Сreation of Tree and Shrub Vegetation as a Reserve to Mitigate

Climate Warming and Carbon Neutrality in the North Chechen

Lowlands

Idris Abdurashidovich Bayrakov

Chechen State University Named After A.A. Kadyrov, Grozny, Russia

Keywords: North Chechen lowlands, semi-desert zone, vegetation, climate.

Abstract: Due to the fact that projects to achieve carbon neutrality are being actively promoted all over the world,

Russia has not stood aside either. A huge scale of activities is being carried out in the country, including

carbon landfills, which will allow us to determine the possibilities for sequestration of carbon by tree and

shrub vegetation. It is well known that real carbon neutrality can be achieved only by increasing the area of

natural and anthropogenic forest and shrub massifs, this will cripple the absorbing volumes of these

geosystems. Besides the fact that they are primarily designed to mitigate or neutralize the effects of global

warming at regional levels, forest-climatic projects can also bring invaluable benefits to natural landscapes:

the preservation of landscape and biological diversity, soil protection, city-forming and water-regulating

functions of the forest area. The purpose of the study is to study the possibility of creating woody and

shrubby vegetation in the landscape of the North Chechen Lowland complex to neutralize atmospheric

carbon. Research objectives: to conduct studies of anthropogenic and climatogenic changes in landscape

complexes; to identify the main species of woody and shrubby plants for afforestation of the semi-desert

zone; to develop measures for afforestation and optimization of the natural environment of the semi-desert

zone.

1 INTRODUCTION

Everyone is well aware of the role of woody

vegetation in mitigating the emerging consequences

of actively occurring global climate changes on the

planet. Forests are good neutralizers and carbon

dioxide doublers. In recent years, the world

community has been actively involved in the process

of countering the increase in greenhouse gas

emissions into the atmosphere, a number of

fundamental documents have been reached, such as

the Paris Agreement, an agreement under the UN

Framework Convention on Climate Change

regulating measures to reduce carbon dioxide in the

atmosphere from 2020. 193 States joined the

Agreement, which was adopted instead of the Kyoto

Protocol. Climate change as a sum of regional

changes has gone far beyond the borders of states

and no state alone can solve the problem, this is the

case when consensus is needed at all levels of

government, active international cooperation in the

transition to a "green economy".

Taking into account the above, we have devoted

our work to one of the most problematic topics of

rational nature management in the forest sector,

measures for the artificial construction of forests in

the most arid natural-territorial complex of the

Chechen Republic, the semi-desert zone, taking into

account the possibilities of tree and shrub vegetation

to reduce the effects of the effects of climate

warming. Forests are among the main carbon

neutralizers from the atmosphere and as such their

role is exceptionally great in the carbon cycle in

nature(Bayrakov, 2008)

In recent years, there has literally been a flurry of

scientific publications, both Russian and foreign, on

the topic of climate change and the consequences

that accompany it, which note the potential for large-

scale afforestation of treeless spaces and, naturally,

to mitigate the effects of climate change.

204

Bayrakov, I.

Creation of Tree and Shrub Vegetation as a Reserve to Mitigate Climate Warming and Carbon Neutrality in the North Chechen Lowlands.

DOI: 10.5220/0011568600003524

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Methods, Models, Technologies for Sustainable Development (MMTGE 2022) - Agroclimatic Projects and Carbon Neutrality, pages

204-209

ISBN: 978-989-758-608-8

 2023 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

There are many estimated standards for the potential

reduction of carbon dioxide emissions due to

forested areas. In the semi-desert zone of the

Chechen Republic, there is a huge potential for

afforestation of more than 50-70 thousand hectares

of territory out of 370 thousand hectares of the total

area of the arid zone. However, there are many

obstacles to active afforestation, there is no

necessary technical infrastructure, human resources

and management structure for the implementation of

such measures on tens of thousands of hectares. At

the same time, there is some experience in

afforestation of sandy massifs of the semi-desert

zone in the Soviet period to create soil-protective

and wind-breaking forest strips. A material base was

created, several forestry enterprises were organized,

which grew planting material, planting and caring

for them. However, the long-term lack of care and

new plantings, these plantings are in terrible

condition, many have died.

Our field studies have shown that using the past

experience of creating forest strips, it is possible to

create a large forest area in the arid zone of the

Chechen Republic within a few years to neutralize

atmospheric carbon. But to do this, it is necessary to

restore the entire material and technical base with

certain scientific and practical tasks - forest-climatic

projects.

Naturally, in the current situation, it is necessary

in scientific and government structures to radically

change the approach to minimizing the

consequences of climate change. The experience of

many countries has shown that afforestation of

treeless territories, and the potential of the Chechen

Republic is huge, forest cover is less than 20% of the

area of the region, and the semi-desert zone is 99%

devoid of woody vegetation, an event that

successfully neutralizes atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Evaluating all the foreign experience in afforestation

of treeless territories, this is not enough, since the

result, even if all the measures under the

afforestation program are implemented, will be

visible at best in 10-15 years (A.D Gozhev, 1930).

