Small River Valley Research Articles

Is It Reliable to Extract Gully Morphology Parameters Based on High-Resolution Stereo Images? A Case of Gully in a “Soil-Rock Dual Structure Area”

The gully morphology parameter is an important quantitative index for monitoring gully erosion development. Its extraction method and accuracy evaluation in the “soil-rock dual structure area” are of great significance to the evaluation of gully erosion in this type of area. In this study, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tilt photography data were used to evaluate the accuracy of extracting gully morphology parameters from high-resolution remote sensing stereoscopic images. The images data (0.03 m) were taken as the reference in Zhangmazhuang and Jinzhongyu small river valleys in Yishui County, Shandong Province, China. The accuracy of gully morphology parameters were extracted from simultaneous high-resolution remote sensing stereo images data (0.5 m) was evaluated, and the parameter correction model was constructed. The results showed that (1) the average relative errors of circumference (P), area (A), linear length of bottom (L1), and curve length of bottom (L2) are mainly concentrated within 10%, and the average relative errors of top width (TW) are mainly within 20%. (2) The average relative error of three-dimensional (3D) parameters such as gully volume (V) and gully depth (D) is mainly less than 50%. (3) The larger the size of the gully, the smaller the 3D parameters extracted by visual interpreters, especially the absolute value of the mean relative error (Rmean) of V and D. (4) A relationship model was built between the V and D values obtained by the two methods. When V and D were extracted from high-resolution remote sensing stereo images, the relationship model was used to correct the measured parameter values. These findings showed that high-resolution remote sensing stereo images represents an efficient and convenient data source for monitoring gully erosion in a small watershed in a “soil-rock dual structure area”.

Сопоставление эффективности использования современных геодезических методов в изучении последствий бобровой деятельности на малых реках

Multiple increase in the beaver population on the East European Plain has led to the appearance of a large number of beaver dams and ponds on small rivers. At present, the problem of regulating small rivers in this region remains poorly studied due to the above circumstances. This study presents the results of a comparison of modern geodetic methods obtained using an electronic total station, GNSS equipment and UAVs. The small river Morkvashinka, flowing along the northern tip of the Volga Upland, was chosen as the object of the study. The spatial coordinates and altitudes measured by the GNSS receiver generally agree well with the tacheometric survey data. The height difference is 0.5 cm (standard deviation – 0.07). However, the main disadvantage of an electronic total station, which limits its use for surveying linearly elongated objects and small river valleys, is the lack of direct visibility of the objects being photographed from the device due to the highly dissected territory, the tortuosity of the river and dense vegetation. Using orthophoto and digital terrain models obtained from unmanned aerial vehicles, it is not always possible to accurately determine the border of the coastline, as well as the absolute heights of the dam, floodplain, terraces, water edge, channel marks (pond depth) due to dense vegetation. However, the river bed and floodplain, beaver dams and ponds are clearly visible on them.

Моделирование как прогноз трансформации почв при техногенном засолении

The problem of soil salinization is relevant not only for agricultural areas but also for mining, where brines enter the surface as formation water or runoff from sludge storage facilities and salt dumps of mining enterprises. Currently, there is little elaboration of assessment and lack of normative support (MPC, APC) for assessment of technogenic salinisation of soils. The aim of this research is to develop a mathematical model for predicting the transformation of soils affected by technogenic salinization. The research focuses on soils in three types of landscapes, namely eluvial, transitional, and alluvial, located in the area of technogenic salinization. To develop the model, information-logical analysis and soil indicators were employed. These indicators were determined by standard methods. According to the information-logical analysis the sodium adsorption coefficient is the dominant factor of soils’ salinity; descending further: calcium ion content, sulfates content in the soil water extract and the calculated indicators (∆pH and pH) of the salt extract. The model showed that the highest amount of toxic salts is observed when pHKCl ranges from 5.3 to 7.4, sulfate content is above 500 mg/kg, calcium content is above 1000 mg/kg, SAR is above 10, and ∆pH is below 0.5. These indicator values correspond to alluvial soils found in small river valleys; these soils are highly prone to transformation. Using the obtained information-logical model and soil indicators, it is possible to make a forecast of soil transformation under technogenic salinization.

