ANTHROPOGENIC TRANSFORMATION OF THE KONOPELKA RIVER BASIN

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of physical and geographical features of the Konopelka river basin. Hydrological characteristics of the river, morphometric, geomorphological, climatic features of its basin, soil cover of the territory are considered. The history of the study of the geoecological condition of the river basin, the rational use and protection of water resources of the basin in the works of ukrainian scientists has been studied. The position of the basin in the zoning scheme of the territory of Ukraine for the potential danger of erosion processes, anthropogenic development of the basin are analyzed. It is established that the level of anthropogenic development of the basin is not high. Within its boundaries there are 26 settlements, 16.5 thousand people live. The economic complex of the basin is represented mainly by agriculture with a developed production of grain and industrial crops, as well as the local industry for processing agricultural products. 33% of the basin area is covered by forest, 3% - wetlands, 21% - meadows, 40% - arable land. Only 3% of the catchment area is built up. In the use of land resources in recent years there has been a tendency to reduce arable land in connection with the introduction of contour and reclamation organization of the territory, allotments for homestead land, reserve land and the organization of farms. The water resources of the basin are currently used sparingly. The largest water consumer is agriculture. The total water demand is about 733000 m3/year, and the irreversible use of 551000 m3/year. Compared to 1991, in 2020 the volume of water supply to meet the needs of industry and utilities increased by 43.4% (due to the use of groundwater), agriculture - by 150%, wastewater discharge also increased by 42%. There are no organized wastewater discharges within the basin. Pollution of the river occurs as a result of unorganized runoff from agricultural fields, livestock farms, rural areas and unauthorized landfills. Drainage reclamation has a significant impact within the basin. Erosion rates are exceeded 6.5 times, the level of erosion risk is crisis, plowing is 49.2%. In order to study the changes in the natural functioning and balance of the ecological system of the Konopelka river, a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the level of anthropogenic pressure on its basin was conducted. In particular, the degree of anthropogenic transformation of the modern landscape was assessed according to the method of KAP, proposed by Voropay L.I., Dutchak N.V., Kunitsa N.A. The coefficient of landscape stability was also calculated according to the method of Klementova E., Heinige V. The performed calculations allowed to identify the value of the degree of transformation of the studied landscape as a transformed, unstable landscape with pronounced instability. The ecological condition of the river basin is unfavorable. Among the individual processes and phenomena that affect the formation of the geoecological state, it is necessary to highlight the location of pesticides that cause contamination with ammonia and phosphorus, the extent of plowing, which contributes to the removal of pollutants from agricultural areas. However, in addition to the processes of anthropogenic pollution, there are other processes that affect the formation of the ecological state of the basin. In particular, the processes of karst, waterlogging, flooding, ravine formation, subsidence and planar erosion are manifested. As a result of these processes, the channel is silted up, sediments are formed, and the shores are washed away. Environmental measures are proposed to improve the geoecological condition of the river basin. Among them: replanning of agricultural use of lands of various technological groups, organizational and economic agrotechnical reclamation and hydrotechnical compensatory measures.
 Keywords: river basin, geoecological condition of the basin, sources of anthropogenic influence within the basin, anthropogenic transformation of the basin