UDC 332.3; 504.5; 504.06

Sambuu A.D., Oxuluk A.O., Kaldar-ool A.Yu. Ecological and Economic Assessment of Agricultural Land Degradation in the Central and Western Zones of the Republic of Tuva // Arid Ecosystems. 2022. Vol. 28. № 4 (93). P. 132-139. | PDF

The presented ecological and economic assessment of agricultural lands of the Republic of Tuva is developed taking into account the theoretical foundations of the economic assessment of the value of land and methods of valuation of environmentally significant factors. According to the agricultural and natural-economic zoning of the East Siberian region, the Republic of Tuva is classified as a steppe sheep-cattle breeding zone. For the purpose of more rational placement and scientifically-based specialization of agricultural production, the territory of Tuva is divided into 4 agricultural zones (Economy of the Tuva ASSR, 1973). The agricultural lands of the research area are included in the Central agricultural zone, mainly agricultural subtayga, livestock-grain steppe, and in the Western agricultural zone, mainly livestock-grain. These are the largest, developed and densely populated parts of the republic, where most of the arable land, 2/3 of hayfields and pastures, more than 80% of the population of the republic are concentrated. The territories of farmland are located within the dry-steppe, steppe and forest-steppe natural and climatic zones. The climate is characterized by the greatest degree of aridity. The main types of soils on arable lands are chestnut sandy loam soils subject to wind erosion – 60%, chernozems – 23% and alluvial turf soils – 15%. The performed assessment shows that the total damage from soil degradation for the Central and Western agricultural zones of the republic is estimated at more than 3.5 billion rubles, which is about a third of the value of the lands belonging to the agricultural lands of the republic. A decrease in the value of land for the period 2012 to 2017 was revealed for the Tandinsky district – 54.1% and the Chedi-Kholsky district – 47.2%, which is associated with soil degradation (according to signs of soil erosion, humus reserves, the content of mobile phosphorus and potassium, the specific area of land experiencing significant anthropogenic loads)..

Keywords: ecological and economic assessment, soil degradation, agricultural zone, depression, Republic of Tuva. 

Financing. The study was carried out with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research within the framework of the scientific project No. 19-29-05208\19 mk «Ecological and economic assessment of degradation of agricultural lands of the Republic of Tuva».

DOI: 10.24412/1993-3916-2022-4-132-139

EDN: BJJWSB