Rational use of agricultural land: agroecological zoning

The problem of rational, environmentally balanced, and sustainable use of land resources is becoming particularly relevant under conditions of intensification of agricultural production and changes in natural and climatic conditions. Addressing these issues requires comprehensive consideration of biophysical, ecosystem, and socio-economic factors that determine the potential of agrolandscapes.

In this regard, the purpose of the study is agroecological zoning of agricultural land and environmental and economic assessment of their condition to identify optimal directions for land development. The project was implemented within the dry-steppe agroecosystem of Pavlodar Region, characterized by a continental climate, low moisture availability, and a high degree of manifestation of degradation processes. The methodological basis consisted of systemic and landscape-ecological approaches that ensured a holistic analysis of the structure and functioning of the agrolandscape complex.

Methods — cartographic, geoinformation, integrated, and statistical methods that enabled spatial monitoring of the territory and identification of functional differences in land according to natural-ecological and economic attributes.

As a result, five functional agroecological zones were identified, differing in the degree of erosion hazard, soil cover stability, and level of economic suitability. For each zone, a differentiated set of agrotechnical, reclamation, and organizational-economic measures aimed at maintaining ecological stability, preventing degradation, and improving land use efficiency was proposed. The conducted diagnosis of environmental and economic effectiveness made it possible to establish the impact of deteriorating environmental conditions on reduced crop yields and to calculate the amount of costs required to compensate for losses.

Conclusions — the results obtained confirm that agroecological zoning is an effective tool for land fund management, contributes to the preservation of soil fertility, enhances the adaptability of agricultural landscapes, and maintains ecological balance at the regional level. Thus, functional zoning is relevant for addressing the tasks of forming effective mechanisms of nature management on agricultural land.

1. Sammit po ustojchivomu razvitiju. Preobrazovanie nashego mira v interesah ljudej i planety (25–27 sentjabrja 2015 goda) [Sustainable Development Summit. Transforming our world for people and the planet] (2015). Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ru/wpcontent/uploads/sites/5/2015/08/0verview_Sustainable_Development_Summit.pdf (date of access: 16.09.2025) [in Russian].

2. Tatarintsev, V.L., Merzlyakov, O.E., Ozeranskaya, N.L., Shakenova, Zh.K. (2022). Analiz kachestvennogo sostojanija sel'skohozjajstvennyh ugodij kak osnova ustojchivosti agrarnogo zemlepol'zovanija [Analysis of the qualitative state of agricultural land as the basis for sustainable agricultural land use]. Ustojchivoe razvitie gornyh territorij – Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories, 14(4), 644–657. https://doi.org/10.21177/1998-4502-2022-14-4-644-656 [in Russian].

3. Meshesha, T.M., Tsunekawa, A., Haregeweyn, N., Tsubo, M., Fenta, A.A., Berihun, M.L., Mulu, A. (2024). Agroecology-based land use/land cover change detection, prediction and its implications for land degradation: A case study in the Upper Blue Nile Basin. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 12(4), 786–797. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2024.02.002 [in English].

4. Tatarintsev, V.L., Tatarintsev, L.M., Ermekov, F.K., Lisovskaya, Yu.S. (2022). Ocenka agrojekologicheskogo sostojanija agrolandshaftov dlja povyshenija ih ustojchivosti [Assessment of the agroecological state of agricultural landscapes to improve their sustainability]. Ustojchivoe razvitie gornyh territorij – Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories, 14(1), 76–87. https://doi.org/10.21177/1998-4502-2022-14-176-86 [in Russian].

5. Tursynbaev, N.A., Kuzhevskaya, I.V., Tatarintsev, L.M., Ospanova, A.A. (2023). Assessment of the environmental state and sustainability of agrolandscape at the local level. Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories, 15(3), 662–671. https://doi.org/10.21177/1998-4502-2023-15-3-662-671 [in English].

6. Fischer, G., Nachtergaele, F., Prieler, S., Teixeira, E., Tóth, G., Wiberg, D., van Velthuizen, H. (2025). Global Agro-Ecological Zones (GAEZ v5). Methodology and Results. Rome: FAO & IIASA [Electronic resource]. Available at: https://www.gaez.iiasa.ac.at/docs/GAEZ_Model_Documentation.pdf (date of access: 15.09.2025) [in English].

7. Grass, I., Batáry, P., Tscharntke, T. (2021). Combining land-sparing and land-sharing in European landscapes. Advances in Ecological Research, 64, 251–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.aecr.2020.09.002 [in English].

8. Mustafayev, Zh., Medeu, A., Skorintseva, I., Bassova, T., Aldazhanova, G. (2024). Improvement of the methodology for the assessment of the agro-resource potential of agricultural landscapes. Sustainability, 16(1), 419–435. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010419 [in English].

9. Rau, A., Zhu, K., Nurlan, B., Mirobit, M., Yessenkul, K., Bek, M.H., Nabiollina, A., Kurmanbek, Zh., Issakov, Y., Antal, A., Ujj, A., Dávid, L.D. (2023). Land degradation in Kazakhstan: regional features and sustainable management approaches. Land Use Policy, 132, 106731. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2023.106731 [in English].

10. Mehdiy eva, V., Khalilov, I., Eminov, F. (2023). Greening and agroecological assessment of the agricultural sector of the Karabakh region. Visnyk of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series “Geology. Geography. Ecology”, 59, 298–306. https://doi.org/10.26565/2410-7360-2023-59-21 [in English].

11. Wezel, A., Gemmill-Herren, B., Bezner Kerr, R., Barrios, E., Gonçalves, A.L.R., Sinclair, F. (2020). Agroecological principles and elements and their implications for transitioning to sustainable food systems: A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 40, 40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-020-00646-z [in English].

12. Sánchez, A.C., Kamau, H.N., Grazioli, F., Jones, S.K. (2022). Financial profitability of diversified farming systems: A global meta-analysis. Ecological Economics, 201, 107595. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2022.107595 [in English].

13. Tsymbarovich, P., Kust, G., Kumani, M., Golosov, V., Andreeva, O. (2020). Soil erosion: An important indicator for the assessment of land degradation neutrality in Russia. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 8(4), 418–429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2020.06.002 [in English].

14. Ospanova, A.A., Ozeranskaya, N.L., Tatarintsev, V.L. (2025). Ohrana sel'skohozjajstvennyh ugodij na osnove agrojekologicheskogo zonirovanija [Protection of agricultural land based on agroecological zoning]. Issledovanija, rezul'taty – Research and Results, 1(105), 303–312. https://doi.org/10.37884/1-2025/34 [in Russian].

15. Tatarintsev, V.L., Ospanova, A.A., Dzhamankulova, B.G., Muzyka, O.S. (2024). Upravlenie ustojchivost'ju agrolandshaftov posredstvom ocenki jekologicheskih uslovij [Managing the sustainability of agricultural landscapes through the assessment of environmental conditions]. Vestnik nauki Kazahskogo agrotehnicheskogo issledovatel'skogo universiteta im. S. Sejfullina – Bulletin of Science of S. Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical Research University, 4(123), 110–121. https://doi.org/10.51452/kazatu.2024.4(123).1781 [in Russian].