titles) is exclusively in Russian. |
Examples of methods of takyr development:
These experiments show that a significant loss of water occurs in furrows dug along the sides of takyrs. The most efficient furrows were those made in the bottom of takyrs following their contour lines, 10-33 m apart. In the strip of land along the upper side of the furrow, channels were made. To facilitate drainage into surrounding lands; a drainage network was created. This network was formed by ruts made by the wheels of LAZ 63 vehicles (Soviet landrovers) driving in the rain. Distance between these vehicles: 3-5 km; depth of the ruts: 2 cm.