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1 This article was downloaded by: [Berezin, A. E.] On: 5 October 2009 Access details: Access Details: [subscription number ] Publisher Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: Registered office: Mortimer House, Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK International Journal of Environmental Studies Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: The phytoindication method for mapping peatlands in the taiga zone of the West-Siberian Plain V. A. Bazanov a ; A. E. Berezin a ; O. G. Savichev b ; A. A. Skugarev a a Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia b Tomsk Polytechnic University, Online Publication Date: 01 August 2009 To cite this Article Bazanov, V. A., Berezin, A. E., Savichev, O. G. and Skugarev, A. A.(2009)'The phytoindication method for mapping peatlands in the taiga zone of the West-Siberian Plain',International Journal of Environmental Studies,66:4, To link to this Article: DOI: / URL: PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.

2 International Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol. 66, No. 4, August 2009, The phytoindication method for mapping peatlands in the taiga zone of the West-Siberian Plain V.A. BAZANOV, A.E. BEREZIN*, O.G. SAVICHEV*** AND A.A. SKUGAREV** Taylor GENV_A_ sgm and Francis Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia; Tomsk Polytechnic University / International Original 2009 Taylor April EBerezin 2009 & Article Francis (print)/ Journal of Environmental (online) Studies (Received 20 February 2009) Studying mires in the taiga zone of West Siberia is complicated because they are large and difficult to access. We have used a method of mapping mires using satellite images and indication characteristics of the vegetation. To map the mires the classification of plant communities has been worked out. This classification takes into account the life-forms and growth forms of the plant communities. To map the mires of the territory we used the data of polyzonal space survey by the artificial Earth satellite Landsat 7. The ENVI system decoded the satellite images. Mapping was done with the Geographical Informational System (GIS) ArcView. The method of phytoindication can be used to map mires covering large territories. Now we are designing the map of the Great Vasyugan bog (scale 1:200,000). From this perspective it is possible to map the bog cover of the whole territory of Western Siberia. Keywords: Peat land; Phytoindication; Remote sensing; Landscape mapping; Life-forms of plants Introduction The territory of Western Siberia is one of the Earth s largest accumulative plains, the major part of which is bogged. Today more than 30% of the river Ob basin has been bogged in the subzones of the southern and central taiga, and this process of bogging continues. Mapping the territory is associated with methodological problems, the first of which is the absence of an agreed understanding of the mire phenomenon. Is it a water object, a geological body, a soil-and-vegetation formation or what? The structure and boundaries of mire landscapes are often vaguely understood, which makes it difficult to classify mires and bogged territories. In our definition, a mire is a natural object with slow water cycling, with mire vegetation accumulating organic substance in the form of peat. Mire vegetation to a great extent determines the spectral features of the bog surface reflected in the satellite images. Vegetation and its location can be used for distinguishing the mire ecosystems proper and the ecosystems inside mires and developing methods for their mapping. This paper concerns the use of the phytoindication method in landscape research and mapping the bogged territories difficult to Corresponding authors. *aber@res.tsu.ru; **skugarev@ainbox.ru; ***osavichev@mail.ru International Journal of Environmental Studies ISSN print: ISSN online 2009 Taylor & Francis DOI: /

3 474 V.A. Bazanov et al. Figure 1. The scheme of the area under research (sample plots 1 and 2). access. The research was carried out in the plot situated in the central part of the West- Siberian taiga zone, in the north and in the west of the Tomsk region. This plot under research is in area 140,000 km 2 (figure 1). Figure 1. The scheme of the area under research (sample plots 1 and 2). Phytoindication in mapping peat lands The method of phytoindication has been used to solve hydrological, engineering-geological, geodesic, and geobotanical problems for a long time. It is based on the idea of close interconnection of phytomasses, regarded according to Beruchashvily [1] as the organic substance accumulated at a given moment by underground and above-ground parts of the plants constituting the natural complex of the area. Phytomasses possess strongly pronounced structural peculiarities reflecting a specific character of the radiation balance, water conditions and development history of the natural complex of the area [1 4]. A key notion for this method is a number of indicators the plant species and their combinations possessing a significant and constant link with the particular environmental conditions at a zone level, regional and local (landscape) levels [5,6]. The zone, regional and local phytoindicators are distinguished

