Degradation of landscapes in the South of the Privolzhsky Upland

Abstract

Landscapes in the southern part of the Privolzhsky Upland represent a complex ecological system, functioning in severe geomorphological and climatic conditions. The study of erosion degradation and zoning of the southern part of the Privolzhsky Upland, limited by the interfluve of the Volga and Ilovlya rivers, with a total area of 1,156 thousand hectares, where the dissection of the gully and ravine network is 0.4-1.0 km.km-2, reaching in some places 3.5 km.km-2 was carried out by the methods of the joint analysis of digital elevation model, large-scale topographic cartographic basis and satellite images of the studied territory, using specialized programs and geographic information systems "Surfer" and "QGIS", using the developed equation (S = 240exp(-(H-98.6)2/(-2,798.4)) + 2.16), which provides a simulation in landscape analogues. Studies provide an opportunity to identify the quantitative parameters of the landscape for each of the selected contours, to determine the most vulnerable areas to erosion, which will allow us to develop a plan of work to prevent the washing away of the fertile soil layer using the example of our modelling.

Keywords

• mapping
• soil erosion
• modelling
• forest plantations