International Journal of Scientific and Management Research

Mountain Steppes And Upland Xerophytes ― As an Element of Landscape Diversity in The Eastern Central Caucasus

Delyara I. Tebieva¹ & Vitaly V. Dobronosov^2*
1Department of Geography, Kosta Levanovich Khetagurov North Ossetian State University, Russian Federation
²Department of Science, FSBI “Zapovednaya Ossetia ― Alania”, Russian Federation
DOI – http://doi.org/10.37502/IJSMR.2024.71003

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Abstract

Long-term observations of dynamic processes in the landscapes of intra-mountain basins on the territory of North Ossetia-Alania have shown that changes in them can be both progressive and regressive, which is associated with natural external factors that are imposed by anthropogenic influences. For a long time, arid landscapes in the eastern part of the Central Caucasus (within the North Ossetia-Alania) were intensively exploited as pasture (less often arable) land and underwent significant anthropogenic degradation. The situation began to change in the last decade of the 20th century due to the general crisis state of the country’s economy, the collapse of collective farms and state farms, a sharp reduction in the number of cattle and small cattle. The removal of agricultural load on mountain landscapes led to the gradual restoration of their natural state. Currently, there is a trend towards a change in traditional nature management to recreational, and the problem of protecting natural geological systems is again emerging from recreational impact. The most vulnerable are arid dry-steppe and upland xerophytic formations, occupying a little more than 6 thousand hectares (8.4%) of the area of intracity basins, but are habitats included in the Red Book of North Ossetia-Alania, endemic and rare vascular plants (more than 20 species) and invertebrate animals (about 60 species).

Keywords: Arid systems, Mountain steppes, Upland xerophytes, Traditional and Recreational nature management, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania.

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