Soil degradation in the foothill steppe zone of the Republic of Khakassia

This study analyzes the impact of land-use technologies on soil degradation during the 20th century and under contemporary conditions in the foothill steppe soil-geographical zone of the Republic of Khakassia, located in southern Middle Siberia. Wind and water erosion were assessed based on research data from the Khakassia Research Institute of Agricultural Problems (conducted on eroded soils), the Siberian Scientific Research Institute of Land Management and Reclamation (SibNIPIZem), the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Rosgiprozem,” and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Khakassia. Intensive anthropogenic pressure on steppe ecosystems including extensive plowing, unregulated grazing of sheep and goats, and the absence of soil conservation practices during the cultivation of virgin and fallow lands led to the destruction of vegetation cover and severe soil degradation in the 1960s. These historical factors continue to contribute to active deflation processes in the foothill steppes of Middle Siberia today. Shelterbelts composed of Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila) and black poplar (Populus nigra), established at intervals of 300-350 m, enhance the agroecological stability of steppe croplands. Under current conditions, the implementation of an integrated agroforestry anti-erosion system comprising shelterbelts, conservation tillage, and reduction of arable land area effectively mitigates erosion processes in steppe agrolandscapes.

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