The dry climate of the southern and southeastern slopes of the Greater Caucasus has developed various problems for their land management. In this zone, the formation of soils resulted in a zone of intense neotectonic movements, particularly contrasting climatic conditions, on arid-denudation folded lowlands composed of Upper Pliocene and Quaternary pebbles, conglomerates, and loams. The soils in the forest-steppe arid zone belong to the brown earth type, with its various taxonomic units characterized by the widespread siallitic type of weathering. Using landscape zoning optimized the agricultural landscape. For zoning, generally the zonal, subzonal, district, and subdistrict taxonomic units were categories used. In each subdistrict, planning comprised the moisture content of the territory, the directives for the development of agriculture, the soil, and vegetation cover. In fact, the proposed measures sought to combat the erosion and drought by developing an appropriate territorial base. A gap has developed between progressive ways of using land and the traditional organization of the territory. Agriculture suffers the most, since within the framework of the old land management, the soil conservation may not be highly effective.

Keywords: Arid zone, landform, landscape type, agricultural landscape, zoning, taxonomic units, erosion, drought

Key findings: Geomorphological and climatic factors play a key role in the formation of the landscape in arid regions of the Greater Caucasus, and zoning based on these factors is highly important for the efficient organization of agriculture. Microclimate differences on the northern and southern slopes affect soil fertility and vegetation cover. Therefore, a differentiated approach is essential in arid zone agriculture, considering irrigation opportunities and erosion risks as key conditions for expanding arable land and increasing crop productivity.