L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, a dissertation defense for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) by Makhanova Nursaule Baurzhanovna on the topic «ComComprehensive assessment of forest landscapes of the North Kazakh Plain using geographic information systemsprehensive assessment of forested landscapes of the North Kazakh Plain using geographic information systems» in the educational program «8D05211 – Search geography and geographic information systems».
The dissertation was carried out at the «Physical and economical geography education department» of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University.
The language of defense is kazakh
Official reviewers:
Karagulova Roza Kurmanalyzy – Candidate of Geographical Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Geographical Information Systems of JSC «Institute of Geography and Water Security», specialty: 25.00.25 – «Geomorphology and evolutionary Geography» (Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan);
Laiskhanov Shakhislam Uzakbayevich – PhD, acting acting Associate Professor of the Department of Geography and Ecology of Abai KazNPU, specialty: 6D060900 - «Geography» (Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan).
Temporary members of the Dissertation Council:
Yegemberdiyeva Kamshat Baratovna – Candidate of Geographical Sciences, head of the laboratory «Geotourism and Geomorphology», JSC «Institute of Geography and Water Security», specialty: 25.00.23 – «Physical geography and biogeography, soil geography and landscape geochemistry» (Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan);
Kurepina Nadezhda Yuryevna – Candidate of Geographical Sciences, Senior Researcher, Institute of Water and Environmental Problems of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, specialty: 25.00.33 – «Cartography» (Barnaul, Russian Federation);
Kazangapova Nurgul Burkitbayevna – Candidate of Geographical Sciences, acting Associate Professor at the Department of Forest Resources and Forestry, Kazakh Agrotechnical Research University named after S. Seifullin, specialty: 25.00.27 – «Hydrology of land, water resources, hydrochemistry» (Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan).
Scientific consultants:
Berdenov Zharas Galimzhanovich – PhD, Acting Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, NJSC «L.N. Gumilyov ENU», specialty: 6D06900 – «Geography» (Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan);
Jan A. Wendt – Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Professor, University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Geography, Department of Regional Geography Development specialty: «Geography» (Gdansk, Republic of Poland).
The defense will take place on January 31, 2025, at 11:00 AM in the Dissertation Council for the training direction «8D052 – Environment» in the specialty «8D05211 – Search geography and geographic information systems» of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. Conducting a meeting of the dissertation council in a mixed (offline and online) format.
Address: Astana, st. Kazhymukan, 13, educational building No. 3, meeting room (room No. 333).
Abstract (English): Relevance of the Research Topic. Although the Republic of Kazakhstan ranks 9th in the world in terms of land area and is rich in land resources, it is well-known that the country belongs to the group of states with very limited forest resources, including forested lands. For this reason, implementing a national forest policy has become a critical goal, leading to the adoption of various strategies, decrees, concepts, and planned initiatives. Notably, the "Strategy-2050" decrees of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2012 and 2013, as well as the Concept for Transition to a "Green Economy" and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's address to the people of Kazakhstan on September 1, 2020, emphasized large-scale greening of the country. The initiatives include planting 2 billion trees in forested areas and 15 million trees in settlements over the next five years. In the Republic of Kazakhstan, natural resource management is often carried out without a proper comprehensive assessment of landscapes, particularly those identified as forest landscapes. A comprehensive evaluation of forested landscapes is essential for state and private organizations, as well as local residents, for purposes related to conservation, scientific research, commercial activities, and recreational or wellness objectives. Various errors arise in the current processes of such activities undertaken by natural resource users. These activities often have a negative impact on the landscape or its components. In today's world, as the potential of natural areas becomes exhausted, the issues of sustainable development, which prevent the chaotic organization of natural resource use, are becoming increasingly relevant. A comprehensive assessment of forested landscapes serves as a foundation for the sustainable development of the major developed regions of the North Kazakh Plain (NKP). Currently, a comprehensive assessment of landscapes is a highly challenging yet feasible and necessary measure in the context of Kazakhstan's transitional economy. Therefore, the research topic is relevant from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The research aim is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of forest-covered landscapes in the territory of the NKP using GIS technologies and advanced remote sensing (RS) methods. To achieve this aim, the following interrelated and sequential tasks were set and accomplished: 1. To identify the theoretical and methodological foundations of forest landscape research methods based on a retrospective analysis. This includes analyzing the theoretical content of landscape methods for studying forests as natural geosystems and the global experience of applying remote sensing methods for forest assessment. 