Development of Environmental Tension in Zones of Extraction of Solid Minerals on Eastern Caucasus Slopes

Abstract

The article contains a retrospective of the development of extraction of mineral resources in the mountain ecosystem of the Eastern Caucasus; the stages of environmental tension growth in various components of the biosphere of the region are also shown. It has been proved that in the areas of dislocation of existing mountain objects, landscapes and soils, which are an integral part of ecosystems, are distinguished by a pronounced zoning, each of which has certain components that influence the formation of ecological situation. The studies have shown that pollution of the soil horizon with heavy and toxic metals leads to depletion and degradation of the natural environment, a radical transformation of the landscape, leading fragmentarily to its steady destruction. It is shown that the ecological technical capacity of the territory depends on the volume of the air basin (in mountain canyons, gorges it reaches 200 meters height from the base), the totality of reservoirs of drains, land areas and soil reserves, the bulk of flora and fauna species; biochemical circulation flow rates (speed, mass of gas exchange, pure water increment, soil formation processes and biota productivity). The ecological situation formed under such conditions needs to be improved by adopting special scientifically grounded organizational, technical and technological measures to reduce the ecological load to the ecosystem of mountain landscapes and restore sustainable forms of its functioning. The results of the research given in the article can be useful for environmental agencies, design institutions and existing mining enterprises for taking necessary environmental measures to ensure sustainable development of the natural-technical system under the conditions of mountain landscapes of the Caucasus. Keywords-extraction of mineral resources; landscape degradation; heavy metals; soil horizon; ecological technical capacity of territories; region biosphere; components of the biosphere; landscape properties.VIII

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