Employees of the “Soil Reclamation” Laboratory of the Geography Institute  , PhD in Biology, Associate Professor Fidan Manafova, PhD in Biology, Associate Professor Nargiz Hakimova, under the supervision of the Head of the Laboratory, PhD in Geography Ismayil Guliyev, carried out soil research in different ecosystems surrounding the settlements of Saray, Novkhani, Pirshagi, Gala, Turkan, Zira, and Hovsan on the Absheron Peninsula.

In order to study the impact of natural-geographical and anthropogenic processes on surrounding geosystems, including soil cover, within the context of desertification, characteristic soil profiles were established, detailed morphological descriptions were conducted, and soil samples were collected for analysis. At the same time, the observations carried out during 2024–2025 were continued in 2026 as well.

Areas of the Absheron Peninsula that were less affected by anthropogenic impact were compared with areas more heavily exposed to anthropogenic (technogenic) influence based on a number of indicators, including above-ground and below-ground phytomass, projective cover, species composition of ephemerals, and growth dynamics of useful plants.

The improvement of the physical and chemical properties of soils in highly agronomic cultivated landscapes of the Absheron Peninsula indicates the high restoration potential of these soils. It is possible to reduce the impact of the desertification process in the area through the application of advanced irrigation technologies.