MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS OF THE CRIMEA

Despite ongoing environmental measures, the overall environmental situation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea remains unfavorable. The main factors of negative impact on the quality of the environment in the Crimea are anthropogenic pollution of atmospheric air, surface and ground waters, resort resources, accumulation of toxic and domestic waste, unsatisfactory condition of sewerage treatment facilities. Significant sanitary and hygienic problems in Crimea are associated with a shortage drinking water and its pollution due to the poor sanitary and technical condition of water supply networks. The problems of water supply are sharply exacerbated during the holiday season due to the influx of recreants, especially unorganized ones, while the shortage of drinking water in the resort areas reaches 70-80%. The lack of sufficient water supply and sanitation limits the development of new promising resort areas for the purpose of recreational relief and improvement of the ecological state of the traditional Crimean resorts.

An analysis of the dynamics of emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere of Crimea shows that since 1998, an increase in emissions into the atmosphere begins, mainly due to vehicle emissions. In the cities of Yalta, Simferopol and Yevpatoria, motor transport accounts for 70-80% of emissions of harmful substances into the atmospheric air, the amount of which increases significantly during the holiday season due to the influx of non-resident vehicles.

Crimea is one of the regions with extremely difficult water supply conditions; its own water sources can only satisfy the demand by 28%. At the same time, at 100 underground water intakes, increased mineralization is observed, exceeding GOST by 3-4 times (Razdolnensky, Chernomorsky, Saki and other areas), which is a risk factor for cholelithiasis and urolithiasis in the population. In many areas of the Crimea, there is a significant pollution of groundwater with nitrogenous compounds, including nitrates, which is associated with a large use of fertilizers in agriculture as well as organic soil pollution.

Topical for the Crimea are the problems of water disposal. Along with the lack of centralized sewerage systems in many areas, which creates an epidemiological hazard for the population and leads to severe pollution of water bodies and soils, significant difficulties are due to the inefficient operation of existing sewage treatment facilities.

A special environmental problem for the Crimea is the accumulation of waste. On the territory of Crimea, 10.6 million tons of toxic waste have been accumulated, including 866.9 tons of unsuitable, banned and unidentified pesticides. In Crimea, there are 28 officially registered dumps (polygons) of municipal solid waste, where 18.3 million tons of waste have accumulated. Most of the landfills have exhausted their sanitary and territorial capabilities. This problem has not been solved for many years due to lack of funding and shortage of free land.

In addition to general environmental problems that are also typical for other regions of Ukraine, it should be taken into account that the Crimea is a unique combination of the most important resort resources, while their quality largely determines the health-improving potential and the significance of resorts in general. In Crimea, there is a noticeable anthropogenic pollution of resort resources - in coastal sea ​​waters Pathogenic microbes, pesticides, heavy metals, oil products, surfactants, phenols, radionuclides, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls and diphenyls were found in therapeutic mud and mineral water springs. Due to microbial contamination of coastal sea waters in Crimea, 11 beaches are constantly closed by the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service, and many other seaside beaches are periodically closed.

The actual problem of studying and assessing the degree of pollution of resort resources is the lack of a monitoring system for such pollution, since there is no constant monitoring of the content of pollutants in mineral waters, therapeutic mud and beach substrates. Despite the large number of departments that control the pollution of coastal sea waters, it is very difficult to get a complete picture of the current situation due to the lack of a unified plan and system of studies, the use of various analytical methods and equipment.

Thus, at present, the priority environmental problems of Crimea are the following:

— significant anthropogenic pollution of atmospheric air, surface and ground waters and soil,

— ensuring efficient water supply and sanitation in many areas,

— the accumulation of a large amount of toxic industrial, agricultural and domestic waste in settlements and recreational areas,

– chemical and microbial pollution of resort and recreational resources in the absence of a reliable monitoring system for such pollution,

— significant recreational and environmental overload of traditional resorts against the background of significant problems in the development of new promising resort areas.

Environmental problems of Crimea

For Crimea, the main environmental problem is a further decrease in the efficiency of nature management and increased anthropogenic pressure on natural environment occurring against the backdrop of a discrepancy between the available in the region natural resource potential type of its functional use. The decrease in the efficiency of nature management is expressed as follows:
1.

