Anthropogenic dynamics in high mountain meadows of the Central Сaucasus

The results of research on dynamics in high-mountain meadows of the Central Caucasus done with techniques of information analysis on the example of the meadow and pasture ecosystem within the upper Chereck Balkarskiy-River are presented. The comparison and analysis of the information models built up for slightly disrupted meadows and severely disrupted ones by pasture pressure has shown that the number of channels for information transmission and information complexes reduces from slightly disrupted (standard) meadows to severely disrupted (digressiv) ones. In the standard ecosystem the projective cover of grasses, floristic and phytocenotic diversity act as information complexes, and in the digressive ecosystem the stock of green above-ground phytomass fulfills their role. Heavy grazing causes not only deteroration of the structure in the mountain and meadow ecosystem but also its anthropogenic transformation.