This research focuses on determination of irrigation — drainage networks conditions, salinity of irrigated areas in Shavat district of Khorezm region (Uzbekistan) by geospatial analysis and giving recommendations for their elimination. Additionally, obtaining monthly ground truth data from observation wells and interpolate them with IDW interpolation algorithm methods of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technologies in order to monitoring changes of groundwater level and mineralization in vegetation period of main agricultural crops are highlighted. Besides that, by using remote sensing technologies, the obtained data about the irrigation regime was determined in agricultural areas. As a result of the usage of GIS and RS methods, there have been created thematic maps on analysing salinity of soils, the actual condition of irrigation and collector of networks, actual level and mineralization of groundwater as well as their dynamic changes. On the basis of the obtained results, there have been given recommendations for improving the conditions of ameliorative arable lands on keeping the level of groundwater at a specified depth and cultivation of agricultural crops in periods of water scarcity.

Background: Agroforestry systems have the potential to provide timber and wood as a domestic raw material, as well as an additional source of income for rural populations. In Central Asia, tree windbreaks from mainly poplar trees have a long tradition, but were largely cut down as source for fuel wood after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. As Central Asia is a forest-poor region, restoration of tree windbreaks has the potential to provide timber and wood resources to that region. This study aimed to assess the potential of tree windbreaks to contribute to domestic timber and wood production. Methods: This study rests on a GIS-based analysis, in which tree lines (simulated by line shape files) were intersected with cropland area. The tree data to calculate timber and wood volumes stem from a dataset with 728 single trees from a relevant range of climatic conditions. Results: The potential annually available timber volumes from tree windbreaks with 500 m spacing are 2.9 million m³ for Central Asia as a whole and 1.5 million m³ for Uzbekistan alone, which is 5 times the current domestic roundwood production and imports of the country. Conclusions: tree windbreaks offer untapped potential to deliver wood resources domestically as a raw material for wood-based value chains.