The main method was field research by routes

that ran from south to north, the reference points

were located at the corners of squares with sides of 5

km. Dozens of photographs of sandy landforms were

taken (fig. 1).

The basis for further research of the Aeolian

landscape complex has been laid. The complex

nature of our research allowed us to determine that

the main factor that provoked deflationary processes

here is the anthropogenic factor, since the second

half of the last century, the process of intensive

warming began, which naturally intensified

deflationary processes.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A significant variety of geomorphological conditions

and a large elevation difference above ocean level,

the location at a great distance from sea currents and

the barrier role of the Greater Caucasus caused

climatic diversity in the territory of the North

Chechen Lowland, despite the relatively small

territory. It is a zone with extremely arid climatic

Figure 1: Map diagram agroinvestigationisitineribus North. Chechen campestribus.

Creation of Tree and Shrub Vegetation as a Reserve to Mitigate Climate Warming and Carbon Neutrality in the North Chechen Lowlands

205

conditions and occupies the territory in the extreme

north-east of the Chechen Republic. The zone is

characterized by extreme aridity, here the annual

precipitation is no more than 300 mm, and in some

years the amount of precipitation does not reach 200

mm per year (Dzh. G Kanadell, E`. D iShul`ce, 2014).

The warm period is quite long, as well as

throughout the Eastern Caucasus, but the period

when the average daily temperature is above 20

in the zone exceeds the rest of the region for about a

month. Winter and autumn periods are much milder

here, with an average temperature of - 2.2

C in

January and +26.5

C in July.Precipitation is

characterized by a strongly pronounced maximum in

September. The zone is characterized by a rather

unstable snow cover, which is often blown away by

the wind. The zone with arid climatic conditions is

characteristic of the North Chechen lowland.

The presence here of a significant area of open

and sparse vegetation of sand masses naturally

affects meteorological elements such as precipitation

and their redistribution within the zone itself, and it

also has a strong effect on summer temperatures C

(A. I. Belyaev, K. N. Kulik , A. S.Manaenkov,

2021).

The temperature regime of the coldest month of

January is 3

C, and the warmest month of July is

+25

C, with an average annual temperature of

+11

The nature of precipitation with a September

maximum, like the previous zone, is less than 350

mm, but in some years they are no more than 200

mm, which brings these two zones closer. The

maximum amount of precipitation falls in the

autumn and spring periods (table 1) (fig.2).

The temperature regime is distributed as follows:

the warmest month is January with average

temperatures - 4-4.5

C, and the warmest month is

July with average temperatures +23

- 24

C (fig.3).

In the zone, the distribution of the temperature

regime is affected by a relative increase above ocean

level, which causes some diversity in different parts

of the plain. So the temperature regime in the

average monthly indicators ranges from +24

C to

C, for three months the temperature is kept at

+20

C (fig.4).

Zones on the territory of the North Chechen

lowland change from north to south according to the

scheme: from semi-deserts, steppes and forest-

steppe on the plain. Before the economic

intervention of man, the North Chechen lowland was

occupied by the Tipchakov-kovyl steppe, today it is

completely plowed and there is almost no virgin

steppe, except in lands inconvenient for cultivation

(G.-Dzh. Nabuurs, P.Delakot, D Ellison, M.

Xanevinkel, Xetemaki, L. I. Lindner, 2017).

Figure 2: Climate map of the North Chechen Lowland. Chechen campestribus.

Table 1: Average monthly and annual air temperatures.

Weather station

Year

Kargalinovskaya

291

Naurskaya

369

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neutrality", Kadyrov Chechen State University Chechen Republic, Grozny, st. Sher

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In the floodplain part of the river there is a

floodplain forest. Tipchak-kovyl steppe associations

of plant communities have spread mainly on sandy

loam and light loam-based chestnut soils of the

plain, and on the adjacent valley of the Terek River.

The territory of the North Chechen lowland is

almost completely devoid of natural vegetation.

According to (Rozhanecz-Kucherovskaya, 1925),

and then it was noted by (Gozhev, 1930), that the

indigenous plant associations on the plain were

tipchak-kovylnye.

If we trace the history of the development of the

vegetation cover of the plain, then we can restore the

course of restoration to its original state according to

the following scheme: at the first stage, the arable

land is overgrown with associations of wormwood,

which also includes other species: porcine, roofing

and splayed bonfire, larkspur, bunny, milkweed and

field bindweed(Yu. Pan, R.A. Betdsi, Z., Fang, R.

Xiong, P.E. Kauppi, V.A. Kurcz, 2011).

This group of plants in this composition develops

within 5-10 years; The final stage of the restoration

process creates a tipchak-kovyl steppe in the North

Chechen lowland consisting of tipchak, hair-shaped

feather grass, sea wormwood, prostrate kohia,

combed wheatgrass, noble yarrow and tamarisk.

