The Role of Static and Dynamic Factors in the Ecogeomorphological Regionalization of Relief (North-Eastern Slope of the Lesser Caucasus)

  In the present article, the impact of relief’s static and dynamic factors on the eco-logical conditions was analyzed based on the concept of the environment-forming function of relief. The research area is located in Azerbaijan, between the Khram and Zayam rivers on the north-eastern slope of the Lesser Caucasus, and its total area is 2358 km². Relief is an essential factor shaping land use; in this regard, the ecogeomorphological assessment of an area is very relevant in terms of land use. First, structural-lithological, morphological, and morphometric (horizontal and vertical dissection of relief, a slope of the surface, exposition of slopes) features of relief and their impact on the ecological conditions are studied. Then, endodynamic and exodynamic processes, the latest and current movements, mobility of magmatic bodies, fluvial, gravitational, karst processes of morphogenesis and their environment-forming impact on the ecosystem are explained. Finally, the results of the analysis of ecogeomorphological tension were created in the program Arcmap 10.4, and zonation of the studied territory was carried out. It should also be noted that within a region with the same ecogeomorphological tension there is a limited range of areas with different degrees of tension. In the territories of low tension, weakness in exogenous processes and morphometric parameters stands as a sign of relief stability in the area. Based on our analyses, the studied region was subdivided in the areas with weak (36 %), moderate (35%), relatively high (24 %), and high (5%) tensions. The abovementioned figures suggest that a large part of the study area is suitable for infrastructure development and agricultural organization. A very small part consists of bare rocks and does not provide conditions for any agricultural activities. The high mountainous zones are only suitable for sports tourism. Here the areas where the population is more concentrated and land use is most suitable are the Ganja-Gazakh and Hunan plains, as well as the Bashkand-Dastafur depression. In contrast, the most tense areas are the highlands of the Chinggili ridge and the north-eastern slopes of the Shahdag and Murguz ridges.