In the preservation of long-term trends in environmental pollution and the deterioration of public health;
2. Ongoing irrational use natural resources in violation of normative indicators of use and reproduction;
3. Further reduction of controllability of the system of regional nature management. Taking into account the above, the ecological situation in the Crimea can be assessed as tense, characterized by the main cause of the destruction of landscape systems is the anthropogenic factor - scientifically unfounded, largely predatory impact of human society on environment and its resources. The analysis of environmental protection activities in the Crimean region and the results of the conducted studies give grounds for the conclusion that in the conditions of the increasing global and regional anthropogenic pressure on the biosphere of the region, pollution of the natural environment of resorts is of particular concern. The levels of environmental pollution of industrial-urban agglomerations (PGA) and the unique resort and recreational resources of the Crimea, currently pose a threat to the health of the population and vacationers. Thus, the unfavorable ecological situation contributes to the wide prevalence of various pathologies. So, for example, in terms of the level of non-communicable diseases, Simferopol entered the top ten disadvantaged cities in the country.
Significant damage to the nature of the Crimea is caused by the extraction of building materials, which is carried out without taking into account environmental standards. Currently, there are about 200 quarries operating on the peninsula with a total area of ​​about 13 thousand hectares. many of them arose without the permission of environmental authorities.
Large areas are occupied by urbanized areas. Their area continues to grow due to the construction of new settlements associated with the return of deported peoples. This construction is often carried out without appropriate land allocation procedures and in water protection zones. As a result, there are approximately 800 sites in Crimea with the manifestation of landslide processes. One third of the seashores are exposed to abrasion. Imperfection of territorial use, as well as mismanagement, high energy and water intensity of the economy, wide application pesticides in agriculture, outdated industrial technologies have led to a significant deterioration in the ecological state of the peninsula. This determines the decrease in the attractiveness of the region for tourists, the deterioration in the quality of agricultural products, the increase in the incidence of the population, the excess of mortality over births.
The wildlife of the Crimea is exposed to great danger from the recreational pressure (primarily from unorganized tourism). The existing network of health and tourism institutions (more than 700 health resorts, rest houses and camp sites) takes on only 10% of the total flow of recreants.
The main part is engaged in spontaneous types of recreation - from "wild" tourism to ordinary picnics, which too often leads to dramatic consequences for both people and nature itself.
Also, in general, the correct idea of ​​the limited use of the Dnieper waters for irrigation in the Crimea was implemented in an environmentally unacceptable form. Firstly, the increase in the volume of water supplied was not accompanied by adequate efforts to equip the canal and water purification, and secondly, water-saving irrigation technology was not introduced - water losses are approximately 50%. As a result, significant areas of land are flooded, there is a secondary salinization of soils and desalination of Sivash - the most valuable object for the chemical industry and medicine. In addition, the water of the North Crimean Canal is geochemically alien to the Crimean landscapes. It dramatically changed the existing natural hydrological balance, caused the activation of flooding and karst processes. The canal water quality itself is low, which determines the poor ecological quality of agricultural products.
In general, the environmental component is an integral part of the social development of the Crimea, representing a system of regulators and restrictions on regional nature management.
The environmental problems of the region can be fundamentally resolved only if there are positive changes in the socio-economic state of society. As a result, the main regional problems of Crimea include:
1) deterioration in the quality of hydro-mineral resources (Saksky, Leninsky districts, the cities of Evpatoria, Feodosia, the water area of ​​​​Lake Sivash);
2) pollution of surface water bodies on land (R. Salgir, Churuk-Su);
3) pollution of the coastal zone of the sea (Kerch and Kamysh-Burun bays, the Kerch Strait, the resort water use zone of Yalta, Karkinitsky Bay);
4) violation of land during the development of mineral deposits in an open way (Saksky, Leninsky, Bakhchisarai, Simferopol, Krasnogvardeysky districts);
5) the increasing impact of motor transport on the atmosphere of Crimean cities;
6) deterioration in the quality of agricultural land associated with an increase in the proportion of saline (Leninsky district), waterlogged (Krasnoperekopsky, Dzhankoysky, Nizhnegorsky districts) and eroded lands (Saksky, Pervomaisky districts).
For the Crimea, as a special recreational and protected region, it is necessary to develop specific environmental and economic programs, supported by appropriate legislative framework. This process was initiated by the "Declaration on the Necessity of the Sustainable Development of Crimea", which was put forward by the Committee for the Development of Crimea, established in 1994. It specifically emphasizes the urgent need to draw up and implement a long-term sustainable development program aimed at restoring the nature of Crimea, returning it to the number of the most valuable recreational regions of the world, developing the peninsula as a historically established recreational-agricultural-reserved region.
The current environmental situation in Crimea is due to the fact that:
- the defensive concept of nature management dominates, characterized by the struggle with the consequences, and not with the causes of negative impacts;
- the orientation towards achieving momentary tactical interests, rather than long-term strategic goals, continues to dominate;
- environmental priorities do not take their due place in the mass public consciousness and are not always used to justify management decisions in power structures.
To overcome these shortcomings, it is necessary to identify the strategic goals of nature management in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the most important directions environmental policy as a means of achieving them. This policy should be based on the principles:
— predicting the impact of all types of economic activity on the quality of the natural environment and public health:
- focus not on the fight against negative environmental impact, but with mechanisms that determine or reinforce them, i.e. not for the construction of environmental infrastructure (treatment facilities, etc.), but for the development and implementation of environmentally friendly technologies;
- ecological and economic optimization, where the goal is to preserve and improve the quality of the natural environment and human health while obtaining high production profits.
The mechanisms for implementing environmental policy in Crimea can be:
1) a unified technological policy focused on reducing the resource and energy intensity of production, rational use secondary resources;
2) structural changes aimed at matching the natural resource potential of Crimea with its socio-economic specialization;
3) creation of an integrated system (economic, legal, etc.) of rational nature management;
4) investment support for modern efficient "clean" technologies.
Thus, only such a sustainable development strategy is applicable for Crimea, which allows preserving nature, restoring the disturbed habitat and using the most valuable renewable resources.
An important factor in regulating the limits of the use of Crimean resources is the establishment of environmental restrictions with the recognition of the impossibility of expanding the natural resource potential of the peninsula. The key to the successful implementation of the concept of sustainable development of Crimea is the awareness of the acuteness of environmental problems by the population, which is achieved through environmental education and upbringing, general awareness, and promotion of a healthy lifestyle.
In general, the environmental strategy of Crimea can be formulated as follows - improving the quality of the environment to the norm, increasing the efficiency of nature management while eliminating contradictions between the existing natural resource potential and the type of its use against the background of sustainable economic development region.
Thus, the urgent need today is the formation of a regional environmental and economic concept for the development of Crimea, which, enshrined in legislation, could stop the environmental crisis at a dangerous point and give impetus to the implementation of sustainable development program goals.

