Landscape Mapping of Mining Territories and Their Natural Environment

Abstract

The purpose is to develop a conjugate classification of natural and anthropogenic mesolandscapes and use it to create a medium-scale landscape map of the Luchegorsk Fuel and Energy Complex and its surroundings. Materials and methods. The classification of natural-technical, techno-natural and natural meso-landscapes and the landscape map of the study area were made on the basis of the material obtained during the expedition research in 2006, 2013 - 2014 and 2018. Descriptions were conducted by the detailed route method. Generally accepted methods were used during the field studies. The landscape map of the study area was made using ArcGIS 10 software. Results and discussion. The landscape structure of the study territory has a mosaic character and consists of natural-technical, techno-natural and natural meso-landscapes. Natural-technical meso-landscapes account for about 22.6 km2 or 3 % of the total area of the study territory. Techno-natural meso-landscapes occupy 167.7 km 2 or about 23 % of the total area of the study territory. Natural meso-landscapes within the study territory occupy 552.2 km2 . Conclusions. The study identified 11 kinds of land-natural meso-landscapes, 2 kinds of water-natural meso-landscapes, 6 kinds of land-natural meso-landscapes, 2 kinds of amphibious meso-landscapes, 1 kind of water-natural meso-landscapes, 14 kinds of terrestrial meso-landscapes, 1 kind of amphibious mesolandscapes, and kind of natural water meso-landscapes. A geoinformation system "natural, techno-natural and natural meso-landscapes of the Luchegorsk fuel and energy complex" was developed.