Landscape physical approach to zoning land use structure at a small watershed

The relevance of the research is caused by the need to optimize the current land use for providing sustainable ecological and social development. The aim of the study is to develop the sustainable and optimal organization of landscape structure on the level of a small watershed to take into account spatially-distributed microclimatic conditions for the most effective their use in accordance with dynamic of natural processes at watershed area. The methods: the synthesis of geophysical research methods, in particular the method of hydro-climatic calculations, with the method of relief quantitative description on the basis of digital elevation models (Geomorphometry). The authors have calculated a number of hydro circulating and solar indicators of relief influence on diversity of landscape conditions of runoff formation. The variety in the growing conditions at different relief forms was accounted on the basis of the method of hydro-climatic calculations with moisture ranges by the Ramenskiy scale integration. They characterize the habitat conditions on the vegetation structure. The automated monitoring of water runoff was organized as well to specify the modelled calculations and some other water-balanced elements at the study area. The results. The optimal distribution of land use types was modeled on the basis of detected diversity at the studied watershed. The watershed ecological capacity was defined according to water consumption. The application of the proposed method allows providing the effective using of landscape resources as well as the sustainable development of natural and social systems. This method should be recommended first of all for lands newly introduced in agriculture and buffer zones of conversation areas.