1.4. Soil cover

1.4.1. COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE OF SOIL COVER

Soil cover of the coastal zone differs with variety, substituted to vertical zonation law, because the main climatic and vegetative differences are associated with locality height. Climate and vegetative make a definite print on soil cover formation. Specific features of relief and soil-forming rocks, animal kingdom and anthropogenic factor also influence upon composition and structure of soils.

The main soil-vegetative belts of the coastal are: semi-desert belt of Shollar, Kura and Lenkaran lowlands, Apsheron peninsula and Gobustan foothills; semi-steppe (woody-steppe) belt of the north-eastern foothills of the Greater Caucasus and Talysh; steppe - middle-mountain belt of the South-Eastern submersion of the Greater Caucasus and Talysh Ridge; mountain-woody belt of the lower- and middle mountains of the Greater Caucasus and Talysh, subalpine-alpine belt of high-mountains of the Greater Caucasus. Each of the mentioned belts is characterized by the corresponding soil type.

Greyish - meadow, greyish - saline, somewhere saline soils in Kura lowland, meadow - marsh and yellowish in Lenkaran lowland, meadow-woody and meadow-greyish soils in Shollar lowland, grey-brown saline on Apsheron peninsula and chest-nut-coloured soils in Gobustan are mainly typical for the semi-desert belt. Semi-steppe (woody steppe) belt is characterized by mountain-woody greyish-brown and brown soils on the Greater Caucasus and yellowish in Lenkaran area. In the steppe foothill and mountain-woody belt there mainly developed mountain-woody brown and greyish-brown soils, and yellowish on the south as well. At last, mountain-meadow soils are typical for the high-mountain belt.

Ecological features of soil formation reflect on the inner structure of the mentioned soils types and allow to subdivide them into subtypes according to physical-chemical features and morphological peculiarities.

Characteristics of soils cover of the coastal zone is on the Table 1-2.

Soils types and subtypes is shown on Fig. 13.

Table 1-4 Land fund distribution (th.ha.)

Erosion process is the main factor promoting the desert development and soil degradation in coastal zone. Practically, the whole territory of the region is undergone for various types of erosion in more or less degree. At the same time over 45% of ground are undergone to weak erosion, 16% - middle and the rest part - strong erosion as well.

Up to 45% of arable land, over 70% of summer pastures, up to 15% of hayfields, 35-40% of long standing plantations and over 25% of wood funds ground are undergone to erosion in this or that degree.

According to formation mode over 80% of grounds are undergone to water erosion, 7,5% - irrational and up to 12% - strong wind erosion. Erosion processes spread according to types is given on Fig. 14. The area of erode lands of the coastal zone is given in Table 1-3.

1.4.3. Forms of land use

Available land of the coastal zone consists of lands used in agriculture, grounds of non-agricultural usage, free, unused and unappropriated lands. According to data for 01.01.1999 about 1511.9 thous.ha or 53.2 % of the coastal zone territory is under the agricultural production as well as orchad and dacha areas. These lands are used for plough lands, hayfields, long-fallow lands, pastures and long-standing plantations. 283.9 thous.ha. or 10 % of the territory belongs to the State Wood Fund.

The rest non-agricultural part of the land fund - 1045.3 thous.ha. or 36.8 % of the territory consists of areas under the rivers, reservoirs, swamps, canals, roads, constructions, coastal sands, rock exposures and other used grounds. Land areas according to the categories of land use are given in Table 1-4.

1. Alekperov K.A. Soil-erosion map and land protection. – Moscow; GUGK, 1980.

2. Aliyev G.A., Gasanov Sh.G., Aliyeva R.A. Azerbaijan land resources, their rational use and protection. – Baku; Publishers of Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan SSR, 1981.

3. Aliyev G.A., Gasanov Sh.G. Iskanderov I.Sh. et al. Soil map of Azerbaijan SSR (scale 1:600000). Moscow; GUGK, 1990.

4. Atlas of Azerbaijan SSR. – Baku-Moscow; GUGK, 1963.

5. General scheme of rational use and protection of land resources of Azerbaijan SSR till year 2000. – Baku; "Azneshr", 1987.

6. Mamedov G.Sh. Agroecological features and comparative characteristics of lands quality of Azerbaijan. – Baku, "Elm", 1990.

7. Mamedov G.Sh. Ecological evaluation of Azerbaijan soil (azerb. lang.). – Baku; "Elm", 1998.

8. Mamedov R.G. Agrophysical features of Azerbaijan SSR soils. – Baku; "Elm", 1989.

9. Report of the State Land Committee for 1995-1999.

INTRODUCTION

SECTION 1

SECTION 2

SECTION 3

SECTION 4

SECTION 5

APPENDIX 15

APPENDIX 16

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