New Data on Spawning Site and Group Egg Laying of <i>Onychodactylus fischeri</i> (Boulenger, 1886) (the Southern Sikhote-Alin Range, Russia)

At the end of May, a permanent spawning site of Onychodactylus fischeri was first discovered in the gravel-stony layer under the bottom of a small river valley in the upward flows of subsurface alluvial waters (upper reaches of the Pravaya Sokolovka River, the Sikhote-Alin Range, Chuguevka rayon, Primorsky Krai). This place was located at an altitude of 650 m a.s.l. in mixed coniferous-broad-leaved forest in a narrow river valley. The primary spawning site lay beneath the bottom of a small water body that was two meters away from the main river course. The water in the breeding ground was slightly acidic and slightly mineralized. The local population of O. fischeri begins to reproduce in the end of May, when the water temperature inside the site reaches 6.1 – 7.9°C. This site had been used for egg laying on multiple occasions. We found 72 clutches attached to several small stones (n = 11). There were no large cavities between the stones, only narrow gaps. There were two recently laid clutches, 26 clutches in the late stages of embryogenesis, already empty sacs and fragments of old mucous stalks. O. fischeri lays paired egg sacs measuring 35.4 ± 1.9 mm (34.5 – 38.15; n = 3) in length. Egg arrangement in clutches of O. fischeri was varying: in one (or in two) rows in both sacs, or in one row — in one sac and in two — in the other. The mean number of eggs in each sac was 6.8 ± 1.3 (4 – 10; n = 55), the mean number of eggs in the clutch — 13.6 ± 2.2 (9 – 17; n = 27), the egg diameter — 8.08 ± 0.6 mm (6.71 – 8.9; n = 19). For the first time we recorded the otter (Lutra lutra) actively hunting adult O. fischeri. In late May – early July it preyed upon salamanders near the spawning site. The otter ate heads and bodies of O. fischeri but not tails. Perhaps, a high concentration of muciparous glands with poisonous secretion in the tails prevented the predator from eating them.

Динамика кислотно-щелочных и окислительно-восстановительных условий в аллювиальных техногенно засоленных почвах таежно-лесной зоны

The alluvial technogenically saline soils on the territory of the Verkhnekamsk salt deposit in the Perm Region were examined. It was found that in the studied part of the valleys of small rivers, alluvial saline soils occupy tens of hectares. During the summer-autumn observation period in alluvial humus gley saline saturated soil (Gleyic Fluvisol (Loamic, Salic)) at a depth of 10-40 cm, reducing conditions prevailed (Eh from +200 mV to -250 mV), favoring the biochemical recovery of iron and sulfur. The reaction of the soil medium ranged from 6,5–7,8 pH. In alluvial gley salt marsh unsaturated soils during the summer-autumn period in a layer of 10-40 cm, an alternation of anaerobic and aerobic conditions (Eh from -50 mV to +550 mV) was noted; the reaction of the soil medium at a depth of about 10-20 cm ranged from 2,5–4,1 pH. The regression dependence of pH on the value of Eh has been established with a correlation coefficient of R = -0,84. Apparently, technogenically saline alluvial soils have the potential for the formation of sulfide compounds and their subsequent oxidation with the appearance of a sharp acid reaction of the soil medium. Keywords: TECHNOGENIC SALINIZATION, EH, PH, GLEYIC FLUVISOL (LOAMIC, SALIC)

Incised-valley filling sedimentation in a small river valley of a wave-dominated, embayed coast in response to Holocene sea level rise, Yeongil Bay, Southeastern Korea

Incised-valley infill deposits are closely related to sea level changes during the post-glacial period of the late Quaternary and are an important topic in sea level history. In Asia, there are many large river basins that receive large amounts of sediment from the land, and the infilling deposits of incised valley systems have been well studied. Yeongil Bay is a semi-enclosed, funnel-shaped topographic feature on the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, located in the southwestern part of the East Sea (Sea of Japan). The Hyeongsan River, a small river flowing into Yeongil Bay, is flows perpendicular to the East sea. During the last glacial maximum (LGM), when the sea level was >120–130 m lower than at present in the Korea Strait, inflowing river processes are thought to have formed incised valleys. In this study, the sediment depositional patterns of incised valley fill since the LGM were examined by analyzing the sedimentary facies, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates, and radiocarbon dates by accelerated mass spectrometry (AMS) of three sediment cores in Yeongil Bay. The infilling sequence consists of sediments from channel lag (>12 ka) and meandering river (12–10 ka), wave-dominated estuary (12–7.8 ka), and wave-dominated delta (7.8–0 ka) systems in ascending order. The barrier appear only in the outer part of Yeongil Bay. The barrier emerged from eroding estuary systems at 8.5 ka. Millennial-scale isochrons based on OSL and radiocarbon dates showed that fluvial and estuary systems were deposited in retrogradation and delta systems were deposited in progradation since LGM. The modern delta of the Asian large rivers were initiated by a decreasing rate of sea level rise during the mid-Holocene, and consideration of this is important for RSL. This study emphasizes the importance of accommodation capacity as much as sediment discharge as a factor in the timing of delta initiation. This study provides important insights into the incised-valley infill deposits and past environmental conditions, and may help to gain a better understanding of how coastal environments have changed with sea level changes.

