Gostiuk Z. Landscape complexes of the Pokut Carpathians: structure, processes, protection.

The dissertation analyzes the factors of formation of the landscape structure of Pokut Carpathians, in particular, the geological structure, geomorphological conditions, surface waters, climate, soil and vegetation. According to the physical and geographical zoning of the Ukrainian Carpathians by Miller H. P. and Fedirko O. M. (1990) with the additions of Melnyk A. V. (1999), the studied region combines areas of two physical and geographical areas – the area of middle mountainous Pokutsk-Bukovynian Carpathians and the area of lowland Pokutsk-Bukovynian Carpathians on the left bank of Cheremosh. As a result of complex landscape research, which was based on the theoretical foundations of mountain genetic landscape science and methods of field landscape mapping of mountain areas by Miller H. P. (1974), a landscape map at a scale of 1:50 000 was made for the territory of Pokut Carpathians. In the landscape structure five types of high-altitude areas and twelve types. Diagnostic features are substantiated and new high-altitude areas in Pokut Carpathians are singled out – the area of high terraced slopes of river valleys, and the name and boundaries of the low-lying lowlands are identified. More detailed research was conducted on the key areas of «Sokilskyi», «Brusnyi», «Variatyn» and on the landscape profile that crosses Pokut Carpathians from northeast to southwest. Simple tracts and facies were the objects of field landscape research.