Основные этапы изучения гидролого-экологических характеристик водотоков в бассейне реки Урал (в пределах Российской Федерации)

Abstract

A flared-out analysis of the principal stages of studies of hydrological/ecological situation in the Ural River basin within the boundaries of the Russian Federation is presented. Special features of the conducted investigations on the hydrocole communities’ variability have been described. With taking into consideration the completeness of the investigations being conducted, three states have been identified since the end of XIX century to the present. The completeness of the study extent of the hydrocole main communities (that are phytoplankton, zooplankton, zoobenthos, and ichthyofauna) in terms of every stage has been reflected. It has been shown that the whole observation period is characterized by the absence of the full-scale system of observations, calculations and assessments that reflect complicated mutual ties between hydrocole communities (in ecosystems) changing in space and time depending on the economic activities’ impact. The Khudolaz, Karagayly, Tanalyk, Buzavlyk, Blyava, and other rivers are remarkable for their sufficiently critical gydrological/ecological characteristics. The said rivers over the past decades related to the category of polluted and extremely polluted in terms of the integrated indicators. The observations being conducted as well as the taken water/protective measures in the Ural River basin are inadequate under the conditions of the economic activities wide-scale impact. Special significance of the hydro/biological observations in the Ural River basin is stressed due to the basin principle and hydrological/ecological demands to the assessment of the economic activities’ impact scale.