MODERN APPROACHES TO THE ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT STATE OF IRRIGATED SOILS IN THE SOUTHERN ARAL SEA REGION (USING THE EXAMPLE OF KHOJEYLI AND KUNGRAD DISTRICTS)

Аннотация

The Southern Aral Sea region is one of the most ecologically degraded areas due to the drying of the Aral Sea and long-term irrigation practices. This study examines modern approaches for assessing irrigated soils in Khojeyli and Kungrad districts using field data, remote sensing, and GIS techniques. Methods such as salinity indices, spatial interpolation (IDW), and predictive modeling (Markov–CA) were applied to analyze soil salinity and degradation patterns. Results show severe chloride–sulfate salinization and very low humus content (0.3–0.7%) in both districts. Khojeyli is mainly affected by poor drainage and shallow saline groundwater, while Kungrad additionally suffers from salt-dust transport from the Aral Seabed. The study confirms that integrating remote sensing with ground data provides an effective and cost-efficient approach for large-scale soil monitoring. It supports targeted management measures such as drainage improvement, windbreak planting, and halophyte cultivation to mitigate soil degradation.