Land Degradation Dynamics in Rostov Oblast

Rostov oblast, which is located in southwestern European Russia, is characterized by a temperate continental climate with unstable moisture, dry and hot summers, relatively little snowy winters, and constant winds. The climatic and geomorphological features of the territory, as well as the high agricultural development of land resources, result in the development of a number of degradation processes. The purpose of the research is to make a comparative spatiotemporal assessment of degradation processes that contribute to the development of the desertification process in Rostov oblast. The basis of the research was a retrospective analysis of the literature and archival data, as well as the use of calculated natural and environmental indicators differentiated with allowance for the prevailing soil types in the soil cover and the degree of natural moisture of the agrolandscape in accordance with the ecological stability and hydrothermal regime of the territory. It is established that the following processes are characteristic of Rostov oblast: climate aridization, agro-depletion, and the development of erosion. This allows us to evaluate it as a territory with a risk of potential desertification.