The review article presents the main results of the activity of JSC TC “Tatmelioratsiya” and “Tatmeliovodkhoz” administration on the land-reclamation work in the Republic of Tatarstan. These works included the repair, reconstruction of dams and ponds, the restoration and construction of new irrigation systems, commissioning and start-up of new fuel-efficient sprinklers. At January 1, 2011 a complete inventory of the technical condition of existing hydraulic structures was carried out by the JSC TC “Tatmelioratsiya”. There are 298 waterworks, that require repair and reconstruction in the Republic of Tatarstan. At the same time, it should be noted, because of the intensive use of constructed facilities at different time of natural disasters, the 52 dams was partially destroyed and require urgent measures to restore them. Among the emergency, the greatest danger in case of emergencies during the flood were 18 waterworks, where in case of emergency there is a real threat of flooding populated areas and economic facilities located in the flooded areas. The government of the Republic had provided funding for the anti-flood measures in 2011 in the amount of 40 million rubles, moreover, a republican target program for 2012- 2014 on the repair and reconstruction of hydraulic structures for the prolongation until 2017 was developed and adopted. The programs, passed by the Russian government and the Republic of Tatarstan, allow to strength food security and reduce import substitution of basic foods that will eventually contribute to the development of their own agricultural sector.

Conducting soil studies are relevant in determining the subordination of forest types and biodiversity of vegetation to soil taxa, in determining the dependence of basic forest stand productivity from soil conditions, in creating a land registry and economic assessment of forest land, in studying the soil evolution of forest plantations under the impact of anthropogenic influences. Soil is the most important environmental factor in shaping the productivity and biodiversity of forest phytocenosis. The study of forest soils is also important in terms of basic research of their genesis, evolution. The article presents the results of research of soil conditions of vegetation growth of forest ecosystems of northern regions of Volga of the Republic of Tatarstan. The main types of forest soils are characterized in the paper. The studied forest formations grow on various soils on genesis and forest vegetation properties: sod-podzol, gray forest, brown forest, brown forest sandy, alluvial meadow, rendziny soil. The granulometric structure of soils varies from sandy to the clay. The well structured soils are formed on loamy layers under forest phytocenosis canopy. Pine and spruce ecosystems have a medi-decomposed litter of moder and multi-moder types; linden, oak, birch and aspen biogeocoenoses have strong-decomposed litter of multi type, that characterizes the intense biological cycle of substances in forest ecosystems. The wide range of place conditions of territories causes the biological diversity of forest vegetation at the level of species and ecosystems.

The protective forest plantations of the eastern Volga region of the Republic of Tatarstan were investigated. The basic types of protective forest communities of the region were distignguished. The productivity of stands was difined, their condition was described. The authors characterized the biological diversity of forest stands on the level of plant species and ecosystem. The article also describes the types of soil, on which a learned protective forest plant communities of eastern Volga region were raised.

The article presents the results of 4-year field studies to identify the efficiency of pre-sowing treatment of common spruce seeds with drugs “Gumat” and “Bioplant Flora”, as well as the introduction of various nitrogen fertilizers for growing seedlings. The studies were conducted in 2008-2011 on sandy loam, sod-podzolic soil of basic forest nursery “Training and experimental suburban forestry”, which is located in the Kama climatic zone of the Republic of Tatarstan. Studies have found that pre-sowing seed soaking by drugs increases the productivity of standard seedlings, an application of nitrogen fertilizer has a positive effect on biometrics (diameter of trunks at the root collar, height and etc.) of common spruce seedlings.

This article is devoted to the problem of protective plantings seedlings growing and creating, grown with closed root system, both in the world and in Russia. The paper gives a comprehensive comparative evaluation of the pine seedlings survival, grown with closed root system compared with seedlings, grown with open root system in protective gullies and ravines plantations, which were established in the spring of 2012. Research has shown that in the same natural climatic and soil conditions the best survival was kept by pine seedlings, grown with closed root system from Sabinskiy selection center compared with open root system (seedlings from the nursery). Pine seedlings with open root system were exposed to stress in the first year of planting, which was characterized by the emergence of more frequent and of short needles on the trunks and branches – “goose neck”.