Experience in Large-Scale Landscape Interpretation and Mapping of Key Sectors in the Arid and Subarid Zones of Central Asia and Kazakhstan

摘要

The paper is a presentation of some results in an experiment with large-scale landscape mapping based on the interpretation of aerial photographs taken during geological, soils and hydrogeological studies in western Turkmenia and in Northern and Western Kazakhstan in 1952-1958. Although the recommendations in this paper on landscape mapping are to a considerable extent local, they can be useful for comparison with results in other geographic areas when solving other problems. The author deals with all the basic problems involved in landscape mapping, such as scales and accuracy. In the text a number of aerial photographs are accompanied by landscape maps compiled on the basis of these photographs. These landscape maps in turn are fully analyzed in the text as examples of the application and problems of landscape mapping. The author demonstrates the complexity in interpreting aerial photographs because of the spatial and functional correlations among the individual elements, such as geology, soils, vegetation and hydrogeology. The methods used in compiling such methods are described and the possible applications of such maps in the national economy are discussed. (Author)