Published Online: Aug 08, 2012
Page range: 41 - 48
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10285-012-0042-z
This content is open access.
Nowadays in Russia, due to the depressive state of landscape-oriented economic sector - agriculture and forestry - we observe the process of mass abandonment of cultivated land. Small part of abandoned territory changes the type of land use to settlement or recreational, greater part starts functioning and evolving in natural mode. Prediction of abandoned landscapes trend of evolution is a requisite base of optimal landscape and socio-economic planning.
In the article we analyze the plentiful material of 33-year functioning of the Vozha catchment cultural landscape (Central Meschera), obtained by the group of Moscow university chair of Physical Geography and Landscape Studies. During the observation period, three phases of socio-economic development of the territory were seen: 1966-1985 - extensive arable and pasture farming with self-flowing drainage; 1986-1993 - intensive agriculture with draining-irrigation system supplied by locks and pumping station; 1993-2010 - fields abandonment, closedown of pumping station, channels clogging and soiling.
Main goal of this work was to compare the function of landscape under various anthropogenic pressures and estimation of the degradation of the Vozha catchment cultural landscape. Cultural landscape is understood as a landscape purposely modified by man to effectively meet its socio-economic functions - resource-reproductive, environmental, nature conservation, aesthetic and educational (????? 1989). Used classification of landscape socio-economic functions is similar to adopted in Europe classification of ecosystem services - provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural function (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005). Estimation was carried out under the following criteria:
- Biological production, a characteristic of reproductive function, valued by harvests in meadow sites and by timber increment in forested geosystems
- Swamping process, a characteristic of environmental function, valued by soil moisture content and bio-indication.
- Soil fertility, a characteristic of nature conservation and reproductive functions, valued by humus and nitrogen content, pH and bio-indication.
This article discloses only results of investigation which concerns meadow sites dynamics.