MAPPING OF LANDSCAPE AND GEOCHEMICAL STRUCTURE OF URBAN TERRITORY (MOSCOW CASE STUDY)

Abstract

A method for mapping the landscape and geochemical structure of urban areas polluted with heavy metals and metalloids has been developed and tested. The land-use structure shows the differentiation of anthropogenic impact and pollution of landscapes, the description of the landscape structure of the territory is based on the analysis of geomorphologic conditions and spatial distribution of genera of elementary geochemical landscapes and urban soils. Using the developed method a synthetic map of the landscape and geochemical structure of the eastern part of Moscow has been compiled. It reflects the functional zoning, landscape features and allocation of various types of technogenic anomalies of heavy metals and metalloids.The resulting units form three regions: central (elevated, relatively flat with autonomous landscapes, mainly low-rise buildings and large areas of recreational and industrial zones, with stable, progressive, regressive and bioprogressive anomalies of heavy metals and metalloids), north-western (lowered with transaccumulative landscapes and predominance of the industrial zone, with mainly relict, as well as regressive, stable and bioaccumulative anomalies of the heavy metals and metalloids), and south-eastern (lowered with transaccumulative, superaquatic and aquatic landscapes, with the predominance of the recreational zone and high-rise buildings, with areas of industrial and post-agricultural zone and relatively small areas of low and medium-rise buildings, with stable, progressive, neoprogressive, regressive and relict anomalies of heavy metals and metalloids). The developed method allows one to characterize more accurately, compactly and visually the landscape and technogenic features of the urbanized territory and allocation of geochemical anomalies of pollutants.

Keywords

• еcogeochemistry
• urban landscapes
• zoning
• pollution
• heavy metals