That because of the special status and recent events in Crimea, the work of environmental organizations - Russian, Ukrainian, international - is now difficult. And in this unique protected area there are many problems - soil erosion, garbage disposal, homeless animals, tourist garbage ...

I'll start with the good. Crimea is the most advanced region in terms of alternative energy. Curiously, it is ahead of even some European countries in terms of its share. Over 30% of the Crimean energy supply comes from windmills and solar-powered stations. There is a sad aspect to this as well. these projects were actively financed by European structures (which encouraged Crimea to refuse to build nuclear power plant) and it is not known whether Russia will be able to maintain the infrastructure at the level, let alone develop it.

Crimea has truly unique nature. There is also lush vegetation Yalta, and the mountain asceticism of Sudak, and the steppe expanses of the central Crimea, and lakes, and two seas (Azov is the most fragile of them), and mud volcanoes and healing mud, and beautiful caves with waterfalls - a paradise for a nature lover.

Six reserves are currently in the Crimea. The Crimean nature reserve with the famous Swan Islands is located near Alupka.

The Yalta Mountain and Forest Reserve contains up to 70% of the Crimean mountain flora, and is apparently located near Yalta.
Another reserve not far from Yalta is Cape Martyan. The focus of this reserve is the conservation of marine life.
The Karadag nature reserve near Feodosia is known not only for its inhabitants, but also for the amazing relief formed by volcanic activity in the past, which in itself is a miracle of nature.

I happened to be in the Kazantip Reserve more than once. One of the most beautiful places on the planet. Located in the Leninsky district of Crimea.
Well, not far from it, on the Kerch Peninsula, there is the Opuk Nature Reserve, where you can find many birds listed in the Red Book.

Let's move on to the environmental problems of the Crimea. I would single out those.

Soil erosion, salinization, human agricultural activities
It has always been difficult to conduct agricultural activities in the steppe regions. The experience of developing virgin lands has shown that it is difficult to fight with nature. The Crimean water utility, which brought water to the central part of Crimea, also caused the processes of land salinization, swamps began to appear. The level of the fertile soil layer - humus - last years declined steadily. The soil is simply blown away by the winds.
Here it is necessary to seriously change the principles of economic activity. Plant protective belts of trees and shrubs around fields to prevent erosion. Change the principles of irrigation.
By the way, the canal itself is in rather poor condition, polluted, swampy in places, and in some places it becomes a source of swamps. And, even worse, it becomes the cause of the appearance of salt marshes.
Another problem from agricultural activity is the abundant use of pesticides. Water, incl. even groundwater is very polluted, and water in the Crimea is worth its weight in gold.

Separately, it is necessary to mention the problem of Azov. Due to the waste that enters the rivers in Azov, the chemical composition of the water has seriously changed, which leads to the disappearance of fish. The once resource-rich sea is turning into a desert.

Industrial pollution, military pollution
A number of chemical industry enterprises operate in Crimea. Not all of them are in a hurry to comply with minimum environmental regulations. Outliers are not uncommon here. As a result, the tourism industry often suffers, and emissions into the sea also occur.

A separate problem is the military, who always try to minimize external control, the military does not have their own environmental services, and often there is no money for the normal disposal of ammunition and equipment. Therefore, the sea, unfortunately, becomes the only source of disposal for the military.
Plus there is the Soviet legacy. A lot of waste lies at the bottom of the Black Sea, slowed down by a poisonous bomb.

Littering and trampling
Tourists are a boon for Crimea. They are also a boon for the pearls of Crimean nature, because help with money from excursions to preserve at least some natural monuments. However, tourists are also rubbish, they are also irresponsible travel companies that do not always properly exploit natural heritage sites. As a result, both the sea and the coast and nature are littered. trampled down, etc. There is a minimum of high-quality hiking trails in Crimea. Everything is in a wild state (which, of course, tourists like), but with their abundant presence, it turns into the destruction of this very nature.

