Restoring steppe landscapes: patterns, drivers and implications in Russia’s steppes
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Restoring steppe landscapes : patterns, drivers and implications in Russia’s steppes. / Pazur, Robert; Prishchepov, Alexander V.; Myachina, Ksenya; Verburg, Peter H.; Levykin, Sergey; Ponkina, Elena V.; Kazachkov, Grigory; Yakovlev, Ilya; Akhmetov, Renat; Rogova, Natalia; Bürgi, Matthias.
I: Landscape Ecology, Bind 36, 2021, s. 407–425.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Restoring steppe landscapes
T2 - patterns, drivers and implications in Russia’s steppes
AU - Pazur, Robert
AU - Prishchepov, Alexander V.
AU - Myachina, Ksenya
AU - Verburg, Peter H.
AU - Levykin, Sergey
AU - Ponkina, Elena V.
AU - Kazachkov, Grigory
AU - Yakovlev, Ilya
AU - Akhmetov, Renat
AU - Rogova, Natalia
AU - Bürgi, Matthias
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Context: Agricultural land abandonment across the steppe belt of Eurasia has provided an opportunity for the restoration of steppe landscapes in recent decades. However, global food demands are about to revert this trajectory and put restored steppe landscapes at risk. Objectives: We analysed steppe development in southern Russia in the last 40 years, assessed its spatial patterns and drivers of change for several periods. Methods: Using Landsat imagery, we mapped the permanent steppe and steppe restoration from 1990 to 2018. Based on regression tree models, we evaluate and explain its dynamics. Results were compared with district-level trends in land-use intensities of cropland. Results: We found 70% of the steppe in 2018 represented permanent steppe and 30% of former cropland dominantly abandoned in the postsocialism (1990–2000). The permanent steppe and steppe restored in the postsocialism (1990–2000) were located far from settlements, on rough terrain and in districts of the Virgin Land Campaign (1954–1963). In recent decades, the patterns of steppe restoration (2000–2018) were mostly determined by unfavourable agroclimatic conditions and distance from grain storage facilities. The restoration pattern reflects regional differences in land-use intensities, e.g., isolated steppe patches mostly appeared in areas of intensive agricultural land-use. Conclusions: Steppe restoration has appeared in areas marginal for agricultural production, with poor natural conditions and little human footprint. Consequently, the permanent steppe became less fragmented and a more continuous steppe landscape resulted. The remaining isolated steppe patches require attention in restoration programs as they are mostly located in areas of intensive agricultural land-use.
AB - Context: Agricultural land abandonment across the steppe belt of Eurasia has provided an opportunity for the restoration of steppe landscapes in recent decades. However, global food demands are about to revert this trajectory and put restored steppe landscapes at risk. Objectives: We analysed steppe development in southern Russia in the last 40 years, assessed its spatial patterns and drivers of change for several periods. Methods: Using Landsat imagery, we mapped the permanent steppe and steppe restoration from 1990 to 2018. Based on regression tree models, we evaluate and explain its dynamics. Results were compared with district-level trends in land-use intensities of cropland. Results: We found 70% of the steppe in 2018 represented permanent steppe and 30% of former cropland dominantly abandoned in the postsocialism (1990–2000). The permanent steppe and steppe restored in the postsocialism (1990–2000) were located far from settlements, on rough terrain and in districts of the Virgin Land Campaign (1954–1963). In recent decades, the patterns of steppe restoration (2000–2018) were mostly determined by unfavourable agroclimatic conditions and distance from grain storage facilities. The restoration pattern reflects regional differences in land-use intensities, e.g., isolated steppe patches mostly appeared in areas of intensive agricultural land-use. Conclusions: Steppe restoration has appeared in areas marginal for agricultural production, with poor natural conditions and little human footprint. Consequently, the permanent steppe became less fragmented and a more continuous steppe landscape resulted. The remaining isolated steppe patches require attention in restoration programs as they are mostly located in areas of intensive agricultural land-use.
KW - Agricultural land abandonment
KW - Driving forces
KW - Eurasia
KW - Land cover
KW - Land-use
KW - Land-use intensity
KW - Remote sensing
KW - Spatial determinants
KW - Steppe
U2 - 10.1007/s10980-020-01174-7
DO - 10.1007/s10980-020-01174-7
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85098217875
VL - 36
SP - 407
EP - 425
JO - Landscape Ecology
JF - Landscape Ecology
SN - 0921-2973
ER -
ID: 254723454