Anisimov and Pospelov: The Landscape and Geobotanical Characteristics
315
regime, the degree of soil profile differentiation and the presence of humus horizon. At a low
degree of gleyization and some humification of a profile (which usually occurs in spotty tundra
on the drained borders of sorted circles) Gleysols develop to gelic-mollic. The most widely
distributed Gleysols in the region were Umbri-gelic Gleysols, distinguished by the presence of
a umbric or histic horizon.
They occurred in the mountain moss spotty tundra and hummock tundra, on ridges of dellic
complexes and on lake terraces. Eutri-gelic Gleysols possessed the simplest profile - the gleyed
horizon lay directly beneath the moss litter; they were usually found in soil complexes of spotty
tundra, beneath moss hollows. In the presence of a thin peat horizon the Gleysols progress to
Umbri-gelic. This generally occurred at weakly paludificated sites, in drainage stripes, on moist
mossy tundra and on polygonal bogs in the early stages of development. If the peat is covered
by a thin layer of humus, the Gleysols progressed to gelic-distric-humic tundra soils. The peat
formation process may lead to Histosol formation with thick peat horizons. These were found
only in flat palsas of bog complexes on terraces.
Landscape subdivision of the basin territory
The landscape structure of the region is, as a whole, rather monotonous. The greater part of the
area tends to the typically middle-alpine landscape of the Glavnaja Range of the Byrranga
mountains. The only exception to this is the extreme northern part of the basin (north of the
Zamcnutaja river), which can be classified, under all existing schemes of subdivision, as part of
the intermountain kettle of Ugolnaja river. Its relief has a flat, faintly hilly character, with
substantial development of alluvial and kettle-bog complexes. Watershed vegetation here is
similar to arctic herb-dwarf shrub-moss tundra. However, only 2 units in the lake basin
conform to this landscape type and they are ecotonal.
At the same time, there are the larger geosystems, for which the application of a landscape
type is open to question. There are the intermountain lake denression and mouth part of the
Krasnaja river, but also small mountain ridges to the south-east of the basin. The former qualify
for the rank of landscape based on such parameters as the specific character of bedrock
composition, their genesis (alluvial and lacustrine-marine), mesorelief and vegetation. Their
area is small, however, in comparison with the surrounding landscapes. Also, despite territorial
integrity, their configuration is rather difficult, and the distribution of background units of the
lowest rank is modest. The latter geosystem represents the same mountain massifs, but at the
surface it is comprised of more weathered material and outcrops of bedrock are rare. It is
isolated territorially from Glavnaja Range and on general appearance resembles the eastern part
of a foothill ridge, Nedy, which is more likely to be considered at the rank of landscape type.
Explanatory text accompanying the landscape-geobotanical map of the LevinsonLessing Lake basin (M 1:100.000)
Mountain watersheds
1 - Platforms of ancient flattened surfaces at elevations of more than 400 meters with striped
patterned ground
Alternation of fine grained material with boulder debris from bedrock material more stable to
weathering (dolerites, diabases). Patterned ground is widely distributed (debris islands, stone
polygons, stone pits, and large spot-hummocks on flat, low-lying soils). These units retain
only a slight snow cover during the winter, resulting in sparse vegetation represented by two
variants: A) Higher elevations boulder debris with sparse (5-15 % cover) lichen aggregations
(Alectoria ochroleuca, Cetraria sp.), soils are absent, and B) The tops and flat tops with
315
regime, the degree of soil profile differentiation and the presence of humus horizon. At a low
degree of gleyization and some humification of a profile (which usually occurs in spotty tundra
on the drained borders of sorted circles) Gleysols develop to gelic-mollic. The most widely
distributed Gleysols in the region were Umbri-gelic Gleysols, distinguished by the presence of
a umbric or histic horizon.
They occurred in the mountain moss spotty tundra and hummock tundra, on ridges of dellic
complexes and on lake terraces. Eutri-gelic Gleysols possessed the simplest profile - the gleyed
horizon lay directly beneath the moss litter; they were usually found in soil complexes of spotty
tundra, beneath moss hollows. In the presence of a thin peat horizon the Gleysols progress to
Umbri-gelic. This generally occurred at weakly paludificated sites, in drainage stripes, on moist
mossy tundra and on polygonal bogs in the early stages of development. If the peat is covered
by a thin layer of humus, the Gleysols progressed to gelic-distric-humic tundra soils. The peat
formation process may lead to Histosol formation with thick peat horizons. These were found
only in flat palsas of bog complexes on terraces.
Landscape subdivision of the basin territory
The landscape structure of the region is, as a whole, rather monotonous. The greater part of the
area tends to the typically middle-alpine landscape of the Glavnaja Range of the Byrranga
mountains. The only exception to this is the extreme northern part of the basin (north of the
Zamcnutaja river), which can be classified, under all existing schemes of subdivision, as part of
the intermountain kettle of Ugolnaja river. Its relief has a flat, faintly hilly character, with
substantial development of alluvial and kettle-bog complexes. Watershed vegetation here is
similar to arctic herb-dwarf shrub-moss tundra. However, only 2 units in the lake basin
conform to this landscape type and they are ecotonal.
At the same time, there are the larger geosystems, for which the application of a landscape
type is open to question. There are the intermountain lake denression and mouth part of the
Krasnaja river, but also small mountain ridges to the south-east of the basin. The former qualify
for the rank of landscape based on such parameters as the specific character of bedrock
composition, their genesis (alluvial and lacustrine-marine), mesorelief and vegetation. Their
area is small, however, in comparison with the surrounding landscapes. Also, despite territorial
integrity, their configuration is rather difficult, and the distribution of background units of the
lowest rank is modest. The latter geosystem represents the same mountain massifs, but at the
surface it is comprised of more weathered material and outcrops of bedrock are rare. It is
isolated territorially from Glavnaja Range and on general appearance resembles the eastern part
of a foothill ridge, Nedy, which is more likely to be considered at the rank of landscape type.
Explanatory text accompanying the landscape-geobotanical map of the LevinsonLessing Lake basin (M 1:100.000)
Mountain watersheds
1 - Platforms of ancient flattened surfaces at elevations of more than 400 meters with striped
patterned ground
Alternation of fine grained material with boulder debris from bedrock material more stable to
weathering (dolerites, diabases). Patterned ground is widely distributed (debris islands, stone
polygons, stone pits, and large spot-hummocks on flat, low-lying soils). These units retain
only a slight snow cover during the winter, resulting in sparse vegetation represented by two
variants: A) Higher elevations boulder debris with sparse (5-15 % cover) lichen aggregations
(Alectoria ochroleuca, Cetraria sp.), soils are absent, and B) The tops and flat tops with