Current state and conditions of landscape formation of Ilovlya river floodplain (Middle Don)

The basis for the study is instrumental terrain profiling using level, geobotanical descriptions, GPR studies, soil sections and manual drilling with a soil sampler. The species composition of vegetation indicates very rare and short-term flooding in high water. Vegetation elements of the low floodplain are marked on the areas directly adjacent to the riverbed at altitudes up to 1.5 m above the inter-level level. Further, along the profile, there are no signs of flooding and standing water. In the soil section there are no iron oxide (II and III) and fading of salts in all horizons up to the depth of 150 sm. The borders between horizons are expressed unclear. This indicates sufficient surface moisture and thus washing of the upper horizons of the soil. The floodplain oak forest is in good condition, there are no dry-top trees. This also indicates that the soil and groundwater are not saline. Studies have shown that the location of the groundwater mirror is close to horizontal, and its level exactly corresponds to the water level in the river. This position of the ground water mirror is typical for river floodplains that occupy an intermediate position between the floodplains of humid and arid zones. The relief of the river floodplain was formed in more water years than observed in the late 20th - early 21st centuries. The first floodplain level (low floodplain) has an excess of no more than 1-1.5 meters above the inter-level of the river. In modern hydrological conditions, only this level is guaranteed to flood every spring.