Raisa Gracheva, Elena Belonovskaya

Institute of Geography of RAS, Moscow

Pastoral land use changes

in the North Caucasus

Projects

International project “Sustainable development of

mountain regions of the Caucasus – Local Agenda 21”

(2004-2006) as a part of Mountain Partnership’s

programs.

Russian-Swiss project IB7310-111103/1

“Sustainable Development of mountain regions for

countries in transition (SMD –T) - An appraisal of

options for sustainable development with case studies

in Caucasus mountain villages (2006-2008) as a part of

SCOPES program supported by SNSF

Programs of Russian Academy of Sciences

Mountain grasslands of the Caucasus had

been formed under human impact for

several millennia. Seasonal grazing and

mowing are the important factors of

stability/instability of these ancient

seminatural landscapes, and the variety of

local land use determines ecosystem

diversity to a great extent.

Case studies: North Caucasus, Russia

1- Republic of North Ossetia-Alania;

2 - Kabardino-Balkarian Republic

1

2

The established pastoral land use system

generally remained unchanged in Soviet time

North Caucasus –

region of traditional

mountain livestock

farming

1991 started the extremely significant political and socio-

economic changes in the former USSR.

During the last 20 post-soviet years the mountain land use

changed, local regulations were disturbed and changing human

impact affects the condition of the pastoral landscapes.

An integrated study of the current land use and its impact on

mountain environment was made.

What are the main social and economic processes which are

responsible for land use changes in transition time?

What are the effects of land use changes on the mountain

pastoral ecosystems?

Opportunity of bringing the results of scientific research to

administrations and local population

Questions under

consideration

Mountain pastoral lands are about 5 million ha

in the North Caucasus, extending from

elevations of 3200 – 1900 m a.s.l. in the East

and Central Caucasus, to 3500 – 900 m a.s.l. in

the West Caucasus. They occupy 30-40% of

total area in the eastern Caucasus and over

25% in central and western regions

The established traditional pastoral land use

system generally remained unchanged in Soviet

time and was strongly stratified along altitudinal

belts.

Carpet Carici-

Colpodietum

Carpet Taraxaco-

Geranietum

Meadow Anemone-

Campanuletum

Alpine short grass meadows and

carpet-like meadows (3200 – 2500 м)

Summer range (2-3 months/year)

Subalpine high-grass meadows (2800-2000m).

High-yield hayfields and fall ranges

Meadow steppes (900-2500 m) have both climatic

and anthropogenic origin. These are the most

populated areas used as the summer or year-round

ranges and croplands (terraced slopes)

63

35

2

Land use change in the Central-North Caucasus

5337

10

Today (2009) Kolkhoz system (1959)

50

38

12Pastures

Haylands

Croplands

Traditional system (until 1928)

30

10

0,5

60

Pastures

Haylands

Croplands

Abandoned

or underused

Estimated 60-80% of far alpine ranges are

abandoned or underused in North Ossetia,

50-60% - in Kabardino-Balkaria.

In reality: current land use of available lands

Local level

Chronologically, land use changes in the

mountain catchments within forest and

subalpine belts were as follows:

- long-term arable lands (for centuries until

1960s) haylands (1960s to 1990s-2000th)

pastures (the last 15-20 years);

- long-term haylands present free grazing.

Croplands occupied ancient terraces and gentle

slopes until 1960th (barley, millet, rye)

Former cropland

Terraced slopes are used for free grazing

At present arable lands occupy only

small flat plots

Potato fields

Population outflow

Decrease of livestock number

Damage of kolkhoz system, new land legislation,

land conflicts;

Destruction of the state purchase system, problem

of production distribution and transportation.

Unprofitable and hard labour.

Main factors of mountain land use

change

Population dynamics: North Ossetia, 110 years

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

1897

1913

1926

1939

1959

1979

1989

1997

2002

2006

2008

Total Urban Rural

Mountain population dynamics, North Ossetia,

110 years

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1900

1913

1926

1959

1979

1989

2002

2006

2009

Years

t

h

o

u

s

a

n

d

s

Local level: population dynamics, Iraf

district, 1886-2008.

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1886 1926 1959 1979 1989 2008

Total

Mountains

Livestock:

The cattle number decreased up to 5-10 times just after

disintegration of the kolkhoz system, and is slowly

increasing during the last 5 years.

