| Rangelands of the Arid and Semi-arid Zones of Uzbekistan. By G. Gintzburger, K. N. Toderich, B. K. Mardonov, and M. M. Mahmudov. 2003. Centre de Cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Development (CIRAD) and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the dry areas (ICARDA). 426 p. 76.00Euros, flexible binding. ISBN CIRAD 2-87614-555-3, ICARDA 92-9127-137-8. |
| Rapidly escalating international interest in the rangelands of Central Asia is manifested in the new book, Rangelands of the Arid and Semi-arid Zones of Uzbekistan, a joint publication of CIRAD and ICARDA, by G. Gintzburger, K. N. Toderich, B. K. Mardonov, and M. M. Mahmodov. It is a broad, introductory survey of the rangeland ecosystems, and range-livestock systems, and pastoral culture of the region. The book draws on the collective work of many international researchers that have been active in the area over recent decades, including the work of Russian-speaking scientists, much of which has been inaccessible to Western scientists. The content of Rangelands of the Arid and Semi-arid Zones of Uzbekistan essentially consists of 7 parts. Following a brief introduction, Part 1 examines aspects of the environment of the region, including geological, climatological, edaphic, phytogeographic, and agricultural fundamentals of the zones. The book contains notably detailed descriptions of the region's bioclimatology, including some informative, statistical figures showing climatological relationships. Although the book has significant emphasis on grazing throughout, it contains surprisingly few data or estimates of forage production, especially considering the depth of the bioclimatological content. This first section does contain some descriptions and data of trends in livestock numbers and agricultural land use. The second principal section of the book is a description of the flora and of the main vegetation types of the region. This section includes a number of detailed tables of data on the soils, flora, and especially, the climate of the area. Forage production data, and forage supply/demand information are again limited. Some of the tables in this section are sufficiently detailed that they might have been moved to an appendix, but they are uniformly well designed. Section 3, involving the descriptions of individual plants, is the largest section of the book. The plant species are arranged alphabetically by family name. Many of the plant names are familiar here, which will remind North America range management scientists of the rich history of plant introductions from Central Asia. The plant descriptions are informative, and include individual subsections describing characteristics of morphology, reproduction, pastoral importance, fodder value, economic interest, habitat, and distribution. Each species description contains from 1 to 4 color photographs of the plant or its parts. Monthly production tables are provided for a few species for which such data are available. Section 4, on the ecology, biology and economic importance of arid and semi-arid range plants briefly surveys a range of subjects, including floral life forms, chemical composition of plants, toxic and medicinal plants, plants that cause mechanical injury, seed characteristics and germination ecology. The book's fifth main section, on rangeland improvement and rehabilitation in Uzbekistan, includes 17 pages of text and tables on the history of, and the prospects and botanical options for, range improvement and rehabilitation. Several tables here include important general information on species characteristics relevant to range improvement. A 25-page section describing the nature reserves of Uzbekistan is the next major section. Included here are interesting descriptions and photographs of reserves located in the different ecosystems of Uzbekistan. In the book's final main section, a one-page statement of general conclusions precedes 10 pages of color maps, the book's extensive bibliography, an interesting glossary in English and Cyrillic, appendices of meteorological stations, climatological figures, and phylogenetics of major rangeland plants, a general index, and bios of the authors and acknowledgements of their cooperating organizations. Any limitations of Rangelands of the Arid and Semi-arid Zones of Uzbekistan likely reflect more the limited information available on the region than limitations of the authors' efforts. In any case, the book's outstanding features overwhelm any limitations in available regional data that might be manifested in the book. An exhaustive summary of admirable features would include diverse technical elements of content and format, but more philosophically, the book exemplifies at least 3 important elements. First, the book shows how far range management science has come internationally, not just as an application of ecology, but also as a management science integrally involved with a broader culture. Its excellent photographs are particularly effective in binding together the diverse elements of the book's content into a coherent cultural landscape, and should remind Westerners (of a couple of kinds) of the diversity of potential environmental, ecological, and cultural content of range management science. Rarely has range management science seemed more coherent. Second, plenty of information useful in management is included in a thoroughly bioclimatological, ecological, and cultural context, with a refreshingly natural, unapologetic tone characteristic of a part of the world where grazing on a range is not a discouraging word. Grazing seems a natural part of ecology in this book-more natural that it ever does in current American books on ecology or grazing management, or in books from any region where grazing is not naturally accepted as the major element of the prevailing culture. Rarely has range management science seemed more comfortable. Third, as a result of (1) and (2), the range management science in the book does not seem economically marginalized to irrelevance by pressures of industrialized, specialized agribusiness and eco-business. Range management science is inherently important for the landscape and the culture. Rarely has range management science seemed more relevant. Rangelands of the Arid and Semi-Arid Zones of Uzbekistan will be an indispensable reference for range management scientists and range managers in Central Asia, and parts of it will be fascinating reading for individuals involved with rangeland plants, the bioclimatology of steppe regions, and pastoral societies. It will certainly be a valuable referential base for future regional research. In fact, any individual traveling in the drier parts of Uzbekistan who has more than a superficial interest in the climatology and ecology of the region would find this book extremely valuable as a field guide to plants, vegetation types, and climate. Readers will find photographs of Dr. Gintzburger and his colleagues accompanying their brief bios near the end of Rangelands of the Arid and Semi-Arid Zones of Uzbekistan. Their book is a tribute to how attractively range management science can be packaged and presented to both professionals and to the public. A text that keeps moving, insightful photography, efficient, attractive figures, and concise tables are combined with an energizing format to create an aesthetic scientific contribution. Rarely has range management science ever looked better. - David L. Scarnecchia, Washington State University, Pullman, |