Publications

Selected recent publications:

2023

Abdubakir U. Kushbokov, Isabel C. Barrio, Ingibjorg S. Jónsdóttir (2023). Estimating the effects of grazing exclusion on the seed bank in Icelandic rangelands. Icelandic Agricultural Sciences, 36, 35-40.

Abdubakir Kushbokov 

PhD student, University of Szeged (supervisor: Orsolya Valkó)

✉ qabdubakir@mail.ru

Research interests

Soil seed bank assessments and their role in the restoration of desert rangeland ecosystems

Due to the overutilisation of land resources and poor land management, land degradation and vegetation loss have been increasing worldwide. Moreover, climate change has also been causing the reduction of biodiversity particularly in terrestrial ecosystems of the world. Seed bank resources in the soil have been pointed out as an important tool for the self-restoration of degraded dryland ecosystems. The soil seed bank, defined as the viable seeds that survive on the soil surface or are buried in the soil, serves as a reflection of the previous vegetation and, potentially, as a catalyst for the development of a future plant community. It plays a pivotal role in plant population dynamics and the maintenance of species diversity in terrestrial ecosystems by providing resistance and resilience for plant communities. Moreover, soil seed banks are of great consequence in maintaining the diversity of dryland vegetation. In these vegetation communities, soil seed banks play an indispensable role in maintaining the health of vegetation, facilitating its growth and evolution over time, and conserving genetic diversity. According to ecological and evolutionary theories, soil seed banks are regarded as reservoirs of species and genetical biodiversity. The soil seed bank is considered a vital component of the ecosystem's resilience to further environmental challenges. Furthermore, the rehabilitation of ecosystems based on soil seed banks has been regarded as a suitable and cost-effective nature-based solution for the recovery of vegetation in dryland ecosystems.