Skyba V. Formation of the ecological condition of the Molochnaya River watershed

The thesis on the formation of the ecological condition of the Molochnaya River watershed. The thesis explores the impact of natural and anthropogenic factors on the development of degradation processes within the river basin. Time periodization of the studied basin transformation, correlation between natural-anthropogenic factors and water quality were established. According to the data from 1990 to 2017. The long-term dynamics of water quality change has been detected. To ensure the most accurate calculation, the authors proposed corrections to the algorithm of calculation of the specified category of river water quality. Taking into account average, maximum. minimum values of indicators of different categories, and classes of surface water quality. The complex indicator of ecological quality of water of the river Molochnaya ІEavg. for the period of observations fluctuates within 4,9...5,6, ІEmax = 5,7…6,55. It is determined that according to the level of pollution, the water of the Molochnaya River belongs to Class III(5) and is characterized as "moderately polluted", according to the EQI index it is classified as "low". The main pollutants that form the water quality are: nitrates and phosphates of water quality class VІІ(7), nitrites and sulfates - IV(6). According to the results of the assessment of the ecological condition of the Molochnaya River basin, the prevailing component of the landscape system is arable lands (Ка = 5,5). The general ecosystem state of the river according to the ІКАН index is close to the status of "very bad". The most significant effect is caused by the indicators of 2 subsystems: "Land use" ("unsatisfactory" condition) and "Use of river flow" ("catastrophic" condition). Influence of destructive factors in the Molochnaya river basin is almost 2 times higher than the calculated indicator of stabilization processes. The overall water risk for the Molochnaya River basin as of 2020 is defined as "medium", with a tendency to increase environmental stress to "high" in 2030 and "extremely high" in 2040. In order to stabilize and further improve the ecological condition of the Molochnaya River basin, it was proposed to introduce environmental protection measures that are grouped into three blocks. They include: optimization of the landscape structure of the river basin by bringing to optimal values of the percentage of forest cover, plowing, and prairie restoration; reduction of the level of the actual anthropogenic load and elimination of the consequences of transformation detected within the studied basin with subsequently integrated management.