Projekt: TRANSPAST
TRANSPAST: Rangelands of Kyrgyz Republic and Post-Socialist Transformation - Impacts of Land Use Changes on Condition and Future Availability of Pastoral Resources
Over long periods of time, (semi-)nomadic pastoralists used rangelands in the Tien Shan mountains. Animal husbandry has always played a major role in the life of Kyrgyz people and the livestock sector has been one of the strongest components of the regional economy during Soviet and post-Soviet times. Montane and alpine rangelands, which occupy 45% of the Kyrgyzstan’s land area, represent the significant basis for this economic sector. During the Soviet regime the livestock industry had been massively expanded. The first years after independence saw, a drastic reduction in livestock numbers, and a temporarily decreasing grazing pressure. However, in the further course of post-Soviet transformation livestock numbers have been considerably increasing again. By current estimates, at least 25-35 % of pasture areas are subject of vegetation and soil degradation.
Using an interdisciplinary approach, the project TRANSPAST aims at assessing the capability of rangeland ecosystems to cope with increased grazing pressure, and at predicting the future pastoral resource availability under different land use scenarios. Based on collected data in the field, as well as their evaluation and including socio-economic aspects, a comprehensive understanding of human-environment interactions will be developed. In addition the project intends to predict the future pastoral resource availability under different land use scenarios, and to provide management suggestions.
Duration: 2014 - 2016
Member of staff:
MSc. Franziska Hoppe, CEN
Cooperation Partners:
Prof. Dr. Bekamat M. Djenbaev, Institute for Biology and Pedology, National Academy of Science, Kyrgyz
Republic
Dr. Geogry Lazkov, Institute for Biology and Pedology, National Academy of Science, Kyrgyz Republic
PhD Adilet Usupbaev, Institute for Biology and Pedology, National Academy of Science, Kyrgyz Republic
Talaaygul Zhusueva, Institute for Biology and Pedology, National Academy of Science, Kyrgyz Republic
Dr. Tolkunbek Asykulov, Faculty of Geography and Ecology, Kyrgyz National University Bishkek
Gefördert vom BMBF – Bundesminesterium für Bildung und Forschung.