Desertification processes
According to the classification based on an aridity index, Volgograd Region is located in the semi-arid zone with P/ETP ratio between 0.3-0.5 and an annual precipitation about 200-400 mm. In this region around 14.3 % of agricultural lands have a strong desertification index, 18.6 %- have moderate desertification level and others about 67.1 % - have a weak desertification level (Fig. 8). In such severe conditions a dry farming (rain-fed, and/or rain & snow-fed) and animal husbandry are possible.
The main desertification processes within the Volgograd Region, as shown in Fig. 10, are weak manifestation of water erosion (26 % of agricultural lands) , moderate and strong soil salinization (17 % of agricultural lands) and deflation (1 % of agricultural lands, the latter is specific for light sediments).
Fig. 10: Map of the desertification processes in European part of Russian Federation (derived from Kust, 2002).
