Anthropogenic disturbances of the landscape structure of the Kola Peninsula northwest caused by mining and metallurgical industry

Abstract

On the basis of field landscape research results, the spatial features of the anthropogenic impact of Pechenganikel mining and metallurgical plant located in the northwest of the Kola Peninsula have been analysed. The landscape mapping of the Plant’s vicinity (scale 1 : 50 000) has been done, the typology of natural complexes representing the features of their structure and anthropogenic transformation has been developed. The tunturi type (upland massifs with altitudinal belts) and varaka type (rocky ridges) of landscapes are dominated in landscape structure. The main type of vegetation is mixed pine and birch subshrub forests on podzols. Higher than 220 m they turn into birch crooked subshrub wood on podzols and podzolized brown soils. On the tops higher than 320 m tundra subshrub and lichen communities on moderately developed soils prevail. However, vegetation vertical zonality has been blurred due to the anthropogenic influence. More than a half (58%) of plant and vegetation cover should be declared damaged: forests have been replaced by woodland, a significant amount of natural woodland have turned into hessians, burnt and barren lands on anthropogenically transformed soils (the result of Podzols degradation) are dominated in the area. Anthropogenic landscape types (pits, refuse piles, mining sites) occupy a relatively insignificant part (5%) of the area in the Plant’s vicinity. All in all, anthropogenic impact (Plant’s emissions, pits’ dust distribution) leads to vegetation and soil cover modification and formation of anthropogenic landscape types.