THE ROLE OF HYDRAULIC RECLAMATION IN NATURAL ZONES OF SARATOV REGION UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE

Abstract

Purpose: to study changes in climatic characteristics of Saratov region territory that determine moisture supply for agricultural crops and the need to intensify hydraulic reclamation. Materials and methods. For retrospective statistical analysis, data from 12 baseline weather stations located in the forest-steppe, arid chernozem steppe, dry steppe and semi-desert – in all natural zones of Saratov region, for observation periods since the end of the 20th century and the first two decades of the 21st century. Results. The presence of pronounced growth trends in the main indicators of climate aridity were revealed. These include: a decrease in the average annual precipitation, especially noticeable for the dry steppe and semi-desert zones of Saratov region; an increase in the average annual air temperature by 1 °C and in the air temperature of the warm period of the year (April – October) by 0.8 °C; a decrease in the moisture supply of the studied area both by the moisture coefficient and by the hydrothermal coefficient; an increase of the territories with a hydrothermal coefficient of less than 0.5. Conclusion: the ongoing climate changes affect agriculture in all regions of Russia, including Saratov region, located in the zone of insufficient moisture, where, despite the spring provisions of productive moisture on fallow land; in the soil layer from 0 to 100 cm by 4.5–30.6 %, according to weather stations in this region, there was an increase in the moisture supply deficit of agricultural crops with a shift in the boundaries of territories in which guaranteed yields are possible only under hydraulic reclamation.

Keywords

• climate instability
• precipitations amount
• air temperature
• productive moisture
• hydraulic reclamation