Sand Stabilizers

forests planted on sands and loose sandy soils to protect them from being blown away. Such plantings protect fertile lands, populated areas, and railroad tracks from sand drifts. They also make possible the subsequent use of sandy regions for cultivating agricultural crops or pasturing livestock. In the forest-steppe and steppe zones of the European USSR, the Scotch pine is the principal tree used as a sand stabilizer. Sometimes the Crimean pine (Pinus pallasiana) and the black locust are cultivated. On the Caspian lowland, the black locust, oleaster, tamarisk, and Calligonum are used as sand stabilizers. In the deserts of Middle Asia, saxaul, Calligonum, and Salsola paletzkiana are used.