Analysis of the effectiveness measures provided in small river valleys in terms of geo-ecological revitalisation of landscape features

In the article are considered various classifications of watercourses (according to the degree of technogenic transformation, length and area of the catchment basin), which are objects that are part of various specially protected natural territories within urban areas. The qualitative differences between the concepts of "rehabilitation" and "recovery" are determined. The choice of natural territories (the valleys of the Chermyanka River and the Gorodnya River and adjacent territories) used in the study is justified. The geoecological condition was assessed (climatic, hydrographic, geological, hydrogeological conditions of territories, landscape and geomorphological features of objects, the existing state of soil cover, surface waters and bottom sediments were considered,engineering-geological and geoecological processes and phenomena were identified) of the sections of the small rivers Chermyanka and Gorodnya on the territory of natural parks of the city of Moscow, as well as an analysis of the quality of existing measures for the ecological rehabilitation of the section of the Gorodnya River valley complex from Borisovskaya Dam to Lublinskaya Street, which were carried out more than 15 years ago. The authors have identified a certain number of problems related to the functioning of natural complexes of small rivers and their degradation due to negative natural processes that do not depend on human activity (waterlogging, silting), associated with the consequences of human stay near rivers (pollution of water bodies and territories) and not quite correctly applied methods of ecological rehabilitation of territories, as well as inherited degraded state of the natural complex. The authors provide recommendations for improving the effectiveness of measures to ensure a satisfactory geoecological condition of small rivers and developed a unified methodological concept of geoecological rehabilitation of natural territories within urbanized territories.

Syntaxonomy of the Numto Nature Park vegetation (north taiga, Western Siberia): 1. Vaccinio-Piceetea Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl et al. 1939

This paper is the first in a series of publications dedicated to the description of vegetation in the Numto Nature Park, which covers an area of 597189.5 hectares and is located in the northern part of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area (63°7'– 64°20'N 69°44'–71°45'E). The territory of the park is representative of the entire subzone of the northern taiga in the central part of Western Siberia. The initial stage of the study focused on determining the syntaxonomic diversity of forest vegetation belonging to the class Vaccinio–Piceetea Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl et al. 1939. Nine associations (5 new ones, incl. 2 provisional), 2 subassociations, 10 variants, and 3 community types were identified and assigned to 4 alliances within 3 orders. A new alliance, Sphagno fimbriati–Pinion sibiricae all. nov., was proposed within the class Vaccinio–Piceetea, covering vegetation of swampy forest and wooded swamps in the valleys of small rivers and streams in the northern and middle taiga of Western Siberia. The plant communities are described on the basis of 180 geobotanical relevés. The t-SNE method, supplemented with cluster analysis, was employed to assess the degree of similarity between individual syntaxa. The article also discusses the issues related to the syntaxonomic affiliation of swampy forest and wooded swamps vegetation.

Мониторинг солнечного орла в национальном парке «Хвалынский» (Саратовская область, Россия)

Мониторинг солнечного орла в национальном парке «Хвалынский» (Саратовская область, Россия)

Anthropogenic transformation of the valleys of small rivers of the Chuvash Republic

