RECOGNITION OF A LANDSCAPE TECHNO-SPHERE AS A NEW GEOSPHERE

Abstract

The second half of XX century – the beginning of XXI century are characterized by the active development of a global ecological crisis, which is described by a critical state of the environment and excessive anthropogenization of a geographical sphere. The changes which lead to the formation of absolutely new techno-genic landscapes occur at very fast rates in current geo-spheres. The purpose of the work is to substantiate the recognition of a new geo-sphere – a landscape technosphere – based on the previous experience and our field research. The main tasks of the research are to analyze specific features and properties of a landscape techno-sphere; to identify its upper and lower borders; to study a structural organization of all options of a landscape sphere with available techno-substances; to characterize briefly the main stages of the development of a technosphere. The research of a landscape techno-sphere is a complicated process and it is based on the use of classical and innovative methodological principles of contemporary geography. A parallel application of three scientific paradigms is the foundation: system, model and ecological. They do not contradict each other; they rather compliment the studying of the interaction between nature and engineering. A system approach allows considering a techno-sphere as a complicated system of a lower taxonomic range of a landscape sphere and a geographical sphere. The following generally accepted scientific methods are used in the paper: analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, systematization, induction and deductions. The article substantiates the existence of a new geosphere – the landscape techno-sphere, which is formed by the planetary set of landscape-technical systems. it is noted that it does not have a continuous distribution, but is constantly increasing in size and gradually goes beyond the landscape. The specific features and properties of the landscape techno-sphere are analyzed in detail. Taking into account the criterion of the presence of a zone of direct contract of three blocks of landscape-technical systems (managerial, technical and natural), the upper and lower limits of the landscape techno-sphere are identified. The structure of all variants of the landscape sphere in the presence of technological substances is considered. The main periods of development of the landscape techno-sphere are briefly described. It is concluded that man will never be able to control landscape-technical systems on a planetary scale. However, applying the methods and principles of engineering landscape research, it is possible to achieve optimal interaction of the three blocks of landscape-technical systems and to extend their functional suitability.