There is no waste recycling industry as such, although it could be organized in the Crimea - tourists are concentrated in local territories and within their framework it would be possible to organize separate waste collection and its processing.

Poaching, economic activity in reserves
Some time ago, the huntsman's family was killed in the Crimea. The brutal murder, as far as I know, has not been solved. Poaching is a serious problem in Crimea. Here we add the not always responsible actions of fishermen, who themselves impoverish the sea.
Everyone has already heard about the scandal with the construction of the Yanukovych dacha in the reserved Yalta. So the trouble in the form of building dachas in unique places is the trouble not only of the Krasnodar Territory, but also of the Crimea.

Stray dogs, cats
There are a lot of homeless dogs and cats in Crimea. They squeeze out local, including the Red Book species and are an anthropogenic factor of pressure on nature. This problem is typical not only for the Crimea, of course, but here it is also acute because fragments of wildlife directly next to human habitation are still preserved here. And they may disappear if no action is taken.

Monitoring
A separate problem is the lack of an environmental monitoring system, which in modern conditions in fact, it would be necessary to do it almost automatically - how to give out the temperature of the water at the resorts, and its chemical composition.

There are several good zoos in Crimea, some of them have become famous, like the Lions Park or the zoo in Yalta. However, there were problems there too. The zoo in Yalta is periodically trying to grab some businessmen for themselves, poisoning animals there and creating problems for the owner. The Lion Park has almost the same difficult story, which is constantly threatened that its land will be taken away from it.

The Red Book of Crimea does not exist, although work on this was carried out at one time.

Soils were formed over hundreds and thousands of years. The most fertile soils are chernozems.

The largest reserves of black earth in the world are concentrated in Ukraine.

In Crimea, chernozems occupy almost half of the area of ​​the peninsula.

These soils are used in agriculture on the Crimean peninsula.

Soil destruction by wind

Soils are constantly being destroyed by the force of the wind. To prevent this from happening, the soil must be properly cultivated, planted forest belts.

Soil destruction by quarries

Soil destruction occurs due to quarrying for the extraction of building materials: building stone, wall blocks, crushed stone.

During the extraction of building materials, quarries disfigure the area, destroy fertile soils, destroy animal habitats, and disturb the water balance of rivers and springs. Explosion mining and open transportation lead to a large air dusting.

Soil pollution with chemical and toxic waste

great danger to ecology of Crimea are all kinds of waste:

This is pest control chemicals and plant diseases, weeds;
- chemical waste from the Titan plant and soda plant in the North of Crimea.
- this is toxic waste - batteries and mercury lamps.
- this and municipal solid waste- everything that is thrown into the trash cans.

Soil pollution with household waste

The big problem now is plastic container: bags, bottles that decompose up to two hundred years in the ground (an example of the decomposition time of waste is given in table No. 1 of the appendix).

Garbage, not sorted, is taken to landfills, which occupy vast territories and pollute the soil, water, and air. There trash is on fire and emit substances harmful to humans.

Recycling and reuse of waste

What is waste? What we no longer use (for example, we brought milk from the store in a bag - we drank the milk, and the bag is "waste"). However, if this bag gets recycled and turns into a new bag into which milk is poured, then we use it again. This means that "waste" will turn into new "resources".

That's what it is reuse of waste.
However, when we buy milk in a glass bottle, such a bottle, after drinking the milk, is washed and the milk is poured again.

This - waste recycling without processing. If, on the other hand, we buy milk from a farmer who comes to our yard and pour milk into our own can, then we do not produce waste at all.

Here are three ways - a waste-free life, reuse and reuse after recycling, make up basis for environmentally sound waste management. But at the same time, the waste should not be mixed.

As soon as we mixed the waste - it turned into garbage.
If the waste is collected separately, these are resources.

Organic and inorganic types of waste

In fact, we have only two types of waste - organic (food) and inorganic. Organic waste simply needs to be returned to nature - buried in the ground.

Inorganic waste must be recycled or reused. Already now in many places there are special containers for collecting plastic, glass, iron cans.

Planned construction of a waste processing plant, which is urgently needed in the Crimea. disembarked a large number of trees and shrubs.

Topic: Ecological problems of the Crimean biosphere.

Target: define the main environmental problems that have developed in the Crimea; to consider the main causes and trends of aggravation of the environmental situation; analyze the activity of negative factors on the deterioration of the environmental situation; to form the main ways out of the ecological crisis.

Equipment : physical map Crimea, pictures depicting plants and animals listed in the Red Book, workbook, ed. Suprychev.

Lesson type: learning new material.

During the classes.