The object of the study is the valleys of small rivers of the Chuvash Republic. The type of economic use, the degree of anthropogenic contamination, modern slope processes are analyzed. The need for research is justified by the deterioration of the ecological state of the landscapes of river valleys, water quality in the watercourses of the Chuvash Republic. In order to collect factual material on the current state of the landscapes of river valleys, expeditions were conducted to the rivers Tsivil, Kubnya, Kirya. Lyulya. The choice of the selected key objects is explained by the fact that they are typical for the physical and geographical regions of the region: the Kubnya River - the Southeastern and Zasursky districts; the Lyulya and Kirya rivers - the Prisursky and Zavolzhsky districts; the Tsivil River – the Volga and Central districts. The data obtained were interpreted for the entire territory of the Chuvash Republic. The analysis of the collected material made it possible to conduct zoning of the region according to the ecological state of river valleys. Four districts were identified: Volga, Central, Forest, Steppe. These areas differ in the degree and types of economic development. The valleys of the Volga region are industrial and agricultural territories, intensively developed. The valleys of the Central District are experiencing an average anthropogenic load from industrial enterprises and irrational agriculture. The valleys of the Forest zone are distinguished by the preservation of natural landscapes and the absence of negative slope processes. The river valleys of the Steppe region are experiencing critical indicators of agricultural development: plowing up to 90% of agricultural land, the absence of natural steppe landscapes. Individual recommendations were developed for each district to improve the ecological state of river valley landscapes and prevent the development of negative processes and emergencies.

Geoecological risks in the valleys of small rivers of the forest-steppe zone of the Russian plain (on the example of the Chuvash Republic)

The Chuvash Republic belongs to the territories with a high frequency of occurrence of emergency situations of moderate severity. This is due to the intensive economic development of the region. The probability and intensity of the manifestation of georisks is different for individual landscapes, therefore it needs a detailed study. The study includes the study of the probability of the development of slope, climatic, hydrological risks, and the risk of wildfires on the territory of the Chuvash Republic. The analysis showed that the slope type of geoecological risk is confined to the river valleys of the region and has maximum values in the north of the Chuvash Republic. A high risk of flooding and flooding exists in the valleys of major rivers of the region (Volga, Sura) and their tributaries of the first order. On other watercourses, the hydrological risk is not significant. Climate and weather risks are associated with hurricane winds and dry winds. The southeastern part of the region suffers the most from them. The risk of fires depends on the composition and age of the stand. The maximum risk values are typical for the Prisursky forest area (southern and southwestern parts of the region). Based on the data obtained, the classification of the districts of the Chuvash Republic by the size of the georisks was carried out. Four groups of districts were identified according to the probability of natural emergencies and the main factors of their occurrence were described.

МАТЕМАТИЧЕСКОЕ МОДЕЛИРОВАНИЕ РАСПРОСТРАНЕНИЯ СЕМЯН КЛЕНА ЯСЕНЕЛИСТНОГО В ГОРОДСКОЙ СРЕДЕ

Acer negundo is an invasive species. It is a serious problem for natural, protected, and other green areas of the cityof Perm. In some areas of small river valleys, it constitutes up to 80% of woody plants, and in public green areas ˗ up to 30%. Inrecent decades, the expansion of Acer negundo has been increasing. Its invasion threatens biodiversity, hinders natural regeneration of other plant species, and deteriorates the appearance of landscaped areas. The rate of distribution of Acer negundo exceeds the possibilities of visual surveys. Thus, the results of such surveys do not provide a reliable picture of the current distribution of the invasive plants and of the potential for their distribution. Our research work aimed to determine the distribution range of Acer negundo seeds by means of modeling. Based on a study of the distribution of Acer negundo in the city of Perm, the range of wind scattering of its seeds was identified. In the valley of the upper reaches of the Uinka River in the Motovilikhinsky District of Perm, the average weight of Acer negundo seeds, the number of seeds per tree, and the seed settling rate were determined. The tree was considered as a point source, for which the rate of discharge of seed quantity was determined, which was estimated as the source power. Further, by mathematical modeling based on Gaussian flare model, the seed dispersal range of the invasive plant was determined and seed flux fields to the soil surface were obtained. All calculations were performed for different conditions of atmospheric stratification and at fixed wind direction. The wind speed was estimated as the highest, with a probability of 5%.It was found that the greatest seed flight distance corresponded to weak and moderately stable stratification of the atmosphere. The distance to the zone of maximum seed deposition was from 35 to 107 m with a wind speed of 7 m/s.These data were prepared for developing a municipal program of phased replacement of Acer negundo in different types of green areas of the city of Perm on the basis of the regional law ‘On Green Areas of the Perm Region’.