4 The phytoindication method for mapping peatlands in West-Siberia 475 accordingly. Constant and variable, positive and negative, direct and indirect phytoindicators are used as well [4,5]. Vegetation is known to determine spectral characteristics of images (physiognomic pictures) of different natural objects and processes in aerial photos and satellite images. Nevertheless, the specific composition of the vegetation does not always allow for precise decoding of the natural plots through remote sensing. The spectral characteristics of the picture in aerial photos and satellite images are determined with the help not only of the specific structure of plant groups, but also the combination of certain life-forms of plants. This should be taken into account when mapping mires. The algorithm based on phytoindication includes the following steps: 1) singling out the indicators; 2) assessing their reliability and efficiency; 3) studying environmental connections between the indicator and object of indication; 4) geographical analysis of indication connections; 5) mapping the indication connections; 6) using the indication connections and their maps for solving applied and scientific problems [6]. Realization of the algorithm depends on the object under study. The peculiarity of using the phytoindication method for mire ecosystems lies in the following. First, the main object of indication is a mire, which is not only a water, soil, geological or biological object, but combines all their properties. Second, in the study of mires, the choice of indicators and indication connections is based on distinguishing three environmental groups of plants according to the type of mineral nutrition: oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic. Mire plants also differ in their reaction to wetting conditions. Third, depending on the water cycling intensity, water, radiation and hydro-chemical balance, and drainage conditions, one can observe the typical morphological forms of plants. It is the combination of the life-forms of plants that determines the spectral characteristics of the vegetation helping to differentiate peatlands in satellite images. In the central part of the taiga zone of Western Siberia we chose 16 forms of plant growth including four forms of trees, four forms of dwarf shrubs, five of grasses and three of mosses. Seven of the 16 forms we have chosen are used by other authors [2,7]; the rest are introduced for the first time through our research (table 1). Peatlands landscapes differ from landscapes on the mineral subsoil in respect to the underground plant organs. The roots of grasses, shrubs, Sphagnum and Hypnum mosses sod as well as died off plants contribute to the wetland surface formation. The ecosystems with various life-forms and plant species differ greatly in satellite images. Such differences are observed especially in complex ecosystems (hollow-ridge complexes, etc.). They have a special feature of micro-relief: differentiation of positive and negative elements. Thus, different biological forms perform different functions in the structure of a mire ecosystem. There is a group of plants creating a foundation for the plant community due to their form of growth. The supporting structures may be sedge and cottongrass mounds, the rootage of trees, grasses, branches of shrubs. Sprouts dipped into moss sod and peat, thin slanting branches of dwarf shrubs, grass rootage interwoven to strengthen the underground construction part of the community: all are possible. Weak and fragile sprouts of Sphagnum and Hypnum mosses fill the space between the supporting elements using them as a base. Synchronized annual growth of sprouts of flower plants and mosses provides their vertical orientation in sod. The peculiarities of the surface structure in the plot of the Vasyugan bog are shown in figure 2. Figure 2. The surface structure of Sphagnum mosses, dwarf shrubs and pine complex (a tall ryam) A thick (up to 25 cm) moss sod with vertical Sphagnum sprouts growing densely is pierced by branches with a root net of dwarf shrubs and pine trees. Sphagnum mosses in this