1. Organizational moment

2. Actualization of knowledge.

3. Learning new material.

Plan

3. The state of the animal and plant world

Introductory speech of the teacher : The rational territorial distribution of agricultural and industrial enterprises is of great importance in solving the environmental problems of the Crimean region.
Crimea is threatened with biodiversity loss. This means not only the preservation of individual species of animals and plants, but also natural landscapes and ecosystems. An important place in solving this problem should belong to the system of protected areas. As for the coastal strip, here it is necessary to streamline the parking of unorganized tourists, create a system of campsites and tent camps, and local authorities to exercise strict control over the preservation of the environment.
1. Ecological situation in Crimea .

Crimea is characterized by a wide variety of natural conditions and landscapes that are associated with its geographic location and complex geological and geomorphological structure. The diversity of landscapes was promoted by long-term anthropogenic impact, which led both to the degradation of many natural landscapes and the formation of completely new anthropogenic landscapes. Currently, natural, poorly transformed landscapes occupy only 2.5% of the Crimean territory. These are mountain broad-leaved forests, mountain forest-steppe on yayles, salt marshes and halophyte meadows of the Sivash region and the Kerch Peninsula. Most of the territory of the peninsula (62%) is developed for constructive landscapes: arable land, gardens, cities, roads, etc. The rest of the territory (35.5%) is represented by secondary landscapes.

The main features of the modern flora and fauna in the Crimea were formed about 5 thousand years ago. At this time, people moved from gathering and hunting to agriculture and animal husbandry. For many centuries, economic pressures did not lead to a significant change in landscapes.

Until the 19th century, in the Plain Crimea, the inhabitants were engaged in cattle breeding, and in the mountainous part and on the southern coast they grew grapes, wheat, apples, pears. But in the XIV - XVII centuries. and here cattle breeding was greatly developed, which led to the deforestation of large areas and the expansion of pastures due to them. AT early XIX in. the forest area in the Crimea was 361 thousand hectares, and in 1913 it was already 318 thousand hectares, in 1929 it was only 274 thousand hectares. The Crimean forests suffered greatly during the Great Patriotic War - by 1946 their area was reduced to 210 thousand hectares. In recent decades, thanks to reforestation, the area of ​​forested territories has increased and at present the total area of ​​Crimean forests is 338 thousand hectares.
A significant impact on the natural environment occurred with the commissioning of the North Crimean Canal. The area of ​​irrigated land in Crimea has reached approximately 20% of all cultivated land. However, due to the poor technical condition of the canal, about half of the water is lost, and this caused an increase in the level of groundwater, flooding of land, and salinization of the soil. Irrigation led to a qualitative change in landscapes: rice fields appeared, the area of ​​gardens, vegetable and row crops increased. New settlements arose, the population of agricultural areas grew.
Rivers, reservoirs and coastal waters of the Black and Azov Seas are polluted by industrial and domestic wastewater.Sewage treatment facilities have insufficient capacity, as a result, in 1996, 230 million m3 of wastewater was discharged into open water bodies, of which 106 were polluted, and 124 million m3 were treated to a standard. More than 42 million m3 of municipal solid waste has accumulated on the territory of Crimea.
Modern natural conditions in the Azov-Black Sea basin formed approximately 4-6 thousand years ago. However, the presence of relic organisms and the specific conditions of speciation determined a rather high - more than 10% - endemism of the fauna of the basin. It is home to over 1200 species of algae and higher plants, 2100 invertebrates, 192 fish species and 4 mammal species. Already at the beginning of the 20th century, the impact of anthropogenic loads on the coastal ecosystems of the Crimea was noted, mainly due to the intensive catching of valuable fish species.The regulation of river flow in the 1950s had a very detrimental effect on the hydrological regime and the structure of the biological communities of the Sea of ​​Azov. An increase in the salinity of the sea waters has led to the suppression of many species of benthic fauna - the main food for fish valuable in nutrition.Pollution of the river waters of the Danube and the Dnieper, in turn, determined the eutrophication of the shallow northwestern part of the Black Sea and regular deaths in the summer.Anthropogenic pollution of the waters washing the Crimean peninsula caused the suppression of brown algae and increased development of green algae, the mass reproduction of ctenophores - a new "tenant" of the sea, the voracity of which led to a noticeable decrease in zooplankton, and finally, water bloom.In recent decades, near the southern coast of Crimea, the area of ​​the most massive representative of brown algae, cystoseira, has decreased by 40%. Nevertheless, against the background of significant general pollution of the Azov-Black Sea basin, the southern and western coasts of Crimea turned out to be in a relatively favorable position due to the peculiarities of water circulation.The greatest damage to the Crimean coastal waters is caused by local local sources of pollution, and the water areas of bays and gulfs with poor water exchange are the most affected.Less damage is caused to aquatic ecosystems in open shores. In general, the environmental problems of Crimea are associated with a complex of reasons of a socio-economic and natural resource nature, which are reflected in the nature of nature management.
In general, all environmental problems can be grouped into several groups:

Atmospheric, associated with air pollution;

Water - with depletion and pollution of waters;

Land - with violation and alienation of land, depletion of subsoil;

Soil-geomorphological - with erosion, deflation, waterlogging, salinization;

Landscape - with deterioration and loss of natural and recreational qualities and attractiveness;

Biological - with the degradation of flora and fauna.
2.Ecological problems of Crimea

The environmental problems of the Crimea in connection with the peculiarities of its organization as a natural and economic object must be considered at three levels:

regional (Crimea as a whole);

sub-regional (administrative districts, big cities, natural regions such as the South Coast and the Crimean Mountains);

local (elementary natural and anthropogenic objects, small settlements).

