Overgrowing of disturbed reindeer pastures in the Nenets autonomous region on the example of the quarry of mineral soil

Abstract

Most (73%) of the land fund of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO) is occupied with reindeer pastures. At the same time, the NAO is one of the most perspective regions for oil and gas. Large areas of pasture are drained under field development and exploration which after completion of construction and operation should be reclaimed and returned to the main landuser - herders. In disturbed areas where no remediation processes overgrowing were observed. One of these areas is considered in the article - sand quarry of mineral soil in the Shapkina basin area of 15 hectares, located on the lands of the largest deer farm NAO. The purpose of the study is to assess the restoration potential of vegetation by overgrowing on the disturbed tundra lands. As a result of observations of the re-vegetation on the tundra lands after technogenic impact and summarize the data three stages of re-vegetation were selected: 1 -pioneer species; 2 - grass, sedge community; 3 - shrubs. Despite a long period after the end of anthropogenic impact (over 15 years) a quarry is not completely overgrown. Re-vegetation speed is different for different parts of the quarry. In the central part it is self-overgrowing on the first stage, while at the periphery - on the second and third stages. To return the disturbed grasslands to agricultural use it requires work on the re-cultivation.