Land Use Modernization and Agrarian and Conservation Prospects in the Russian Steppe

Levykin, S. V.; Chibilyov, A. A.; Казачков, Г. В.

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-3886-7_19

Cited by 5 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…In Hungary, most of the land suitable for agriculture had been ploughed already by the eleventh century, and the forest cover reached its minimum in the eighteenth century, when steppe woodlands had largely disappeared (Molnár et al, 2012). "Russian agriculture was born in the forest zone" as well (Levykin et al, 2012). In the seventeenth century, modern crop-based agricultural development started in Russia in the East European forest-steppe and meadow steppes zones and gradually extended to the East and South.…”

Section: Middle Ages and Modern Timesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rivers and wetland were drained on a large scale, and roads and canals were constructed. The 'virgin lands campaign' transformed the face of the steppes and led to large-scale changes in society and ecology (Levykin et al, 2012). Nearly all plain black-earth and chestnut soil steppes in the former Soviet Union in the west of the Volga were ploughed up.…”

Section: Soviet Eramentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The first decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union (from 1990 to 2000) was characterised by a breakdown of industry, infrastructure and social systems in post-Soviet countries. The transition from state-controlled to market-driven economies caused drastic socio-economic changes (Levykin et al, 2012). These changes had a great impact on landscapes and biodiversity in the steppe zone.…”

Section: Post-soviet Timementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since about 2000, the trend towards land abandon-ment and decrease of livestock numbers reversed in many parts of the former Soviet Union. Crop production was again given priority by Russian authorities, and, with governmental support, re-ploughing of fallow lands in the steppe zones was intensified and expanded during the last decade (Levykin et al, 2012), which again threats steppe vegetation and steppe wild life (Kamp et al, 2011;Neronov et al, 2012).…”

Section: Post-soviet Timementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conservation status of the Eurasian steppes follows these trends. In all post-Soviet countries, protected areas (nature areas of preferential protection) in the steppe zone do not concentrate on typical, zonal steppe ecosystems and landscapes but mainly cover intrazonal locations restricted to special habitats as, e.g., saline or rocky or sandy places (Levykin et al, 2012).…”

Section: Present State Conservation Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Eurasian steppe belt: Status quo, origin and evolutionary history

2019

Turczaninowia

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We present a comprehensive review of the characteristics and structure of the Eurasian steppe and of its evolutionary history in space and time. During the last decades, tremendous advances in research methods in earth and palaeontological sciences have greatly increased knowledge on palaeoclimates and palaeoenvironments of the Cenozoic era. We discuss well-known facts against the background of the recent progress made in these fields and others related to our topics, and address open questions. In Part I (Status quo), we deal with steppe classification systems, human impact and present state of the Eurasian steppe. Here, we concentrate on prehistoric times when the first human cultures emerged, and on the last 100 to 200 years when drastic changes occurred and in many regions steppe nearly completely disappeared. In Part II (Origin and evolutionary history of the Eurasian steppe) we attend to the origin and evolution of grasses and grassland in general, and to the evolution and climate/landscape history of the Eurasian steppe belt in particular. Uplift of the Himalayan-Tibet Plateau, changes in land-sea distribution and global climate trends have been invoked as driving forces behind Cenozoic paleoclimate changes, but there is little consensus which one is the most important driver. We finally identify gaps/challenges in our knowledge about the evolutionary history of the Eurasian steppe and discuss research directions, which might help to unravel the florogenetic and steppe habitat dynamics from the beginning of steppe formation to the present time.

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Section: Middle Ages and Modern Timesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Soviet Eramentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Post-soviet Timementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Post-soviet Timementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Present State Conservation Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Eurasian steppe belt: Status quo, origin and evolutionary history

2019

Turczaninowia

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Restoring steppe landscapes: patterns, drivers and implications in Russia’s steppes

et al. 2020

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Context Agricultural land abandonment across the steppe belt of Eurasia has provided an opportunity for the restoration of steppe landscapes in recent decades. However, global food demands are about to revert this trajectory and put restored steppe landscapes at risk. Objectives We analysed steppe development in southern Russia in the last 40 years, assessed its spatial patterns and drivers of change for several periods. Methods Using Landsat imagery, we mapped the permanent steppe and steppe restoration from 1990 to 2018. Based on regression tree models, we evaluate and explain its dynamics. Results were compared with district-level trends in land-use intensities of cropland. Results We found 70% of the steppe in 2018 represented permanent steppe and 30% of former cropland dominantly abandoned in the postsocialism (1990–2000). The permanent steppe and steppe restored in the postsocialism (1990–2000) were located far from settlements, on rough terrain and in districts of the Virgin Land Campaign (1954–1963). In recent decades, the patterns of steppe restoration (2000–2018) were mostly determined by unfavourable agroclimatic conditions and distance from grain storage facilities. The restoration pattern reflects regional differences in land-use intensities, e.g., isolated steppe patches mostly appeared in areas of intensive agricultural land-use. Conclusions Steppe restoration has appeared in areas marginal for agricultural production, with poor natural conditions and little human footprint. Consequently, the permanent steppe became less fragmented and a more continuous steppe landscape resulted. The remaining isolated steppe patches require attention in restoration programs as they are mostly located in areas of intensive agricultural land-use.

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