The Classification Imereti’s Landscapes and Its Anthropogenic Transformation

Abstract

The main purpose of this work is to evaluate allocated the landscapes of Imereti and to anthropogenic changes in them. These give chance to determine the current tendencies of different landscapes. The research is based on the field work carried out in different landscapes of Imereti and also on the different scientific sources. This issue is high pressing for Imereti – one of the region of West Georgia. It is connected with a lot of environmental problems such as: activation of natural disasters (flooding, landslides, etc.); increase of soil erosion and degradation; deforestation and over grassing, raising risk of extinction of rare, relic and endemic species; reduce of biodiversity; reduce of agricultural productivity, etc. Thus, in consideration of these problems a special attention should be directed to the consequences of anthropogenic transformations. Imereti is located in a humid subtropical zone and it is distinctive by the various natural-territorial complexes (NTCs). The area of Imereti is 6539.7 km 2 and the length of the borders is 389.2 km. Imereti has basically well-defined natural (topographical) borders that grants this regions a physical-geographical distinction and makes it a difficult territorial unit for landscape-ecological research. Analysis of the NTCs - every natural landscape unit and the creation of a unified ecological situation in the environment gives us the opportunity to take into account the challenges of the rational use of the buns of beneficiaries that are practical in the regional and local aspects.