The Importance of Establishing Forest Plantations in the Aral Sea Region for Biodiversity Restoration, Food Security, and Improvement of the Ecological-Meliorative Condition of Soils

Abstract

Since the 1960s and 1970s, the improper distribution and misuse of water resources in the region, the intensification of cotton monoculture, the large-scale development of deserts and the emphasis on extensive farming, the failure to plant crops that require less water and are resistant to salinity in these regions, as well as a global environmental problem, the tragedy of the century, the drying up of the Aral Sea, which once softened the climate of the region by softening the Arctic cold air masses in the winter and the hot and warm air masses coming from the Iranian regions in the summer, have had irreparable negative consequences, leading to the transformation of the region’s soil cover, the loss of biodiversity, the transition of soil formation processes from hydromorphic to automorphic, and the intensification of degradation and desertification processes. The main direction and goal of the scientific research carried out in the region is to mitigate the consequences of the above-mentioned negative factors. At the same time, it is to convey to producers and farmers that planting phyto-ameliorative crops that are resistant to salinity and require less water in these regions is of great importance in ensuring the country’s food security. This article examines the intense processes of drought, desertification, and degradation of soils and plants; the negative changes in the vegetation and soil cover of the Aral Sea region; plants suitable for cultivation in this region; their morphological structure, biology, and characteristics; agricultural technologies for growing these plants; the importance of these plants for improving the ecological reclamation of desert territories; as well as measures to reduce soil degradation; the acclimatization of crop species recommended for planting in these regions to obtain high-quality, environmentally friendly products, such as alfalfa, white sorghum, barley, and other crops; as well as the planting of tall shrub trees to reduce the amount of dust-salt mixture rising into the atmosphere from these regions, including white saxaul, black saxaul, kandim, cherkez, soap tree, and yulgun. Research on the cultivation of turangil and other trees is also considered. At the same time, given the large land areas in these regions, scientific research is being conducted on restoring biodiversity, rationally using plant and water resources, selecting saline and low-water crop species, planting them in these regions, and obtaining high yields from them.