GIS AND LANDSCAPE BASED ASSESSMENT OF DEGRADED LANDS AND DIFFERENTIATED RECLAMATION STRATEGIES IN TASHKENT REGION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/Keywords:
degraded land, GIS, landscape approach, remote sensing, mines and quarries, anthropogenic pressure, reclamation, phytoremediation, environmental monitoring.Abstract
The article assesses degraded lands in Tashkent Region using GIS, remote sensing, field observations and a landscape-based approach, and substantiates differentiated reclamation strategies. Anthropogenically degraded lands associated with mines, quarries, spoil heaps, slag and ash deposits cover 266.30 km², or 1.79% of the regional territory. The greatest anthropogenic pressure occurs between 280 and 1,200 m a.s.l., where irrigated agriculture, settlements, transport, mining and industrial infrastructure are concentrated. In selected landscapes of the Qurama, Chirchiq and Ohangaron sectors, the degraded share reaches 43.61–97.19%. Validation at an abandoned quarry near Nayman village showed an approximately 4% difference between Google Earth Pro measurements and field measurements, confirming the suitability of GIS-based inventory for rapid monitoring. A differentiated reclamation matrix is proposed for mining-industrial landscapes, irrigated lands, river floodplains and mountain landscapes dominated by natural processes. The matrix combines technical reshaping, drainage, soil replacement, revegetation, phytoremediation, monitoring and alternative post-mining uses.
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