The experience of the use of archival descriptions of nature in the historical-geographical landscape studies

The work presents the experience of using historical and archival materials in landscape mapping. The landscape schematic map characterizing the functioning of geosystems at the сenturies has been compiled for the key area of the Lena-Angara interfluves. The isolation of natural complexes is based on the materials of soil and botanical studies conducted on the instructions of the Resettlement Department of the Main Directorate of Land Management and Agriculture for the purpose of developing land management in the upper reaches of the Lena River at the beginning of the 20th century. The resulting map and the analysis of retrospective materials have allowed to carry out the comparative analysis with the modem landscape situation as a result of which features of spatial distribution of the allocated geosystems for the centenary period are revealed.