The vegetation cover of the territory along the

canal differs significantly, as a result of the

infiltration of the canal waters, meadow formations

have formed here, creating dense thickets with a

Figure 3: Climate. Distribution of average annual air temperatures. Chechen campestribus.

Figure 4: Vegetation map of the North Chechen Lowland. Chechen campestribus.

Creation of Tree and Shrub Vegetation as a Reserve to Mitigate Climate Warming and Carbon Neutrality in the North Chechen Lowlands

207

predominance of meadow-steppe grasses with a

variety of cereals: creeping wheatgrass, meadow

bluegrass, thin-legged, timothy, Siberian wheatgrass,

as well as alfalfa and gunba make these meadows

highly valuable in terms of fodder.

Semi-desert landscape complexes of the North

Chechen lowland are represented by three types:

sharply continental Kazakhstan with the sum of

annual active temperatures of 3600

C and annual

precipitation of 200-300 mm, extremely continental

climate with the sum of annual temperatures of 4200

° C and precipitation of 100-200 mm.

Atmospheric surface runoff is practically absent,

weathering, deflation, and salinization occur actively

in the north-east of the lowlands. Phytomass

reserves - 8-4 t/ha, productivity - from 3 to 5 t/ha.

Stable snow cover is not preserved (A.I. Belyaev, K.

N. Kulik, A. S.Manaenkov, 2021).

During the snowless period, there is a lack of

moisture in the soil. The distribution of soil and

vegetation cover is characterized by complexity, i.e.

continuous change of different subtypes of soils and

plant groupings, due to meso- and microrelief, - a

large number of suffusion depressions.

Allthedepressionsarecoveredwithvegetation(A.I.

Galushko, 1975).

List of plants used in forest reclamation of

pastures (A.I. Galushko, 1978-1980; A.A. Grossheim.

1948).

Trees

1. Armeniaca vulgaris Lam.

2. PrumusdivaricataLedeb.

3. Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle.

4. Betulapendula Roth.

5. Ulmuspumila L.

6. Ulmuslaevis Pall.

7. Pyruscommunis L.

8. Acer platanoides L.

9. Acer campestre L.

10. Acer tataricum L.

11. Acer negundo L.

12. LarixsibiricaLedeb.

13. Robiniapseudoacacia L.

14. Haloxylonpersicum Bunge

15. Haloxylonaphyllum (Minkw.) Iljin

16. Pinuspallasiana D. Don.

17. Pinussilvestris L.

18. Populusalba L.

19. Populusbalsamifera L.

20. PopuluslaurifoliaLedeb.

21. PopulusdiversifoliaSchrenk.

22. PopulusbalsamiferaL.(var. sibirica)

23. Populusnigra L.

24. Morusalba L.

25. Maluspallasiana Jus.

26. Fraxinuslanceolata

Shrubs

27. Caraganaarborescena Lam.

28. JuniperuscommunisOblongaPendula

29. Crataegussanguinea Pall.

30. CalligonumaphyllumGurke.

31. CalligonummicrocarpumBorszcz.

32. Calligonum caput-medusaeSchrenk.

33. Calligonumsetosum (Litv.) Litv.

34. Loniceratatarica L.

35. Salix daphnoidesVill.

36. Salix caspica Pall.

37. Salix rubraHuds.

38. Amelanchierrotundifolia (Lam.) Dum. Cours.

39. Elaeagnusangustifolia L.

40. Hippophaerhamnoides L.

41. CotinuscoggygriaScop.

42. RibesaureumPursh.

43. TamarixramosissimaLedeb.

44. TamarixlaxaWilld.

45. Ephedra distachya L.

46. Halimodendronhalodendron (Pall.)

47. SalsolapaletskianaLitr.

48. Salsolarichteri (Moq.) Kar.exLitv.

49. Aelleniasubaphylla (C. A. Mey) Aell.

4 CONCLUSION

Carrying out all types of processing of agricultural

land along transverse slopes with successful

measures to protect land from flushing in such

farming conditions, contour organizations of arable

land are more acceptable.

Planting regulating the flow of forest belts allows

it to switch to contour-reclamation land use systems

using all necessary anti-erosion measures that resist

the development of the erosion process. The

simplest and cheapest method that protects arable

land from floods and downpours are buffer forest

belts, their construction does not require special

techniques and serious changes in agricultural

technology to cultivate crops.

They are built on slope complexes, the steepness

of which is more than 2

. Their creation is desirable

from crops with continuous sowing (perennial and

annual grasses, winter, spring grains). Buffer forest

belts are used in order to restrain the flow of

snowmelt water masses on winter crops in winter

and spring periods.

MMTGE 2022 - I International Conference "Methods, models, technologies for sustainable development: agroclimatic projects and carbon

neutrality", Kadyrov Chechen State University Chechen Republic, Grozny, st. Sher

208

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The research was carried out within the state

assignment of Ministry of Science and Higher

Education of the Russian Federation (theme No.

№075-03-2021-074/4)

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