Assessment of ecosystem dynamism under the influence of dust storms (using the example of the east of the Stavropol region)

This article presents the results of an assessment of the dynamism of ecosystems in the eastern regions of the Stavropol Region (Levokumsky, Neftekumsky, Kursky, Stepnovsky district). The relevance of the study is due to changes in the regime of dust storms in the territory of the Caspian lowland and a sharp increase in the area of open sands. The studied area belongs to the historical region of arid Kizlyar pastures and has been subjected to anthropogenic loads for many decades; degradation of pastures requires careful monitoring of changes in their condition. The assessment of ecosystem dynamism was based on the results of visual decoding of Earth remote sensing data and interpolation of the dynamics of open sand areas based on a regular grid with a side of 2 km. According to the percentage of dynamism, ecosystems were divided into types from stable to dynamic. Schemes of ecosystem dynamism have been constructed for two periods - relatively stable (from 2000 to 2016) and dynamic (from 2017 to 2023). During the period of relative stability, most of the territory remained stable or relatively stable, whereas in the dynamic period, almost the entire territory of Levokumsky and Neftekumsky districts belonged to the medium dynamic and dynamic type. The data obtained can be used in planning measures to combat desertification in the affected areas.