GEOMORPHOLOGICAL CRITERIA IN AGROFORESTRY: LAKE ELTON AREA (SE RUSSIAN PLAIN) CASE STUDY
In the Lake Elton area characterized by arid climate, selection of priority locations for agroforestry development makes an acute problem. A set of maps was created on the base of the results of long-term fieldwork and interpretation of satellite images. These maps were used to produce a final forest amelioration map showing various combinations of geomorphological features of the territory and the availability of groundwater. Locations with favorable tree growth conditions occupy only 5% of the territory, which is insufficient for agroforestry. However, 8% of the territory is represented by shallow depressions suitable for cluster afforestation and phytomelioration. The paper describes the spatial patterns of natural depressions and provides their classification on the basis of their size.