Oka–Don Lowland

Oka-Don Lowland
(Russian: Окско-Донская равнина) (Also: Oka–Don Plain)
Black Earth Field in Tambov Oblast, on the Oka–Don Plain
The Oka–Don Plain is located between the Central Russian Uplands (to the west) and the Volga Uplands to the east.
Floor elevation	150 m (490 ft)
Geography
Location	Russia
Coordinates	53°00′N 40°30′E / 53°N 40.5°E / 53; 40.5

The Oka–Don Lowlands (

Topography

The plain is about 250 km west–east, and 500 km north–south. The central and southern parts are sometimes called the "Tambov plain", and are mostly contained in Tambov Oblast. The lowlands also includes portions of Lipetsk Oblast on the west, Ryazan Oblast to the north, Penza Oblast to the east, and Voronezh Oblast to the south. The soil includes widespread chernozym ("black earth"), with more podzolic ("under-ash") soils towards the north and some sandy regions in the south.^[3]

Hydrography

Because it is flat, the major rivers meander on broad floodplains. The main river in the north is the

, which is also in the Don Basin. The floodplains can be up to 20 km in width, with up to three terraces.

Vegetation

In modern times, the plain is heavily developed for agriculture. The primary grains are wheat, barley and rye, with 'industrial' crops such as sunflower seeds, sugar beets, and potatoes. Before modern development, the plain was forb meadow-steppe, with forest groves of pine, oak, and black alder along the river banks.^[4] The Oka–Don lowlands include two federal-level nature reserves: the Voronina Nature Reserve in the southeast, and the Voronina Nature Reserve, both featuring forest-steppe habitat along rivers.

References