Using functional characteristics of biogeocoenosis for assessment of the natural environment condition during engineering ecological investigation

Practical assessment of the natural environment conditions for engineering ecological investigations is primarily focused on the study of the environment components as a resource, e.g. water, soil, and vegetation contamination. Relating to ecology, habitat functions of the natural environment are more important than related to resource. Methodical basis of studying the habitat functions is fundamentally different from the traditional ways of studying the resource functions. The object of study is a biogeocoenosis, which is a major independent structural element of the biosphere, and the study subject is a quality of the ecological functions. Evaluation of the functional state of ecosystems is proposed to conduct using the integral indicators: ecological forest cover rate, fragmentation of biomass production areas, the activity of the microbial soil respiration. The indicators reflect the ecological conditions of the environment, can be reliably determined for each natural area in time- and resources saving manner, and may be used as a standard zonation characteristics. Habitat ecosystem function is estimated at the following gradations: environmentally insufficient, sufficient and optimal. This allows making a decision on the permissibility of the expected impacts on the environment due to the planned use of the territory.