2. To determine the efficiency of using GIS technologies and advanced remote sensing methods in studying forest landscapes for forest management and to demonstrate their importance in improving the quality and accuracy of forest reclamation maps. 3. Identification of the anthropogenic prerequisites for the formation of contemporary landscapes within the study area. 4. Determine the types of comprehensive assessment of forest-covered landscapes in the NKP and define the content-specific nature of the evaluation based on the FCD model. 5. Develop recommendations for improving the condition of forest-covered landscapes. The object of the study is the forest landscapes of the NKP. The subject of the study is the comprehensive assessment of the condition of the forest landscapes in the NKP and their dynamics under the influence of contemporary natural and anthropogenic factors. Principles submitted for defense: 1. GIS technologies and RS methods confirm the use of advanced methods for the integrated processing of cartographic and aerospace data, mathematical modeling, and computer cartography in the comprehensive geographical study of forest landscapes, serving as an effective tool for improving the quality and adequacy of forest management and enhancing forest reclamation maps. 2. The use of the FCD model method within geographic information systems and the modeling of forest landscape dynamics are based on seasonal field studies of key areas in the region. 3. The system of natural abiotic and anthropogenic factors – including social, economic, and environmental prerequisites – that significantly influence the process of shaping the functions of landscapes in the study area has been comprehensively examined and includes studies of a geographical nature. 4. The process of balneological assessment of the structure of forest and forest-covered landscapes of the NKP, the dynamics of forest areas, and landscape sterility is based on the FCD model and validated by a set of maps created by the author at various scales. 5. As a result of the study, methodologically and scientifically-practically substantiated, applied, comprehensive, and consistent recommendations were developed. These are aimed at improving the condition of forest landscapes and their effective use for recreational, balneological, and economic purposes. The scientific novelty of the dissertation is reflected in the following conclusions: The effectiveness of using GIS technologies and RS for the integrated processing of advanced cartographic and aerospace data, mathematical modeling methods, and computer cartography in forest landscape studies was identified. Their importance in improving the quality and adequacy of forest reclamation maps was demonstrated. The content characteristics of abiotic and anthropogenic factors, socio-demographic conditions of settlement, economic-industrial development, and ecological prerequisites related to air pollution, in the formation of the functions of modern landscapes of the studied region, have been identified. Based on the FCD model in the comprehensive assessment of forested landscapes of NKP, the content of the types of balneological evaluation of the forest structure, dynamics of forest areas, and landscape sterility has been identified. Author’s maps at various scales have been created, including: the division of forested landscapes of NKP by tree species, the comparative characteristics of forested landscapes of the Esil Plain, comparative forest landscapes of the Esil-Ertis Plain, and the comparative analysis of forested landscapes of the Tobyl-Obagan Plain. The theoretical significance of the completed dissertation lies in the development of new scientifically grounded data for the geographical description and comprehensive evaluation of natural forest landscapes in the NKP region. Furthermore, the author's scientific research can serve as a foundation and supporting material for further development of landscape-based forest evaluation methodologies in both theoretical and practical terms. The scientific and practical significance of the completed dissertation research lies in the scientifically grounded recommendations for improving the monitoring systems and resource potential utilization of forest landscapes in the NKP. The practical application of the obtained forest mapping experience is confirmed by the implementation acts at the "Forest Management, Wildlife, and Environment" faculty of the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University (KazNARU, Astana). The scientific and theoretical results and experience in RS methods can be used for integrating practical lessons and seminars in geographic subjects. The research methods used in the study include: comparative-descriptive method, retrospective analysis, general theoretical methods, field research methods, the FCD cartographic model for calculating forest cover and determining its dynamics, statistical methods, graphical methods, systematization of geoinformation methods, and geodata processing (using ArcGIS Desktop 10.5 tools and scripts), and RS methods. The primary materials used in the study include: scientific literature; reviews of scientific periodicals from domestic and foreign publications; topographic maps at a 1:100,000 scale and state geological maps of quaternary deposits of the studied area at a 1:200,000 scale; thematic maps (geomorphological, landscape, soil, vegetation maps, etc.); multispectral satellite images from Landsat 4-5 Thematic Mapper (tm) and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), as well as SRTM multispectral satellite images, obtained from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website; and data from experimental studies related to the phytoncidal activity of forest areas. The author's contribution to the scientific research. For the completion of the dissertation, the author, together with the scientific supervisor, conducted fieldwork to collect primary data and research materials and determined the algorithm for the comprehensive evaluation of forest landscapes in the NKP. The quantitative and verbal assessments indicated in the point system are based on methods of evaluating the studied object, combining both quantitative and qualitative indicators. The evaluation