For Crimea, the main environmental problem - further decrease in the efficiency of nature management and increased anthropogenic pressure on the natural environment, occurring against the backdrop of a discrepancy between the natural resource potential available in the region and the type of its functional use.

The decrease in the efficiency of nature management is expressed as follows:

Preservation and further activation of long-term trends in environmental pollution and deterioration in public health;

The continuing irrational use of natural resources in violation of the normative indicators of use and reproduction;

Further reduction of controllability of the system of regional nature management.

The ecological situation in the Crimea can be assessed as tense, characterized by the deterioration of the state of individual components of the environment in comparison with the standards, but has not yet become irreversible.

Against the background of the ecological situation in the region as a whole, there are a number of problems within the Crimean Peninsula associated with the peculiarities of the man-made impact on the natural environment within administrative districts and large cities.

The main regional problems of Crimea include:

Deterioration of the quality of hydro-mineral resources (Saksky, Leninsky districts, the cities of Evpatoria, Feodosia, the water area of ​​​​Lake Sivash);

Pollution of surface water bodies on land (R. Salgir, Churuk-Su);

Pollution of the coastal zone of the sea (Kerch and Kamysh-Burun bays, the Kerch Strait, the resort water use zone of Yalta, Karkinitsky Bay);

According to the geographical location and nature of the runoff, the Crimean rivers can be divided into four groups:

the rivers of the northern slopes of the Crimean Mountains flowing into the Sivash (Salgir, Vostochny Bulganak, Indol, Chorokh-Su, etc.);

the rivers of the western slopes of the Crimean Mountains flowing into the Black Sea (Western Bulganak, Alma, Kacha, Belbek, Chernaya);

the rivers of the South Bank (Uchan-Su, Derekoika, Otuz, etc.);

rivers originating on the watershed plateau of the Tarkhankut Upland, flowing into the Black Sea (Chatyrlyk, Kamarchik).

The main local water sources are small rivers, which on the peninsula take on the entire pressure of anthropogenic impact, as a result of which most of them have degraded, lost their economic importance and turned into dirty collectors.

The causes of degradation of small rivers can be grouped into four groups:

1. Deforestation and plowing of soils within the catchment area, which violated the regime of river feeding. The forest in the watershed contributes to the enhancement of groundwater nutrition. Humid forest air, less deep freezing of the soil, the presence of forest litter that accumulates water, prolonged snowmelt in the forest area and other factors contribute to the replenishment of the ground flow from the watershed to the rivers, and equalize the supply of rivers with clean water.

2. Inadmissible plowing of steep slopes, gullies, protected areas, near ravines and channels of the hydrographic network, which violated the erosion resistance of soil and soil, is washed into rivers. Intense erosion of plowed steep slopes and gullies has been especially noticeable in the last two decades. In many places, especially in the upper part of the slopes, red glades of underlying clay are already visible from under a thin layer of chernozem. In the thalweg of the beams, water flows down from the slopes. When ravines are plowed up, the soil within the thalweg, which is not protected by sod and tall vegetation, is eroded, and the ravine turns into an intensively growing ravine. Soil erosion products overload river flows, part of the sediment is deposited in the bedrock channels of the rivers and silts them up. These processes cause a chain of other inevitable changes: a decrease bandwidth root channel, deterioration of floodplain drainage, salinization and waterlogging, change of water-regulating vegetation.

3. Chemical, bacterial, thermal and other types of river water pollution affecting phyto- and zoobiocenoses, on which the limiting factor of channel formation depends - the state of aquatic and coastal vegetation. Water pollution leads to the depletion of water resources, to the loss of optimal regimes of rivers, to the formation of new objects with processes alien to nature and man. Rivers are not only withdrawn from a number of highly productive, but also become dangerous objects of nature (water that is harmful to health, harmful phyto- and zoobiocenoses). 4. Irrational development of floodplains, violating the optimal energy state streams in flood. Under natural conditions, the strong flow of the stream along the floodplain was hindered by meadow and forest shrub vegetation. Most of the spring runoff took place in the natural root channel, washing and deepening it. Under these conditions, the water level in low water was lower than in the silted channel, and this ensured good drainage of the floodplain. The exit to the channel through the aquifers underlying the floodplain was washed out, and the loss of pressure due to seepage of floodplain groundwater into the channel turned out to be insignificant.