Small cattle number almost disappeared in North

Ossetia.

Example: in a studied mountain village there is 80

sheep instead of former 2000.

Small cattle decreased in a less degree in Kabardino-

Balkaria and Karachaevo-Cherkessia where wool is

traditional source of income.

In Daghestan and Chechen Republic increasing rural

population expands cattle breeding activity however

under neglecting traditional regulations of nature

protection.

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

1958

1960

1965

1970

1975

1990

2004

2008

Cattle

Small cattle

Mountain livestock dynamics:

Digorian catchment (North Ossetia)

1958 – 2008

Kolkhoz time Post-soviet

Pastures rotation and

communal grazing are

being stopped

A private animal

husbandry abandons

extensive remote high-

mountain grazings and

uses the nearest pastures

and hayfields.

No control over the range

activity is effected.

Population neglects the

traditional environmental

regulations

Changes in the livestock

management system:

6,9

13,9

15,3

19,4

23,6

29,2

38,9

45,8

48,6

59,7

95,8

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

nature protection

waste utilization

authorities

education

range quality

reequipment

healthcare

power

roads

public transport

FARM MARKETING

Urgent problems of mountain population. RNO, KBR

Questioning 2006-2008г.

What are consequences of mountain land

use changes for seminatural pastoral

ecosystems?

Remote grasslands:

Caucasian wild got number is not restored

as yet, mountain livestock number is

decreasing.

Release of grazing pressure increases bioproductivity

and strengthens erosion resistance; biodiversity of

meadows can be gradually recovered by plant

successions, however recovery rates for certain

ecosystems are not known well enough.

Field observations show that 20-year disturbance of

grazing regularity destroys the specific assemblage of

alpine and subalpine meadows and leads to ruderal

vegetation expansion.

The most visible and significant natural processes act

upon soil surface: tussocks formation, phytogenic and

zoogenic turbations, cryoturbations and stony

accumulation up to formation of “stone paving”. The

overcoming of these natural phenomena required great

efforts.

Forest and bush spread rapidly throughout

abandoned hayfields and pastures:

10-years forest

Tree line raising: much more likely due to socio-

economic, and not to climate changes

Anthropogenic meadow steppes and current

reforestation

Remaining hayfields

Chronosequence: croplands – haylands –

pasture – bush invasion

The nearest pastures and hayfields

Year-round grazing pressure became confined to a smaller

area, within a radius of about 2 km around villages.

Haylands occupy only lower slopes and bottoms of valleys

Former cropland

Wide distribution of annual plants with short and fragile

rootage instead of soil-protecting permanent grasses was

recorded during the last 20 years.

Projective cover of nearest grasslands varies from 50-40

to 10-0%% depending on current human impact and past

land use.

In extreme case of current grazing pressure spatial-

temporal changes of vegetation are as follows:

meadow – steppe meadow – meadow steppe – steppe

– eroded barren plots.

Anthropogenic steppes and eroded barren plots occupy

about 15-20 % of the nearest pastoral lands.

Erosion processes strengthened by anthropogenic

impact are usually much faster than soil formation.

It means irreversible loss of fine soil matter

Land use chronosequence: haymaking and

grazing – current

uncontrolled range

Surface and gully erosion

Surface erosion

Uncontrolled grazing: fresh surface and gully erosion

I

III

II

35

90

110

140

Buried soils as evidences of past erosion.

Change of land owners:

1) can become a prerequisite of land lack and

future land conflicts;

Former hayfield occupied by summer houses

2) much more likely that is

a step to new strategy of

development of mountain

regions

- During the last 20 years private land ownership became a

factor of the rest of pastoral ecosystems as well as the catalyst

of degradation.

- Generally, changes of land use augment spatial diversity of

mountain pastoral ecosystems. Current grazing does not

contribute essentially in the pastoral ecosystems conditions;

nevertheless it accelerates degradation of lands overgrazed in

the past.

-Monofunctional economy has no more potential for

development. New strategy of development of mountain

regions is urgent for North Caucasus.

Traditional farming and family tourism and recreation,

supporting each other, would ensure steady income and

maintain ecologically adapted land use and environment

protection.

Conclusion

Thank you!