MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM OF SMALL RIVERS PROTECTION IN ZHYTOMYR POLISSYA

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the complex problems of the preservation of small rivers. Three main  aspects of  the environmental  impact associated with  them are considered: disruption of the water balance, reduction of  water quality, and reduction of biotic and landscape diversity in the river valley. The study aims to characterize the main types of human impact on the small rivers of Zhytomyr Polissia. To achieve the goal, the following tasks were set: determine the main types of anthropogenic impact on small rivers of Zhytomyr Polissia; to determine the direct and indirect consequences of certain types of anthropogenic impact on small rivers of Zhytomyr Polissia; develop proposals for algorithms for solving the problems of small rivers of Zhytomyr Polissia. The article is based on the materials of the survey of the ecosystem structure of small rivers of Zhytomyr Polissia and its southern  outskirts. Examples of  the  conservation  plan  for  the catchment area of the «Gudyucha krynytsia» natural spring and the section of the Uzh River in the city center of Korosten are given. According to the results of the survey of the state of small rivers, we will summarize their main problems into three groups: low and unstable water flow, eutrophication and siltation, and degradation of river valley landscapes. The low filling of rivers with water and its unstable level is caused by the specifics of climate changes, natural mechanisms of water accumulation, distribution, and flow, and the activity of natural sources. Natural safeguards could weaken the problems of small rivers: swamp-forest complexes and natural springs near the sources of rivers, a high share of forest ecosystems of the upper part of the river basin, preservation of floodplain forests of the first floodplain terrace of the upper reaches and natural riparian forests and floodplain meadows of the lower reaches, as well as the integrity of the natural vegetation cover of most of the river valley. In order to stabilize the supply of water from natural sources to the river, the territories of their catchment should be transformed into objects of the nature reserve fund. When the spring is located within the boundaries of the settlement, it is advisable to grant it the status of a natural monument of local importance. When it is outside its borders, it should be given the status of a hydrological reserve.