Ретроспективно-географічний аналіз формування і змін стану ставків Волинської області у XIX-XXI століттях

Abstract

The main retrospective-geographical (historical) stages of ponds formation in the Volyn Region are considered – initial, early (manufactory), industrial and modern (agrarian, post-industrial). In order to analyse conditions and functioning of the region’s pond farms we used topographic maps for four historical periods: Commonwealth of Poland historical atlas (scale 1 : 300,000, early ХІХ century), Russian Empire (scale 1 : 126,000, 1875), Polish (scale 1 : 100,000, 1924-1933) and Soviet maps (scale 1 : 100,000, 1977-1992). They reflect the trend of changes in the parameters and functioning of the existing ponds in the Volyn Region over the last 220 years. Landscape-hydrological systems were selected for geospatial analysis of location features of the ponds and water mills within the Volyn Region. Overall, 19 individual landscape-hydrological systems were established. An exponential increase in the number of ponds in early and industrial stages was identified, considering some decreases in particular historical periods. The number of ponds in the region varied from 76 (in the 1970s) to 625 units (1970-80s). A clear, almost linear, increase in ponds total area was observed. During the studied historical period, the area of ponds increased from 1,553.7 to 4,242.4 ha. The highest concentration of pond farms is specific to the landscape-hydrological systems of the Volyn Highland, especially to the Stir-III sub-basins (29.9 % of the total count in the region), Luga-III and Goryn-III. At the same time, a gradual decrease in the average area of a pond – from 20.44 (in the 70s of the XIX century) to 6.28 ha (70-80 years of the XX century) was shown. The considerable number of ponds in the rural areas of the Volyn Region is an important factor in the creation of new work places, recreation areas, diversification of agricultural products and feed base.