5 476 V.A. Bazanov et al. Table 1. The morphological classification of the mire plants in the central part of the West-Siberian taiga zone. The life-form The form of growth The name of the plant species Trees Ia. Swamp (Uliginosa Ab. Suc.): tree trunks are 8 12 cm high and cm in diameter; an oval crown of a tree takes 1 / 4 of the trunk; shallow rootage, root collar is cm deep Ib. Ryam (F. Litvinovii Suc): tree trunks are 2 4 (6) m high and 2 8 cm in diameter; a round crown of a tree takes 1/3 of the trunk; shallow rootage, root collar is cm deep Ic. Bog: tree trunks are 2 5 m high and 4 12 cm in diameter; cedar crowns are cylindrical, the lower part of the trunk has no branches; crowns of birches have the form of a truncated cone, the lower part of the trunk without branches; shallow rootage, root collar is cm deep Pinus sylvestris F. Pinus sylvestris Betula pubescens Pinus sibirica Id. Forest: tree trunks are m high and m in diameter at the height of cm Betula pubescens, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus sibirica Shrubs and dwarf shrubs 2a. Branchrooting, shrubs and dwarf shrubs possessing a vegetative mobility (skeleton axes in underground and above-ground environment are horizontal) 2b. Branchrooting, shrubs and dwarf shrubs possessing no vegetative mobility (skeleton axes in underground and above-ground environment are vertical or slanting) Chamaedaphne calyculata, Ledum palustre, Betula nana Chamaedaphne calyculata, Ledum palustre, Salix lapponum, S.myrtilloides 2c. Real creeping dwarf shrubs [7] (vegetative mobility is realized by plagiotropic stolons) Andromeda polyfolia 2d. Dwarf shrubs possessing a vegetative mobility of the espalier type [7] Oxiceccus palustris, us Grasses 3a. Mounds are cylindrical, 0.5 m high and up to 0.35 m in diameter Carex caespitosa 3b. Mounds are hemispheric, up to 0.1 m high and 0.2 m in diameter Eriophorum vaginatum 3c. Dense sod [7] (rootstocks, tillering nodes, feeding roots are pressed into a dense sod; the form is Menianthes trifoliate, Carex globularis, characterized by a weak vegetative mobility) C.lasiocarpa, C.rostrata u p. 3d. Loose sod [7]: plagiotropic rootstocks, tillering nodes and feeding roots are distributed loose in the soil; the plants of the form are characterized by a vegetative mobility) 3e. Long-root plants [7]: orthotropic sprouts are far from each other and connected by long plagiotropic roots or stolons; they have a vegetative mobility Menianthes trifoliate, Eriophorum vaginatum, Thelypteris palustris, Scheuchzeria palustris u p, Comarum palustre, Menianthes trifoliate, Scheuchzeria palustris, Carex limosa u p. Mosses 4a. Dense sod: it is cm thick, sprouts in the sod are vertical and are closely connected Sphagnum fuscum, S.magellanicum, Tomenthypnum nitens u p. 4b. Dense sod: it is up to 10 cm thick, sprouts in the sod are vertical or slanting and have loose connection 4c. Free sod: it is 5 cm thick, moss sprouts are suspended in the water and are not connected with each other Sphagnum fuscum, S.angustifolium, S.wulfianum, S.majus u p. S.majus, S.balticum u p

6 The phytoindication method for mapping peatlands in West-Siberia Figure The surface structure of Sphagnum mosses, dwarf shrubs and pine complex (a tall ryam). construction function as filling stuff, and the root net as supporting elements. This gives the construction elasticity so that it might bear a great mechanical load (the pressure of snow cover and wind). Young flexible branches of dwarf shrubs are vertical supporting elements. They help make the construction stronger and provide the sprouts of Sphagnum mosses with an opportunity to grow vertically. Horizontal pine roots at different depths play the role of firm supporting elements. Seeking the connection between phytoindicators and indication objects is a key stage in classifying bog ecosystems. In our opinion the classification should include two main levels of bog landscapes: 1) according to the conditions of the mineral nutrition of plants; 2) according to the structure of the dominant plant species. The first one is subdivided into three types according to the water-mineral nutrition of bog plants that prevails: 1) eutrophic; 2) mesotrophic; 3) oligotrophic. Within each type the subtypes are distinguished (the second level). They are characterized by different composition and structure of the dominant species. Table 2 shows the classification of the peat land plant communities used as phytoindicators. Some subtypes are studied well enough in the character of the dominating bioforms but from the point of view of hydrology and hydrochemistry they need further investigating.

