SCIENTIFIC AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR ORGANIZING DESERT RANGELANDS BASED ON LAND-USE PLANNING AND DESIGNING PROTECTIVE TREE BELTS

This article examines the scientific and methodological foundations for organizing desert and semi-desert rangelands through land-use planning and for designing protective tree and shrub belts. Functional zoning, matching livestock pressure to ecological carrying capacity, rotational grazing, spatial distribution of watering points, rehabilitation of degraded areas, and wind-erosion control are treated as components of a single landscape-management system. According to FAO data published in 2026, Uzbekistan has approximately 25.6 million hectares of rangelands, of which 2.5 million hectares are degraded and a further 6 million hectares have lost vegetation cover. National research also reports that around 40% of desert and semi-desert rangelands are degraded to varying degrees and that average productivity has declined by 20-30%. Shelterbelts and drought-tolerant shrubs reduce wind velocity, limit sand movement, lower evaporation, and improve livestock microclimate. The paper proposes an integrated planning model combining grazing units, watering points, rehabilitation zones, protective plantations, and monitoring indicators.