Pastures in the arid zone of Kazakhstan: innovative aspects of optimization

Land degradation is a barrier to the sustainable development of agriculture in the context of population growth and increasing aridization of the climate. The goal is to assess the degree of degradation processes on pasture lands and ways to prevent them. Methods – systems analysis was used to establish causal relationships between the factors of destructive changes; cartographic methods were applied to create spatial models of pasture areas; geographic information system (GIS) tools were employed to analyze the dynamics of negative phenomena on pastures. Results – a spatio-temporal diagnosis of the area was conducted using remote sensing data based on GIS, which demonstrates reliable and highly accurate results compared to ground surveys. The research revealed that ensuring a neutral balance of pasture degradation requires organization based on technologies adapted to specific areas. The authors propose an innovative method of pasture management – the “neo-nomadic” approach, which is based on the study of spatial and ecological conditions, features of sedentary settlement, and transhumant livestock farming. Conclusions – testing of pasture lands in the Mangystau and Shalkar districts of the republic through remote observation and recognition showed that spatio-temporal analysis of satellite data with various resolutions helps minimize systematic errors in obtaining information about the qualitative and quantitative state of vegetation cover on agricultural lands. This method enables more accurate monitoring and forecasting of further pasture depletion, necessary for developing measures to regenerate natural vegetation on pasture lands. The neo-nomadic pasture management approach, based on pen-radiating grazing of livestock around a pasture center, eliminates trampling of grasses, optimizes anthropogenic pressure, and accelerates the restoration of valuable forage crops.