Boom Gorge. Destroyed Floodplain Forest
The floodplain forests of the Tien Shan have a significant impact on the water supply of transboundary rivers. Growing along the slopes of mountains and river floodplains, they influence the formation of air masses in the lower layers of the atmosphere, humidity, air and soil temperature, wind patterns, precipitation accumulation, and its distribution across the territory, creating what is known as a mesoclimate. The forests help prevent mudflows, hinder the formation of landslides and snow avalanches in the mountains, and regulate water flow in rivers, making it more consistent throughout the year.
The crisis experienced during the transition period has sharply exacerbated issues related to the conservation of natural resources. Under the influence of thinning and reduction of mountain and floodplain forest areas, all of the aforementioned functions of the forest are drastically altered. These changes affect the mesoclimate, and the forest loses its important water protection functions. All of this negatively impacts the stability of mountain ecosystems. The degradation of forest vegetation and the associated decrease in precipitation contribute to the reduction of glacier areas. The loss of glaciers will lead to a decrease in total surface runoff. Surface and groundwater in the basins of the transboundary rivers Chu, Talas, and Syr Darya are closely and complexly interconnected. The main source of groundwater formation is the filtration losses from river runoff of numerous tributaries flowing down from the mountain framing. The largest freshwater groundwater deposits are located in river valleys, serving as a source of drinking water supply for all settlements located here. Thus, the thinning and destruction of mountain and floodplain forests leads to a reduction in water resources as a whole. Afforestation of mountain slopes and river floodplains contributes to changes in the mesoclimate, reduces glacier degradation, and overall water resources.
This also leads to the destruction of the soil layer and the elimination of representatives of the animal, plant, and fungal worlds. Some of them, by the way, are rare and endangered species listed in the Red Book, such as the otter and the European mink. Their populations directly depend on the condition of floodplain ecosystems. Meanwhile, the European mink has not been recorded by our scientists for over ten years. In floodplain ecosystems, a large number of birds feed and nest. The destruction of their familiar habitat poses a significant threat. Increasing forest cover in watersheds through the creation of forest cultures is one of the solutions to the adaptation problems related to climate change for all river basins of the Tien Shan, where the transboundary rivers Chu, Talas, and Syr Darya originate.
For reference: In mountainous areas, floodplain forests are located along the banks and floodplains of large rivers: Naryn, Chu, Tüp, Talas, Suusamyr, Jergalan, Jazy, and many smaller rivers. The species composition of floodplain forests depends on their adaptability to environmental conditions and the competitive relationships of tree and shrub species. The main functions of floodplain forests are bank reinforcement. In the mountains, along the banks, floodplains, and deltas of rivers, tree and shrub vegetation grows in the form of intermittent narrow forest strips, often forming tugai forests of black poplar (Populus nigra), Turanga (Populus diversifolia), white willow (Salix alba), birch (Betula), sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), and others.
The research was conducted with the support of the Global Greengrants Fund (GGF), one of the leading donor organizations in the world that supports the efforts of ordinary people to protect planet Earth. #GlobalGreengrantsFund #GreengrantsFund #Greengrants #GGF #ГлобальныйФондЗелёныхГрантов
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