BIODIVERSITY DYNAMICS AND ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE IN ARID AND SEMI-ARID LANDSCAPES OF CENTRAL ASIA UNDER ANTHROPOGENIC PRESSURE

Abstract Arid and semi-arid ecosystems of Central Asia represent highly sensitive ecological systems shaped by climatic variability, limited water availability, and increasing anthropogenic pressure. Uzbekistan and adjacent regions have experienced significant environmental transformation over recent decades, driven by irrigation expansion, land-use change, urbanization, and resource extraction. These pressures have altered biodiversity composition, habitat connectivity, and ecosystem stability. This study investigates biodiversity dynamics and ecosystem resilience within arid and semi-arid landscapes of Central Asia, focusing on structural shifts in plant and animal communities under anthropogenic influence. Drawing upon ecological resilience theory, landscape ecology, and conservation biology, the research analyzes adaptive responses of species assemblages and identifies key drivers of ecological transformation. The objective of this article is to conceptualize resilience not as static equilibrium but as dynamic capacity of ecosystems to absorb disturbance while maintaining functional integrity.