7 478 V.A. Bazanov et al. Table 2. The classification of plant communities and their combinations for peat lands. Type Subtype 1. Low-lying (eutrophic) mire 1.1. Tall mixed forest (birch, cedar, pine)-dwarf shrubs (ledum, bog whortleberry)-motley grass (buckbean, marsh cinquefoil)-moss (sogra) 1.2. Stunted mixed forest (birch, cedar, pine)-dwarf shrubs (ledum)-motley grass (buckbean, marsh cinquefoil)-moss (sogra) 1.3. Birch-dwarf shrubs (ledum)-motley grass (sedge, buckbean) 1.4. Dwarf shrubs (stunted birch, cranberry)-motley grass-hypnum (swamp) 1.5. Dwarf shrubs (dwarf birch, cranberry)-motley grass-moss with separate stunted trees (birch, pine) (swamp) 1.6. Buckbean (swamp) 1.7. Reed and reed-sedge with sparse forest (birch) (swamp) 1.8. Hollow-ridge complexes 1.9. Motley grass (marsh horsetail, marsh cinquefoil, etc.) (swamp) 2. Mixed (mesotrophic) mire 2.1. Dwarf shrubs (cranberry)-hairy sedge-sphagnum (swamp) 2.2. Dwarf shrubs (cranberry)-hairy sedge-sphagnum (swamp) 2.3. Dwarf shrubs (cranberry)-mud sedge-sphagnum (swamp) 2.4. Stunted mixed forest (pine,birch)-dwarf shrubs (ledum)-motley grass (sheathing cottongrass)-sphagnum 2.5. Pine- dwarf shrubs (ledum)-hairy sedge-sphagnum 2.6. Hollow (sedge, cranberry, Sphagnum mosses, buckbean)-ridge(hairy sedge, cranberry, sparse birches, Sphagnum mosses) complexes 3. Raised (oligotrophic) bog 3.1. Pine dwarf shrubs (ledum, leather-leaf)-cottongrass- Sphagnum mosses (ryams) 3.2. Pine dwarf shrubs (ledum, leather-leaf)- cottongrass-sphagnum mosses (tall ryams) 3.3. Hollow (Scheuchzeria, cottongrass, Sphagnum mosses ) 3.4. Hollow (Scheuchzeria, cottongrass, Sphagnum mosses) -ridge (stunted pine forest, ledum, leather-leaf, cottongrass, Sphagnum mosses) complexes 3.5. Hollow (Scheuchzeria, cottongrass, Sphagnum mosses)-ridge (stunted pine forest, ledum, leather-leaf, cottongrass, Sphagnum mosses) lake complexes 3.6. Hollow (Scheuchzeria, cottongrass, Sphagnum mosses)-lake complexes When mapping mires we used the data of polyzonal space survey through the artificial Earth satellite Landsat 7 with a resolution of 30 m and processing level L1G including geometrical and radio metrical image correction. The ENVI system decodes the satellite images, and maps them in GIS ArcView. The Russian Federation s electronic topographical map (scale 1:200,000) is used as a topographical base [8]. The mire ecosystems were classified according to the analysis of their spectral characteristics defined by the number of bioforms of the plants growing there. Rough selections for teaching purposes were made from 25 plots, based on the data of the field research. Synthesis of 5, 4, 2 channels was used. This allowed choosing objects taking into account not only their brightness but also their geometrical and structural characteristics as well as the position of morphologically detached objects. Then these selections were used for automated classification with training (the method of maximum probability). As the result, we obtained the boundaries of the types and subtypes of the mire ecosystems. When classifying we used 1 5 spectral channels with a resolution of 30 m and corresponding to 5 spectral ranges of visible and infrared sectors of the spectrum: 1) ; 2) ; 3) ; 4) ; 5)

8 The phytoindication method for mapping peatlands in West-Siberia 479 At the final stage the data were corrected taking into consideration forest taxation, the cadastre of peat deposits of the Tomsk region, maps with the scale 1:100,000, schemes of the bog, geobotanical, physical and geographical districts as well as the visual analysis of space distribution of the particular types of the bogs [9,10]. The result of our investigation is the map of the mire ecosystems in the central part of the West-Siberian taiga zone (figure 1). Hydro-chemical conditions in the mires The species of mire plants and the communities formed by them may be the indicators of the hydro-chemical conditions in the mires because they need a different amount of the most important biophilous elements in the mire water. Based on this, mire plants and their communities may belong to one of the following three categories: eutrophic, mesotrophic and oligotrophic. Figure 3 shows the fragment of the map of the hydro-chemical conditions in the mires. Table 2 shows the composition of the dominating species of mire plants (and their life forms) which are used as the indicators of the hydrological and hydro-chemical conditions in the peat lands. Figure 3. The map of the hydro-chemical conditions the mires (fragment 1) 1 oligotrophic, 2 eutrophic, 3 mesotrophic plots. According to the type of mineral nutrition of mire vegetation three types of bogs are distinguished: eutrophic (low-lying), mesotrophic (mixed) and oligotrophic (raised). These types differ in their position and, hence, the chemical composition of bog waters. Some indices are given in table 3. The eutrophic conditions in the mires of the investigated territory are formed mainly in river valleys, in the places where subsoil water rises to the surface. The mires formed in the river valleys may be wetted by both rainwater and subsoil water. Precipitation yields to subsoil water in the water balance of nutrition. Such mires are situated, as a rule, in the back part of low terraces in the valleys of big rivers, in the valleys of small rivers and, seldom, in watersheds. The only example of a low-lying mire in a watershed region in the investigated territory is the Great Vasyugan bog situated in the southern part of the country between the Ob and Irtysh. A richer mineral nutrition causes domination of moss-grass and forest-moss-grass eutrophic communities in the vegetation cover characteristic of low-lying mires. Eutrophic vegetation is formed from a great variety of communities. They differ in biomorphological and specific composition of plants as well as structure complexity. Eutrophic mires are characterized by a wide range of indices fluctuation of mineralization and water cycling. Nevertheless, the relationship is the same the more the amount of running water the less the amount of dissolved salts. The mesotrophic conditions of water-mineral nutrition in the mires are a mixture of the eutrophic and oligotrophic ones. Mesotrophic mires, as well as oligotrophic ones, are characterized by subsoil water nutrition, but the connection between subsoil and bog water is difficult or has a seasonal character. Precipitation is an additional source of their water-mineral nutrition. This influences chemical composition of the bog water and, consequently, the mineral nutrition of the mire vegetation. The mire vegetation is formed by mesotrophic communities. The water mineralization of mesotrophic mires is lower than that of oligotrophic ones but higher than that of eutrophic ones. Mesotrophic vegetation is characterized by diversity of species and life-forms including not only typical mesotrophic species but also oligotrophic and eutrophic ones. In the territory under investigation the vegetation is represented mainly by Sphagnum-motley grass and by Sphagnum-grass-forest communities. Mesotrophic mires without forest are called swamps.

