Natural endogenous factors of geoecological transformation of the mountain part of North Ossetia

Geophysical Institute, Vladikavkaz Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Markova Str., 93a, Vladikavkaz, 362002, Russian Federation

^* Corresponding author: vzaal@mail.ru

Abstract

Geoecological transformation of the biocenosis habitat is an evolutionary process, predetermined by the interaction of the lithosphere with the hydrosphere, atmosphere and the solar system as a whole, under the condition of anthropogenic impact absence. Geoecological transformation occurs under the influence of many natural factors of an endogenous and exogenous nature, the effects of which in the mountainous areas are especially intensive and damageable, due to the sharp and intense exposure forms of exogenous factors of the erosive destruction, the presence of a large gravitational potential for a spatial removal of the destroyed material, poor protection of the bedrocks by biogeocenosis, low strength of terrigenous rocks, etc. The main factors of the intensive geoecological transformation of the mountain landscape are endogenous geodynamic processes. The Greater Caucasus, as the geosynclinal region of young Alpine orogenesis, is characterized by the active deep geodynamics, the focal zones of which can be activated in time and migrate in the lithosphere, as evidenced by the interchange of the periods of seismic activity and relative passivity of deep geodynamic processes (fault tectonics, seismicity and magmatic manifestations). A high density of the tectonic faults contributes to the weakening of rock strength in the zone of a faulting crop out due to jointing and claying along the friction planes.