Analytical Determination of the Boundaries of Transition Natural Zones (Ecotones)

Abstract

The morphological units that are part of the catena, are recognized in accordance with the response to the geomorphological and soil processes. The spatial relationship is the main unit between them. In this regard, the landscape patterns acquire a cascade type, and their main link becomes the zonal catena, which has specific stable features, reflecting the dependence of the complex of natural conditions and processes of latitude. However, clear-cut boundaries do not exist – they have spatial and temporal displacement, associated with the cyclical nature of the global climatic processes. The landscapes in these transition zones (ecotones) a priori can be considered unstable. The detection of ecotones boundaries provides the opportunity to divide natural zones to potentially stable and potentially unstable parts for planning measures on preventing the degradation of landscapes localized in them. The latitude of the ecotones localization can be determined through the connection of the radiation heat flux on land (R) with the normalized geographical latitude of the subboreal belt (x), which is described by the equation of the energy balance, expressed in the logistic function R = А / [1 + 0,72 exp(4,25 – Bx)] + C.

Keywords

• catena
• ecotone
• landscape
• sustainability
• boundary
• zone
• flow
• logistic function