THE KOLYMA RIVER BASIN: LANDSCAPE-ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The part of the Kolyma River basin located in the territory of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is characterized by extremely harsh natural and climatic factors and difficult economic conditions. The abundance of natural
resources there has led to the development of mining and energy industries, whose impact on fragile northern landscapes
causes environmental problems, which makes a study into these landscapes a relevant research topic. The paper aims to
explore the landscape-ecological aspects of the Kolyma River basin in the Zyryansky coal mining area and to assess the
stability of the landscapes under mechanical impact. We used geoecological and landscape research approaches, including
both traditional methods and modern geoinformation methods. The landscapes’ stability degree was estimated by ranking
permafrost and bioclimatic characteristics of the landscapes through assigning points to them. Then four groups of landscapes with varying degrees of stability, from relatively stable to highly unstable, were identified. A stability degree map
for the studied area of the Kolyma River basin has been developed. Ecological state of the natural environment in the
upper reaches of the Kolyma River was studied by means of a comparative analysis of statistical materials on atmospheric
air and surface waters pollution. As a result, there has been noted a decrease in the amount of captured and neutralized
pollutants entering the atmosphere, which is due to the ineffectiveness of ash traps. In addition, insufficiently treated
wastewater is discharged into the river network due to the lack of an adequate number of treatment facilities. In order to
prevent adverse effects of industrial pressure on the natural environment, it is necessary to ensure the implementation of
and control over a system of environment protection measures, including these ensuring the efficiency of treatment facilities for air and water protection.