Causes Degradation of Summer Pastures and Ways to Solve Them

Degradation of lands (and pastures) is the deterioration of the properties, fertility and productivity of lands as a result of economic activity.Summer pastures are usually represented by cereals and cereal-wormwood types.The vegetation of summer pastures develops more slowly than on spring pastures and reaches its maximum development in the early summer.Summer pastures are most productive and their feed is more nutritious in the first half of summer (May-June).By mid-summer, the vegetation on the pastures dries up and in the second half of summer, cattle use the dried feed mass to a large extent.The productivity of summer pastures is usually high and averages 3.1 c/ha of dry matter, or 1.8 c/ha of feed units (Dobrovolsky, 1997, p. 313-321).Summer pastures in the mountainous areas and winter pastures in the plains ofAzerbaijan are rich in biodiversity.Summer mountain pastures are complex coupled ecological and human systems.They provide vital forage for livestock during summer, and their traditional use is decisive for the maintenance of biodiversity, ecosystem services, and open landscapes, which benefit local populations and tourists.