Soil Degradation in High Mountain Landscapes of Shakhdag National Park

In mountainous systems there is an intensive development of degradation processes, which can lead to a complete loss of soil cover and the formation of badlands. Therefore, the study of the current state of alpine landscapes and the soils distributed there is an urgent task. In the presented work the characteristic of high-mountainous landscapes is given, such important indicators of fertility of the soils distributed there as the content of humus, gross nitrogen, phosphorus, the sum of exchange bases and pH are given. The physical characteristics of pasture soils, such as density, water permeability and total porosity, are also determined. It was revealed that mainly the degradation processes in this zone are related to anthropogenic activities, primarily irrational use of pastures, overgrazing. In conclusion, recommendations are given to prevent further deterioration of soils in high-mountainous landscapes of Shahdag National Park, and to prevent a decrease in the productivity of vegetation growing on them.