Vegetation of Abandoned Fields on Soil Types of Kastanozems in Northern Kazakhstan (Kostanay Region)

Abstract

This study provides original data on the impact of human activity on vegetation under the specific conditions of the Kastanozem from the Kostanay region (northern Kazakhstan). Radical changes in land use are provoking deposition in vegetation. The question remains whether natural vegetation will return or whether a different type of vegetation will be created under the specific conditions of the Kastanozems soils. The evaluation of vegetation took place in the fields that were abandoned in different time horizons. Height, cover, biomass weight and species composition of vegetation were monitored. The vegetation of abandoned fields is characterized by low species diversity. Succession runs from annual species to a stage where perennial dicotyledonous species with a deep root system dominate. Spontaneous vegetation leaves a sufficient amount of biomass on the soil surface, which assumes that the land will be protected from undesirable phenomena such as erosion and desertification processes.

Ways of step-by-step assessments of transformation and dynamics of soils and vegetation functioning in Kazakhstan ecosystems

“…Authors of the work by Podgornaya et al (2021) write about a fallow area. Similar attention is paid by the authors of Dobryanskaya (2020), Ryspekov et al (2021). Now the combination of fallows and crops is given in the work by Trubnikov et al (2019).…”

Public recreation and landscape protection - with environment hand in hand…

“…Grasses represent a significant source of risk for fire (Ryspekov et al, 2021;Winkler et al, 2021). Grass species are an important part of vineyard vegetation in Moravian vineyards (Lišková et al, 2016;Maxianová et al, 2016;Ragasová et al, 2019).…”