LANDSCAPE-GEOMORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF FLOODPLAIN GEOSYSTEMS OF THE KITOY RIVER
Y.U.V. Vanteeva1, M.Y.U. Opekunova1,2, V.A. Golubtsov1
1V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, Russia
2Irkutsk State National Research Technical University, Irkutsk, Russia
Keywords: floodplain-channel complex, morphodynamic type of channel, landscape-geomorphologic mapping, spatial structure, dynamic of geosystems
Abstract
Fluvial processes play an important role in the transformation of the relief in the Fore-Baikal region. The structure of valley geosystems is one of the important indicators of the dynamic state of fluvial systems. Nevertheless, insufficient attention is paid to the its study in the Fore-Baikal region. The large-scale mapping of the valley geosystems of the Kitoy River in different geodynamic settings was carried out based on the data of complex field works and orthophotography made using UAVs. The features of their spatial structure and dynamics were analyzed. As a result of the study, it has been found that the geomorphologic structure of the territory, which determines the rate of channel deformations and the intensity of slope processes, has a significant impact on the development of valley geosystems and their spatial structure. The section of the Kitoy River valley, which is formed in the flat part of the basin, is characterized by the most complex structure. In the mountainous part of the river basin, there is a fragmented development of individual morphological elements of the valley and lower diversity of elementary geosystems. Based on the results of the analysis of successional changes in the soil-vegetation cover on different morphological elements of the valley, the main stages in the development of the valley geosystems were determined, and the quantitative characteristics of the main indicators of the development stages of floodplain generations and their dynamic state were obtained. For geosystems of the low and middle floodplain of the Kitoy River valley, fluvial processes are the leading factor in the formation of their spatial structure and dynamics, with the exception of the high mountain part of the basin, where they are smoothed out by cryogenesis processes. The series of successional changes in the soil-vegetation cover on these morphological elements are identical almost throughout the entire length of the valley. Geosystems of high floodplains and low terraces, formed under conditions of weakened influence of fluvial processes, have more pronounced features of mountain and piedmont taiga, depending on the change in altitudinal belts.
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