TO THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EDUCATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC CENTER OF GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY FACULTY OF ODESSA I. I. MECHNIKOV NATIONAL UNIVERSITY "KRINICHKI"

Abstract

The main achievements, directions and prospects of the educational and scientific center Krynychky activity, current programs of educational field student practic­es and scientific research are presented in the article. 40 years later, a physical-geo­graphical educational and scientific center Krynychky was founded on the basis of Krynychanska secondary school of the Balta district of Odessa region. Currently, the center is used by staff and students of the Geology and Geography Faculty of Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University for scientific and/or educational purposes.There were several reasons for the creation of the center in this place, among them the study of the landscape structure of the forest-steppe areas and the study of wetlands (swamps) and solving the problem of their amelioration. Gradually, the range of sci­entific problems expanded. The composition and level of groundwater, agrochemical and agrophysical properties of soils, capacity, dynamics and spatial distribution of snow gusts, as well as observations of soil moisture and its spatial changeability, soil erosion properties, biotic diversity of landscapes, etc., were studied.Most lectures and staff of the Department of Physical Geography and Nature Man­agement, as well as other departments and research laboratories of the Geology and Geography Faculty of Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University were somehow involved in teaching practice or performing numerous scientific studies in the cen­ter. The study area of the center is a key area in the semi-stationary observations of landscapes and agrocenoses and integrated large-scale zoning and mapping of the territory. More than a dozen diploma theses and a number of scientific dissertations have been defended on the materials of field research of the center. Serious and mul­tifaceted work was performed in the development of a digital database of the center study area with the creation of digital elevation maps, soil cover maps, land categories maps, etc.In recent years, the center has been a constant base for educational field practice for geography students of the Geology and Geography Faculty. The purpose of integrated geographical practice is to master the methods and skills of field research and further in-house work, skills with the simplest tools, and more recently - using software ap­plications in gadgets (eg, pedometer, compass, GPS-navigator, electronic maps, space images, etc.), processing and analysis of the received field data and registration of reports on the performed works.Of particular note is the exceptional importance of field practic­es for geology students. Teachers of the Department of General and Ma­rine Geology studied the geological structure of the territories and de­veloped methodological support for geo-mapping practice in this area. In accordance with the study program of the practice of structural geology and geo-mapping, geology students master the method of route geological survey of the territory, work on outcrops of rocks, study the lithological properties of rocks, make stratigraphic dissection of sedimentary strata, learn to build geological maps of the route and compile geological reports, gain experience in the mining method of miner­al exploration, learn to work in a team.As a result, the educational and scientific center Krynychky has a long and rich history of geographical, paleontological, geoinformation, geological, botanical and soil research which were made during for four decades of its existence. Annual field practices of students are of great importance for the preparation and education of a new constellation of geographers and geologists - teachers and scientists who receive the most valuable skills to perform field research of natural and anthropogenic com­plexes and their interpretation. The center could become a base for conducting field practice for other natural students, as well as a base for the exchange of natural science students between higher education institutions in Ukraine.