ICE FORMATIONS WITHIN THE COURSES OF SMALL RIVERS OF THE IRKUT RIVER BASIN

The article discusses the ice formations of small rivers in the upper reaches of the Irkut river basin. Morphometric and morphological characteristics of icings were obtained, the map-scheme of ice formations was created and analyzed, features of icing processes and their influence on the relief of small rivers were identified using data of field research for 2021-2022, analysis of cartographic material and satellite images. It has been established that the longest and gentlest icings are confined to the area of the Munku-Sardyk massif, the steepest icings - to the Nuhu-Daban and Tunkinsky Goltsy mountains, the icing coefficients of the rivers vary from low to medium values. The main role of ice formations is to transform the relief of the bottoms and slopes of small river valleys through erosive-accumulative (deep, lateral erosion and the formation of alluvial-iced terraces) and cryogenic processes (preparation of loose material).

NEW ASSOCIATION OF WOODED SWAMP WITH ALNUS INCANA WHTHIN THE IRTYSH FLOOD PLAIN (WESTERN SIBERIA)

Gray alder Alnus incana (L.) Moench (Betulaceae) in the taiga zone of Western Siberia is a rare species located on the northern and eastern borders of its area. Alnus incana occurs sporadically in the floodplain of the Irtysh [Flora , 1992; Gordeev, 1999; Kapitonova et al., 2017], the Ob River [Taran et al., 2004], and the valleys of small rivers of its left bank tributaries [Lapshina et al., 2018].
 A new association Carici juncellaeAlnetum incanae ass. nov. of treed floodplain swamps, with the participation of gray alder (Fig. 1, 2) was described in the right-bank floodplain of the Irtysh River in its lower reaches (60.73 N; 69.81 E). The association combines rare birch-alder-tussock sedge communities of floodplain swamps that develop under conditions of flooding by river waters and moderately rich ground water supply.
 Differentiating species combination: Alnus incana, Carex juncella, C. canescens, Calliergon giganteum, Calliergonella cuspidata, Climacium dendroides, Haplocladium microphyllum, Lewinskya elegans, Pylaisia polyantha (Table 1).
 Communities similar in floristic composition were recently described on the territory of the Malaya Sosva Nature Reserve under the name of ass. Alno incanae-Betuletum pubescentis Lapshina et al. 2018 [Lapshina et al., 2018]. The main difference of the new association is a taller tree layer, the development of a dense layer of gray alder (up to 70%), the dominance of tussock-forming sedges, and the complete absence of Sphagnum mosses (Table 1), caused by differences in the ecological conditions of habitats (more favorable microclimatic conditions, variability of the moistening and higher richness of peat soils in the floodplain of the Irtysh).
 The new association is assigned to the alliance Salici pentandraeBetulion pubescentis Clausnitzer in Dengler et al. 2004 (order Salici pentandrae-Betuletalia pubescentis Clausnitzer in Dengler et al. 2004) of the class Alnetea glutinosae Tx. 1937. The order and its central alliance combine low-lying eutrophic and mesoeutrophic birch swamps and swampy low forests of Eurasia fed by ground water and river water.
 The good condition of gray alder in the communities of floodplain swamps (high projective cover, flowering, fruiting) allows us to expect a wider distribution of communities of this association in Western Siberia under conditions of climate warming.

Wpływ zmian litologii i morfologii dna doliny Mrożycy w Brzezinach na rozwój zabudowy miasta od średniowiecza do współczesności

Wpływ zmian litologii i morfologii dna doliny Mrożycy w Brzezinach na rozwój zabudowy miasta od średniowiecza do współczesności

Populations of Small Mammals (Rodentia, Insectivora) in Small River Valleys before and after a Flood

Populations of Small Mammals (Rodentia, Insectivora) in Small River Valleys before and after a Flood

Natural and Geomorphological Response of the Small Lowland River Valley for Anthropogenic Transformation

The regulation of small rivers and the consequent maintenance works are common in the Central European Lowlands. This article attempts to determine the relationship between the invertebrate fauna (and consequently the biocenosis) of the small lowland river valley and its landforms (morphodynamics) under the conditions of very large and rapid changes caused by river regulation and maintenance. On this basis, an attempt to analyze the response of the ecosystem to rapid transformations associated with engineering works was made. The study covered Kraska, a small river typical for Polish Lowlands, which has been regulated along almost the entire length. The results showed that, in the regulated sections, where the natural forms of the relief were destroyed, there were significantly fewer taxa and significantly smaller numbers of the specimen. Despite the clear negative impact of the regulatory work on the ecosystem, the river in some sections showed the ability to spontaneously restore certain geomorphic features.

