Stability of natural complexes and their consideration in economic activities

Each natural complex is characterized by a certain stability. Natural and natural-anthropogenic stability is understood as their ability to preserve their structure under the influence of external factors. The stability of natural territorial complexes is a special natural resource, a kind of ecological capacity, since the degree of permissible economic activity in a given territory depends on the load that landscapes can withstand. In the absence of external influence, after a while, landscapes have the ability to return to their original state. For example, in the absence of agricultural work, rainfed lands restore their natural state in a short period [1, 2, 3, 6].

I.S.Shchukin defined the stability of a landscape as its ability to maintain its structure and functional features for a long time. The potential stability of a landscape is expressed in its ability to withstand external, including man-made, influences, including self-cleaning from man-made impurities, recovery after disturbances. This is largely true: only by maintaining its internal potential,

"potential for itself", the landscape is able to perform socio-economic functions -"potential for a person", which are derivatives of the potential for sustainability [1].

N.A.Solntsev believed that in nature all objects and phenomena develop continuously, and therefore change in time. It is impossible to suspend this process, and it is useless to seek absolute stability. The rate of development and the process of change for different objects is different, therefore, stability is a conditional and relative concept. The degree of stability can be determined only by comparing it with the rate of change of some other phenomena, i.e. in our case, there should be a reference landscape for comparison [2].

In turn, the stability of natural complexes and their properties should be considered in two aspects, taking into account vertical and horizontal relationships. They are due to the interaction of the following main factors [3]:

–Permeability of rocks, which are the most stable part (base) of the entire complex. It is the rocks, which have such an important indicator as resistance, as well as participating in the processes of tectonic uplifts and subsidence, that determine the type and intensity of erosion, denudation, karst, deflation and other destructive processes;

–Relief, which is essentially a redistributor of heat and moisture and determines the degree of drainage of the entire landscape, the direction of the transit flow of matter (dispersion, concentration, accumulation of products of technogenesis);

–Acid-alkaline and redox characteristics, soil fertility, which determine the ability to decompose biological components of technogenic substances and selfpurification from them;

–Specific composition and productivity of plant communities that protect the landscape surface from erosion and deflation processes that determine the resistance of landscapes to man-made impacts (mechanical, chemical, etc.);

–Intensity of water exchange processes, flow rate, content of dissolved oxygen, organic and mineral substances in water, contributing to the activation of the processes of solubility and decomposition of pollutants;

–Indicator of total solar radiation, velocities, frequency and direction of winds, the sum of biologically active temperatures, etc.

The above factors not only contribute to the activation of self-purification processes of the components of the natural environment, but also determine the dynamics of landscapes, their stability and resistance to the combined impact of anthropogenic factors. Thus, they form indicators of the sustainability of the components of nature and landscapes in general.

The sustainability of landscapes directly depends on the interaction, correspondence and movement of its constituent components. For example, in sandy deserts, the relationship between the components is insignificant, therefore, as a result of external factors, the structure of the local landscape can change rapidly. Breeding livestock in such an area leads to a sharp change in the vegetation cover, and this, in turn, leads to a change in the structure of the landscape as a whole. The energetics of natural territorial complexes is manifested in the intensity of weathering and the speed of movement, accumulation and dispersion of matter and is considered in a historical aspect with the rhythm and amplitude of fluctuations that developed in the process of development in the landscape and the corresponding biota, adapted to these rhythms and amplitudes of fluctuations in the natural environment.

Sustainable anthropogenic landscapes are landscapes that, under certain conditions, are able to fulfill their socio-economic tasks. An example of this is the ability of anthropogenic landscapes to preserve their fertility, despite the influence of various natural factors [1, 2, 4, 5].

In the foothill regions, in areas of lush vegetation, there is a strong connection between vegetation and soil. In this area, due to the stability of the foothill areas, mudflows, erosion and landslides are practically not formed. With the disappearance of the vegetation cover, a sharp violation of stability occurs, which manifests itself in various unfavorable natural phenomena. Thus, in the process of economic activity, it is necessary to take into account the stability of natural complexes of landscapes [1, 2, 6].

Human economic activity is the most important factor affecting the formation of nature. In the process of his development, a person not only adapted to the surrounding conditions, but also learned to influence her. All the constituent parts of nature are closely related, and a change in only one of them inevitably affects the state of others. The cultural landscape is created as a result of a conscious and purposeful economic activity of a person and is maintained in order to meet his needs. This type of landscape includes gardens, crops, cities, reservoirs, recreation areas, etc. [2, 4, 5].

A disturbed landscape is formed as a result of unreasonable impact on nature. Ravines in sown fields, swamps near reservoirs, landslides in places of extraction and processing of mineral resources, subsidence and waste dumps are examples of disturbed landscape, and restoration work requires large material costs. Today, the above landscapes are being restored again and used for economic purposes. For example, in the United States, such places are turned into pastures, in the Ukraine they are used for agriculture, and in Germany for recreational purposes.

In irrigated areas, soil fertility is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the landscape. The landscapes at the foot of the mountains are also distinguished by their stability. In such an area, groundwater is located very deeply, as a result of which there is practically no soil salinization. As a result of improper irrigation, ravines and cliffs can form on the mountain slopes. Landscapes of flat areas, for example, steppe pastures, on the contrary, are characterized by low resistance, which can sharply decrease as a result of improper breeding of livestock, destruction of vegetation cover and technical erosion. In this case, there is an overgrowth of plant cover that is not suitable for use by livestock. For example, on sandy pastures harmala, reed, kuyonsuyak (shrub of the leguminous family), zhuzgun (shrub of the toronoflower family) are widespread - its roots grow horizontally up to 20 meters around the stem and to a certain extent support the sandy soil. In order to preserve the stability of pastures, cattle grazing should be properly organized, the land should be given a break, the destruction of plants should be minimized, and an organized movement of vehicles should be established.