Violation of land during the development of mineral deposits in an open way (Saksky, Leninsky, Bakhchisarai, Simferopol, Krasnogvardeisky districts); ----

The increasing impact of motor transport on the atmosphere of Crimean cities;

Deterioration in the quality of agricultural land associated with an increase in the proportion of saline (Leninsky district), waterlogged (Krasnoperekopsky, Dzhankoysky, Nizhnegorsky districts) and eroded lands (Saksky, Pervomaisky districts).
3. State of flora and fauna

Animal world Crimea is original, but not rich (about 400 species of vertebrates). Brown hare, fox, hedgehog, lizards are found everywhere, in the mountains - Crimean deer, Crimean roe deer, badger, stone marten, etc. Birds in the steppe are inhabited by crane, bustard, quail, in the mountains - falcons, owls, woodpeckers, black vulture , wild pigeon, etc. Waterfowl are numerous on the Sivash and lakes: martyns, mallards, ducks. In different years, mouflon, teleutka squirrel, wild boar, pheasant were acclimatized in Crimea. An important feature of the animal world of Crimea is its uniqueness. Of particular concern is the need to preserve rare, relic and endemic animals that are reducing their numbers and habitats under the influence of economic activity. Many of the endangered species of Crimean living organisms are listed in the Red Book. The share of Crimea in this Book is extremely large, and this is a consequence of the active centuries-old human impact on the unique, vulnerable wildlife of the peninsula. So, out of 382 representatives of the animal world, listed in the Red Book, about 200 species are distributed in the Crimea, and more than 60 of them - only within the peninsula.

In the 20th century, more than 50 species of native plants and animals disappeared in Crimea. The number of Crimean red deer for last decade decreased by 4 times. Among the "Red Book" animals are the bat, the giant evening bat, the Dalmatian pelican, the white-tailed eagle, the Mediterranean gecko, the leopard snake, etc. In recent years, the anthropogenic pressure on natural zoocenoses (except for hunting fauna) has somewhat decreased. This is due to a decrease in production activity, primarily agricultural production. An example is a significant increase in the number of bustards in the Leninsky district. However, anthropogenic factors associated with the long-term consequences of economic activity - the use of pesticides, cutting down forest belts, the high proportion of farmland, etc. - continued to have a serious impact on the state of the fauna of the Crimea.One of the last (the Uchan-Su River) habitats of the red freshwater crab, which falls into the flood zone of the General reservoir under construction, is under threat. Of the 300 species of birds in the region, about 20% of them are registered in landfills and solid waste landfills.

Over the past few years, there has been a spontaneous next wave of destructive impact on the existing fragile ecological complex of the Plain Crimea. Massive deforestation of forest belts by the population without their renewal and overgrazing of livestock are noted, which can lead to unforeseen consequences for the ecosystem. One of such consequences may be further impoverishment of the fauna of the Plain Crimea and a change in the faunal potential of the territory. The presence on the territory of Crimea of ​​a significant number of habitats of rare and in need of protection of animal species predetermines the need for various types of restrictions on economic activity.

The natural flora of Crimea is very rich. It has 2775 plant species .

Plants of the Crimean flora compose a diverse and in many ways unique vegetation cover. On a relatively small area of ​​the peninsula, there are desert, steppe, forest communities, and the vegetation of the southern coast of Crimea is close to the Mediterranean. Such a huge floristic richness of the small Crimean region (22 times less than the total area of ​​Ukraine) is associated with its unique border, cross and semi-isolated geographical position. The area of ​​forests in the Crimea reaches 338 thousand hectares. The slopes of the Crimean Mountains are predominantly occupied by oak (55.7% of the area of ​​all forests), pine (17.5%), beech (12.1%) and hornbeam (5.6%) forests. Average age of stands is 71 years. There are 250 endemic plant species in Crimea, which make up 9.7% of the flora of the peninsula, and in general, 65% of the species of the entire flora of Ukraine grow in Crimea. Relic plants grow in the forests on the South Coast: high juniper, evergreen small-fruited strawberry, pistachio pistachio, a number of evergreen shrubs - Pontic needle, Crimean cistus, red pyracantha, shrub jasmine, etc. There are a lot of medicinal and wild fruit plants (1157 species: valerian, St. John's wort , capers, barberry, dogwood, etc.). In the Plain Crimea, steppe vegetation is widespread under the feather-grass-fescue-forb and wormwood steppes.

The natural vegetation cover has been severely disturbed by human activities - most of the land in the flat part and a significant proportion of the areas in the foothill and mountainous areas are plowed up or used for pastures and hayfields. On the plowed steppes there are fields of wheat, corn, rice paddies, vegetable plantations, vineyards and orchards. Horticulture and viticulture are developed in the valleys, plantations of essential oil crops and tobacco are located. The flora of Crimea has a number of common features with flora territories surrounding the Mediterranean, Black, Aegean Seas. Most of the Crimean species grow in the territories of the Mediterranean countries.

Almost every tenth species of the Crimean flora is endemic, and almost all of them are associated with the Crimean Mountains. The largest number endemics is characteristic of yaila - over 60% of the plants growing here are endemic, of which 40% are found exclusively on Crimean yaila, many of which are historically young. This indicates that the Crimean Mountains are one of the centers of speciation. However, in many places the yayl vegetation has been disturbed as a result of excessive grazing.