The role of landslides in the evolution of a small mountain river valley (Polish Carpathians)

The role of landslides in the evolution of a small mountain river valley (Polish Carpathians)

Assessing hillslope sediment generation potential by tree throw: a preliminary field study along a small river valley in the Jura Mountains, northwest Switzerland

Abstract. A preliminary field-based investigation was undertaken in a small (< 10 km2) river valley located in the mountainous Jura region of northwest Switzerland. The aims of the work were to assess sediment generation and annual sediment transport rates by tree throw on forested hillslopes and to document surface hydrology characteristics on four fresh tree throw mounds associated with recent tree throws over a 24 d monitoring period. For the tree throw mounds, average sediment recovery ranged from 7.7–28.2 g (dry weight), equivalent to a suspended sediment concentration of 145.2–327.8 g L−1, and runoff coefficients ranged from 1.0 %–4.2 %. Based on a soil bulk density value of 1044 kg m−3, upslope runoff generation areas were denuded by an average of 0.14 mm within the 24 d monitoring period, representing an erosion rate equivalent to 2.1 mm a−1. This means that a ca. 50 cm high tree throw mound could theoretically persist for around 200–250 years. For tree throw work, the dimensions of 215 fallen trees were measured and their locations mapped in 12 separate locations where tree throw was prominent along the river valley, representing a cumulative area equivalent to 5.3 ha (average density equivalent to 43 trees ha−1). The 215 tree throws generated a total of 20.1 m3 of fine sediment (< 2 mm dia.), or the equivalent of 3.8×10-4 m3 m−2. The process of tree throw was originally attributed to two extreme weather events that occurred across west and central Europe in late December 1999. Taking the 18-year period since both storms, this represents an annual sediment transport rate of 2.7×10-5 m3 m−1 a−1. Exploring the relationship with wind on fall direction, however, 65.5 % of mapped tree throws (n= 143) generally fell in a downslope direction irrespective of hillslope aspect on which they were located. Given the similar fall orientation for most trees, this infers that severe storms may not have been responsible for the majority of tree throws, but instead, their upheave might be related to root failure. Given the relative maturity (average age 41 years) of fallen trees in this river valley, our data suggest that once trees attain a certain age, their physiognomy (i.e. height, mass, and centre of gravity) compromises their ability to remain securely anchored. We tentatively attribute this possibility to the presence of bedrock close to the surface, and to the shallow soil profile overlaying the steep rocky slopes. More in-depth studies are required to firstly confirm our findings, and secondly, tree throw studies should be undertaken in other Jura mountain river valleys to assess whether these results are representative.

The inventory of vegetation cover of small river valleys in the north-east of the Samara Region

The study covered 10 small rivers in the North-Eastern part of the Samara Volga region. The author studied the vegetation cover, which is understood as a set of phytocoenoses and their constituent plant species. On the territory of Pokhvistnevsky District, there are two groups of river valleys that are heterogeneous in geobotanical terms. The first group includes the rivers with forested valleys (Kutlugush, Murakla, Karmalka). Their slopes are more or less symmetrical and steep. The vegetation cover of an undeveloped floodplain is usually uniform, and there is usually no belt. The valleys of the second group are treeless; their slopes are sharply asymmetrical (Amanak, Tergala, Talkish). The right-bank tributary of the Maly Kinel River the Lozovka River with its length of 20 km and the left tributary Kuvayka River with its length of 16 km were studied on the territory of Kinel-Cherkassky District. The Padovka and Zaprudka rivers and the right tributaries of the Bolshoi Kinel River (Kinelsky District) were also studied. The most common associations are (Salix fragilis heteroherbosa, Scirpus sylvaticus purum, Agrostis stolonifera Amoria repens, Elytrigia repens + Poa angustifolia heteroherbosa). In total, 19 types of phytocoenoses were noted, 4 of them are found in half of the studied rivers. In the plant communities of small river valleys there are 232 species of higher wild plants, which belong to 139 genera from 48 families. This is 60% of the total number of higher plants registered in the flora of small river valleys of the Samara Region. Rare protected plant species are registered here: Adonis volgensis Steven ex DC., Cacalia hastata L., Delphinium cuneatum Stev. ex DC., Globularia punctata Lapeyr.