and comparison of forest cover were conducted based on the methodology of the FCD cartographic model, specially adapted for the forest-steppe and steppe natural areas of the NKP. Quantitative indicators were expressed as the percentage ratio of the landscape area to its forested area, while the qualitative indicator was the gradation of forest cover into sparse and dense forests according to the FCD model. For the first time in the past 28 years, the author assessed the dynamics of afforestation in the forest landscapes of the NKP and created comparative and dynamic maps. The nature and direction of this dynamic were evaluated orally. Groups of forest landscapes were divided and systematized according to the dominant tree species and the forms of their distribution areas. Through laboratory studies, the phytoncidal activity of ribbon pine forests was assessed, and a map of semi-phytoncidal activity was created. During soil research and the study of quaternary deposits, the optimal growth patterns of forests were identified, and a profile of the deposits with the FCD indicator distribution table was constructed. Recommendations for improving the state of forest landscapes in the NKP were developed. Publication of research results. The results obtained in the dissertation are presented in 9 scientific publications, including 5 in journals recommended by the Committee for Control in the Field of Education and Science of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 1 in a journal included in the Scopus database, and 3 in the proceedings of international scientific and practical conferences. Structure of the dissertation. The dissertation consists of an introduction, the main part consisting of 4 chapters, a conclusion, a list of references, and additional sections. The volume of the dissertation includes 41 tables, 50 figures, and 183 pages of text, typed on a computer. In the first chapter of the dissertation, the theoretical content of landscape methods for studying forests as natural geosystems is discussed, as well as the global experience of using remote sensing methods in forest assessment, and the effectiveness of GIS technologies in forest management when studying forest landscapes. The position and hierarchical subordination of the landscapes of the North Kazakhstan Plain in the Earth's epigeosphere are determined. In the second chapter, the history of studying the forest landscapes, natural and anthropogenic factors of the North Kazakhstan Plain are considered. The geographic location of the studied area within the West Siberian Plain is determined. The genesis of forest formation in the North Kazakhstan Plain is analyzed. In the third chapter, the results of applied experimental research methods used in the study of forest-covered landscapes are analyzed. The research is divided into three main stages. - Preparation phase. Based on topographic-geological maps and satellite images, an introduction to the studied area and spatial analysis were carried out. Field road routes were determined. Multi-spectral satellite images from the Landsat satellite were selected, and based on these, forest areas were coded using the forest cover density (FCD) cartographic model. - Field phase. Materials were collected for laboratory methods of studying the soil cover and the phytoncide activity of trees, as well as for surveying the area and verifying the results of the FCD cartographic model. - Office method. Based on the obtained data and results, forest cover and phytoncide activity were calculated. The characteristics and direction of forest dynamics were determined. The features and geology of the soil cover of the quaternary deposits were described. Comparative maps of forest cover and its dynamics from 1993 to 2021 were created. Profiles of quaternary deposits were constructed using FCD values. In the fourth chapter, the types of comprehensive assessment of the forest landscapes of the North Kazakh Plain are considered, and the final evaluation results are presented in the form of drawings and tables. The structure of forest and forest-covered landscapes is assessed based on the FCD model. The conclusion section presents practical recommendations for improving the condition of forest landscapes and further directions for scientific research. Conclusions of the dissertation: 1. Out of the total number of landscapes in the NKP area, 27 forest landscapes were identified: 12 in the Esil Plain, 8 in the Ertis-Kulunda Plain, 2 in the Esil-Ertis Plain, and 5 in the Tobyl-Obagan Plain. 2. A deeper study of the dynamic indicators of the FCD model allows the author to note the clear zoning and sectoral division of the NKP for organizing the structure of forest landscapes. The zonal characteristics of the forests in the northern part of the plain include broadleaf birch forests, while the southern edges of the plain are bordered by small Kazakh hills, and the upper eastern part of the plain is home to relict pine forests. The floodplain forests of the three main rivers of the NKP, such as the Tobyl, Esil, and Ertis, are intrazonal geosystems. The sectoral characteristics are presented in 4 separate geomorphological regions of the NKP (Tables 32, 33, 34). 3. During the comprehensive assessment, the requirement for selecting the appropriate methodology was established. The choice of parameters is based on the main characteristics of the forest stands, specifically the overall forest cover, forest structure, trunk typology, degree of forest dynamics, and phytoncide activity. 