Microzonal Geomorphological Landscape Differentiation and the Degree of Seriality of Topogeosystems

Abstract

An analysis is made of the landscape-forming role of relief, its influence on the formation of the landscape structure of the territory in its dynamic interpretation, i. e. the structure of the radical and variable states of topogeosystems. We examine and compare the concepts of the geomorphological (altitudinal levels, layered structure of relief, and slope microzonality) and factoral-dynamic (factoral seriality, radical, semiradical and serial facies) approaches to investigating geosystems of on the territory of a tableland. The property of geosystems seriality is considered from the factoral-dynamic perspective where the factoral seriality is determined by the nature of influence of local factors on the topogeosystem (excessive moisture, rock outcrops, etc.), while the dynamic properties are connected with the strength of factoral influence determining the degree of deviation of a particular topogeosystem from a radical geosystem. The relative altitude in this context is considered as an indicator of the degree of deviation of the characteristics of a particular topogeosystem from a radical geosystem, i. e. as the indicator of the degree and type of factoral seriality. Using the Olkha Plateau (area of Southern Cisbaikalia) as an example we carried out a comparative investigation into the microzonal geomorphological structure of landscapes and the seriality of geosystems resulting from the modifying influence of various factors. The map for the areas of groups of facies obtained by the method of geosystem mapping with the use of Earth remote sensing data was compared with data of comprehensive route investigations and with the schematic map of the microzonal structure of landscapes calculated in terms of a digital terrain model using data on the relative altitude of the location and the steepness of slopes. The linkage as identified between the microzonal landscape differentiation and the topogeosystems seriality is ambiguous. This is explained by the existence of a large number of local factors shielding a direct influence of the relief on geosystems, which leads to an increase in landscape diversity.