Digression of vegetation and soils of coastal landscapes of lake Baikal through the examples of attractive tourism areas

Intensification of anthropogenic loads in tourist areas has a strong impact on the components of the coastal landscapes of Lake Baikal. However, the scale and type of this impact have not yet been studied. The main factors of recreation attraction of landscapes are natural conditions and availability. Coastal landscapes of the Baikal region differ both in terms of accessibility and attractiveness for tourism and in terms of the degree of resistance to recreational loads. In this article, we present the research results of four study areas on the shores of Lake Baikal. On the test plots, the stages of recreational digression of soil and vegetation cover are determined on the basis of the following indicators: percentage of trampling and mechanical damage to vegetation, plant species composition, percent of the trails, erosion processes, soil density, the amount of humus and pH, presence of campfire sites. The authors within the boundaries of the study areas identify landscapes requiring immediate measures to regulate tourist flows and recultivation. The greatest recreational load is experienced by the landscapes of the coast of the Maloe More, one of the most attractive regions of Lake Baikal for tourists. The work was carried out within the framework of the research program of the V. B. Sochava Institute of Geography SB RAS (№АААА-А17-117041910169-40347-2016-0003; АААА-А17-117041910167-00347-2016-0005) with partial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research within the framework of the project №17-05-00588 and the Russian Geographical Society within the framework of the project № 17-05-41020.