4. As of 1993, the results of the general forest cover calculation for the area using the FCD methodology were 12.88%, which corresponds to the statistical data of the forest institution. However, the results of the 2021 census differ from the statistical data. Over the course of 28 years, the forest cover of the landscapes decreased by 3.16%, reaching 9.73% in 2021. These figures showed differences compared to the official statistical data of the Forest Management and Wildlife Committee. The forested area of the North Kazakh Plain in 1993 was 1385.9 ha (13.5%), in 2013 it was 1396.5 ha (13.7%), and in 2021 it reached 1492 ha (14.8%). According to statistical data, the forested land area increased by 1.3% over the 28 years (Tables 32, 33, 34). The reasons for this increase are as follows: statistical information is provided at the regional level, leading to the inclusion of an area larger than the actual one for the North Kazakh Plain; there is a lack of statistical data for the landscapes of individual plains; and discrepancies exist between the results of the general forest cover calculation using the FCD methodology and the official statistical data. 5. As a result of decoding 23 multispectral satellite images from the Landsat satellite, detailed maps of forest density and scarcity, as well as maps of forest cover dynamics, were created according to the FCD cartographic model. The obtained decoding data were confirmed with an accuracy of 87% through terrain reconnaissance during field research. Comparative maps of the forest landscapes of the North Kazakh Plain, covering the regions of the Esil, Ertis, the confluence of the Esil and Ertis rivers, and the Tobyl-Obagan Plain, were developed (Figures 29, 30, 31, 32) at a scale of 1:3,000,000. 6. When applying the landscape profiling method, a correlation is observed between the distribution of FCD values and the quaternary aeolian deposits and the geochemical properties of the soil cover. Birch groves on the left bank of the Esil River are mainly located on drained, non-saline soils that border aeolian undulating relief. The banded pine forests near the Ertis River belong to ancient alluvial riverbeds, covered by layers of aeolian sands with high potassium content. The island pine forests of the Tobyl-Obagan Plain are also associated with similar deposits and are located on light gray soils with slightly higher salinity. 7. The negative dynamics of the forest cover in the pine forests of the NKP have been found to be of a natural evolutionary nature. Using the historical comparison method, the desertification process in the Kazanbasy forests can be observed (Figure 38, Section 4, Subsection 4.2). Analyzing old geological maps and their explanatory notes revealed that the southern boundary of the Amankaragay pine forest extended 2 km south of the current settlement. However, the Koyandyagash forest is absent from these maps, and due to neglect, the area of forested land has been decreasing year by year (52°22'09" N, 64°01'57" E). Based on the results of the research work, the following recommendations are proposed. The need to improve aspects of the approval of the forest landscape assessment methodology in authorized organizations is considered as initial material for the development of various plans, and suggestions are made for improving the condition of forest landscapes: 1. Recommendations for improving the state program of urban greening, taking into account the hydrochemical regime of the soil and groundwater during tree planting. 2. To improve the metabolic activity of tree roots, it is recommended to increase soil aeration by applying measures for soil drainage and loosening. Additionally, to improve groundwater, it is recommended to study their hydrochemical regime and combat chloridization during tree planting. The chloride content in groundwater negatively affects the growth of tree species. 3. In the development of the state forest inventory system, it is recommended to involve qualified specialists to coordinate the actions of all organizations, taking into account the issues of geographical accuracy in mapping forest areas. 4. In the conditions of dry steppe and semi-desert natural zones of Kazakhstan, it is proposed to implement scientific research and developments by breeders on growing drought-resistant tree species adapted to such conditions, as well as in saline soils in the forests of Kazanbasy and Amankaragay (landscapes No. 17 and No. 18). Compared to pine seeds growing in the European part of Eurasia, the pine seeds in these two forest landscapes are heavier. The scientific potential of such tree species is highly valued and based on the analysis of soil cover and the geology of quaternary deposits. Growing such tree species in similar geographical conditions represents an important scientific perspective for solving the problem of desertification. 5. Considering that pine is a tree species very sensitive to sunlight, in the Ertis-Kulunda plain, the density of pine rows is close together, and the overlapping of their tops prevents sunlight from reaching, which results in poor growth of the pines. To address this issue, short-term cutting is proposed to establish standard distances between trees. Pine forests with low growth rates should be selected for cutting, in accordance with the gradation and categories of landscape forest cover (OFCD). 6. By introducing tourist routes, it is proposed to use pine forests, based on their high phytoncide activity, for recreational, balneological, and economic purposes. Thus, the comprehensive evaluation of forest landscapes is based on a thorough analysis of the biophysical parameters of trees, which allows for the inclusion of all characteristics of forest ecosystems and the determination of their dynamic nature and direction. The comprehensive evaluation includes both qualitative and quantitative characteristics. In quantitative evaluation, the units of measurement are presented widely and clearly, based on statistical data, report materials, or author’s calculations. In qualitative landscape evaluation, there are no fixed units of measurement. In many literary sources and scientific works, the evaluation lacks high objectivity and is presented as verbal (conceptual) assessments. A more complete evaluation can be empirically obtained through detailed research in institutions or special groups. The results of the evaluation work, according to the developed methodology, consider the comprehensive dimensions of landscapes as geosystems, taking into account their place in human-nature relationships.
Conclusion of the Research Ethics Committee
Defense of the dissertation: https://youtu.be/alr1atJXRrY?si=VstLe0aqdt-_ryWz
