Estimation of Environmental Sustainability of the Landscape of the Basin Western Bug Rivers In Volyn Region

Abstract

Purpose. Determination of ecological stability of landscapes of the basin of the Western Bug River and its tributaries in Volyn region. Methods. Comparative-geographical, analytical, generalization, systematization, calculation of ecological stability of the landscape on the basis of the method of E. Clementova, V. Heinig. Results. The calculation of the quantitative assessment of the ecological stability of the landscapes in the basins of the Western Bug tributaries revealed that the KESL1 index of the Pischadka, Neretva and the Zolotoha River ranges from 1.3 to 1.6. That making basin landscapes conditionally stable. River Studyanka and Luga range from 0,027 to 0,026, which testifies them to the unstable structure of the landscapes of the basin with pronounced instability. It is established that in the landscapes of the basin of the Western Bug River of Volyn Region, their ecologically balanced structure is predominant at the KESL1 1.04 index. This is due to the structure of the lands of the basin, where agricultural (arable land) cause a big loading and destabilized landscapes occupies in most of the area. The largest plots of arable land occupy the sub basins of the rivers Studyanka and Luga, and the smallest ones in the sub basins of the Neretva, Zolotukha and Gapa rivers, which is due to the significant forested areas of the basin. The qualitative assessment of ecological stability of the landscape is characterized by the coefficient of ecological stability of the biotechnical elements of the entire landscape of the K ESL2. Calculations of KESL2 showed that the landscape structure of the basin of the Western Bug River in the Volyn region is slightly stable and the index is 0.48. The KESL2 coefficients of the Studyanka and Lug lakes are 0.21 and 0.23 respectively, and characterize them as unstable geosystems. The structure of the landscapes of the basins of the Peschadka and Kopayevka rivers for KESL2 - (0,95 - 0,67) is stable. Consequently, intensive settlement of land, drainage of marshes, deforestation violated the integrity of landscapes led to their denaturalization. Particularly significant changes occurred in the southern part of the basin. Conclusions. As a result of the calculations of the quantitative assessment of the ecological stability of landscapes (KESL1), the landscapes of the basin of the Western Bug River in the Volyn region are conditionally stable. And according to the indicators of qualitative assessment of ecological stability of the landscape (KESL2), they are characterized as low-static geosystems. In general, determining the stability of the landscape is important for assessing the ecological situation of the basin of the Western Bug River, since it fully reflects the overall ecological status of the river basin.