The condition of the Crimean forests is unsatisfactory . The unsystematic logging carried out in the past has led to a reduction in forest areas and the exposure of mountain slopes. Industrial logging has led to the degradation of forests, primarily oak forests, to the replacement of tall forests with secondary formations and arbitrary plant communities.Poor condition of beech forests , which were exploited in smaller sizes than oak and pine, but now they have accumulated a lot of overmature trees with unsatisfactory renewal under their canopy of young growth.

A special place belongs to the protection of forests from fires . Every year, 20-25 fires happen in the mountain forests and on the yayls of the Crimea due to the fault of people. Extinguishing forest fires in mountainous areas is fraught with great difficulties, in particular with the problem of water delivery. In addition, extinguishing fires is complicated by the frequent change in wind direction in the mountains, the dryness of the Crimean forest and, especially, its coniferous plantations, and the steepness of the forest mountain slopes. Weak material and technical equipment of the forest industry, outdated machinery and equipment, lack of funds for fire fighting equipment makes the problem of forest fires one of the most acute for forestry and creates a real threat to the forests of Crimea, valuable from a recreational and aesthetic point of view.
4. Summing up. Conversation on the following questions:

- Is it possible to protect the species diversity of the Crimea?

- Will we be able to use natural resources without limits?

-What conditions environmental safety should everyone follow?

- Why does a person protect himself by protecting the environment?

5. D / Z. - prepare projects according to the options on the topic: “The impact of productive forces on the environment”, “Pollution of water resources”, “Industrial waste”, “Household waste”, Impact on the atmosphere”, Mineral resources of the Crimea and their rational use”, “Protection of reserves and sanctuaries of the Crimea”

Literature sources:

Textbook "Crimea Studies" Grade 8, ed. A.V. Suprychev.

Workbook"Krymovedenie" Grade 8, ed. A.V. Suprychev.

YALTA, October 25 - RIA Novosti (Crimea). The main pain points of the Crimea in terms of ecology are garbage, depreciation of treatment facilities and development of natural areas. This conclusion was made by the experts of the Center for Public Monitoring of the ONF on the problems of ecology and forest protection after checking the state of the ecological framework of the peninsula. This was announced at the Action Forum. Crimea in Yalta by the coordinator of the center, State Duma deputy Vladimir Gutenev.

"One of the features of the Crimea in the field of municipal solid waste management is not overcrowded landfills outside the urban area, but the fact that mountains of garbage are located directly within settlements. In the middle of the Crimean cities, whole garbage heaps of several tens of hectares have grown, which not only are not cleaned by anyone, but continue to grow as before. In total, more than a hundred illegal dumps operate on the Crimean peninsula. This is Simferopol, and Alushta, and even Yalta, where right in front of Mount Darsan, in the center of the city, a giant garbage heap has formed," Gutenev said.

According to him, in Crimea, it is now necessary to completely stop the delivery of garbage to illegal landfills of municipal solid waste and begin their prompt reclamation. At the same time, it is necessary to implement a scheme for the disposal of MSW, as well as to use new approaches in the field of waste management using the best available technologies.

"One more important issue is building and simply barbarous destruction of natural areas. Among them is the Ai-Petri Yayla, which, according to activists, was subjected to squatting. In order to save this unique territory, in our opinion, it is necessary to demolish all illegal buildings within its borders, give Ai-Petri Yaila the status of a specially protected natural area regional significance and start the formation of a civilized ecological tourism in this place," the press service of the ONF quotes Gutenev.

A similar situation, according to the deputy, has developed with the unique Laspinskaya Bay in Sevastopol.

“Its coastline has actually been seized by private individuals, a relic forest of juniper, which is several hundred years old, is being cut down there, and, moreover, these forests are a unique natural monument not only for the Crimean peninsula, but for the whole of Russia. We believe that this situation requires close attention and decisive measures to save Laspi Bay," the expert emphasized.

In conclusion, he noted the problems of depreciation of treatment facilities in a number of Crimean cities. So, for example, in Saki, sewage from the sewerage, without being cleaned at all, merges into the sea, including near the beaches.

"The situation with the treatment facilities in the Crimea deserves special attention. In fact, most of these facilities have not been repaired since the Soviet era, and, moreover, some of these facilities were either simply abandoned or plundered for scrap. Now a comprehensive modernization of all the treatment facilities of the Crimean peninsula is necessary, because not only the ecological framework of the region, but also the health of the local population and tourists largely depends on them," Gutenev summed up.

On October 25-26, the ONF is holding an "Action Forum. Crimea" in Yalta, in which activists, federal and regional experts of the All-Russian Popular Front, representatives executive power and journalists. The forum touches upon issues related to housing and communal services, education, culture, energy development, gas supply, agro-industrial complex and tourism potential, etc.