Dynamics of water and soil organic matter under grain farming in Northern Kazakhstan – Toward sustainable land use both from the agronomic and environmental viewpoints

The arid and semi-arid vegetation zones comprise the main part of Central Asia. The nomadic land use system has been an integral part of the area for the past several thousands years. However, influence from settled societies of Russia and China began to impact the region during the 16th and 17th centuries. The most drastic changes in land use and land cover occurred in the 20th century after occupation of the region by former Soviet Union and China Republic, under which large-scale agricultural projects were developed by strong political initiatives (Chuluun and Ojima, 2002).