APPLICATION OF GIS TECHNOLOGIES FOR FUNCTIONAL ZONING OF NATURAL PROTECTED AREAS ON THE EXAMPLE OF SEVASTOPOL

Abstract

The article considers the possibilities of applying GIS technologies for functional zoning of specially protected natural areas (PAs) using the Sevastopol landscape reserves as an example. Presented are the results of the inventory of distribution of rare protected species of flora on the territory of the Sevastopol protected areas – the “Baydarskiy” and “Cape Aya” landscape reserves. Using MapInfo Professional software, version 12.0, a database of the rare species of flora of the reserves developed along with their georeferencing to the territory, and a thematic layer was created. It determined that for the “Baydarskiy” landscape reserve territory there are 116 species of plants listed in various nature protection lists, and for the “Cape Aya” reserve – 56 species. The results of the analysis of distribution of rare species of plants and plant communities on the landscape reserve territories are presented. A method is provided for determining the boundaries of the functional zones of the landscape reserves based on the conjugate analysis of electronic vegetation maps, rare flora fractions, transport routes, settlements, and existing zoning schemes. The functional zoning of the “Baydarskiy” and “Cape Aya” landscape reserves has been corrected. For the “Baydarskiy” landscape reserve, a zoning scheme has been developed with the expansion of the number of functional zones according to the Russian Federation legislation, an increase in the share of limited-use lands from 11.4 % to 16.3 %, and a slight reduction in the area of economic purpose and recreation. In the proposed scheme for the functional zoning of the “Cape Aya” reserve, the protected area outlined containing the locations of the most valuable plant communities of Greek juniper and Stankevich’s pine, along with a specially protected zone with sites of rare species; the recreational zone is reduced in area and along the coastline.