Ecological stress in nonferrous metal mining regions in the North Caucasus

The article provides a retrospective of the development of non-ferrous metals mining in the mountain ecosystem of the Eastern Caucasus, shows the stages of increasing environmental tension in various components of the biosphere of the region. It is proved that in the areas where active mountain objects are located, landscapes and soils that are an integral part of ecosystems differ in pronounced zoning, each of which has certain components that affect the formation of the ecological situation. The conducted research has established that contamination of the soil horizon with heavy and toxic metals leads to depletion and degradation of the natural environment, radical transformation of the landscape, which leads in fragments to its sustainable destruction. It is shown that the ecological technological capacity of the territory depends on the volume of the air basin (in mountain canyons, gorges reaches 200 meters in height from the base), the totality of reservoirs, drains, land areas and soil reserves, the mass of representatives of flora and fauna; the capacity of the biochemical cycle flows (speed, mass of gas exchange, replenishment of clean water, soil formation processes and biota productivity). The ecological situation formed in such conditions needs to be improved by taking special scientifically based: organizational, technical and technological measures to reduce the environmental burden on the ecosystem of mountain landscapes and restore sustainable forms of its functioning. The research results presented in the article can be useful for environmental agencies, design institutions and operating mining enterprises to take the necessary environmental measures to ensure the sustainable development of the natural and technical system in the conditions of mountain landscapes of the Caucasus.

Alborov I.D., Burdzieva O.G., Tedeeva F.G., Gegelashvili M.V. Ecological stress in nonferrous metal mining regions in the North Caucasus. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2020;(11-1):1831. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236-1493-2020-111-0-18-31.

Alborov I.D.¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor,
Burdzieva O.G.², Cand. Sci. (Geogr.),
Tedeeva F.G.¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Prof.
Gegelashvili M.V.², Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Prof.
¹ North Caucasuian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (State Technological University), Vladikavkaz, Russia;
² Geophysical Institute of the Vladikavkaz Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladikavkaz, Russia, e-mail: ekokgmi@rambler.ru.

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