9 V.A. Bazanov et al. 480 Figure 3. The map of the hydro-chemical conditions in the mires (fragment No 1) 1 oligotrophic, 2 eutrophic, 3 mesotrophic plots. Table 3. 3 Index, mg/dm ph Ca2+ Mg2+ Na++K+ HCO3 The sum of main ions The average chemical composition of bog waters in the Tomsk region [11,12]. eutrophic mesotrophic oligotrophic

10 The phytoindication method for mapping peatlands in West-Siberia 481 The mesotrophic mires are associated with outlying parts of raised bogs, the valleys of small water flows marked in the relief and the flood-lands of big rivers. The hydrological conditions of the mesotrophic mires are characterized by the highest values of wetting. When the water level rises one can observe not only a filtration but also a surface drainage on the swamps through which water runs off to the neighboring territories. These mires are characterized by floating substrate and the formation of water flows inside the mires. In spring and summer their surface is overwetted, parts of moss sod come to the water surface, and separate permafrost plots are under water. Then the surplus water slowly runs off to the bogged forests and the upper reaches of the surface water flows. The oligotrophic conditions in the bogs are formed mainly in watersheds, terraces of big rivers under the influence of atmospheric water-mineral nutrition. The conditions of providing the plants with biophilous mineral elements tend to be stable in both time and space. They only depend on the changes in the composition of the atmospheric flow of aerosols which are characterized by a low concentration of mineral elements (about 40 mg/l) and instability. Only special communities with stable organization, floristic composition, definite structure and ecology are adapted to such conditions. The foundation of such communities is usually formed by Sphagnum mosses, and these communities are called oligotrophic. Hydrological conditions in the peat lands One of the most important adaptation features of mire communities is their highly heterogeneous space structure. The mires of Western Siberia are characterized by widespread complex communities: hollow-ridge, hollow-ridge-lake, etc. The formation of lakes is caused by the mire process development. The water mineralization is the least in oligotrophic bogs. This can be explained by the worst conditions for organic matter decomposition: practically without contact of the water with mineral soils and a low intensity of water cycling. The favorable conditions for peat accumulation are created. The hydrological conditions in the mires are characterized by considerable variability of the physical condition of the water in time and space. Here we investigate one of the most important indications of hydrological conditions: the intensity of water circulation in and out the mires based on phytoindication data. According to many studies, the main factors that determine the hydrological regime in the mires are the power of the active layer, the value of filtration factor, and peculiarities of peat formation. High space heterogeneity of mire landscapes plays an important role in forming the hydrological conditions in the mires of Western Siberia. Taking into consideration the phytoindication (figure 4) we found 14 categories of the hydrological conditions in the mires. For determining the boundaries of the plots with different hydrological conditions we used the decoded satellite images, the results of hydrological, botanical, topogeodesic and geomorphological investigations. Decoding the images was based on the data of the spectral images of plant communities and their combinations given in table 2. Figure 4. map of hydrological conditions (fragment 2). The key to the map is in table 4 The map of hydrological conditions (figure 4) shows that the position of the categories under consideration correlates with geographical peculiarities of the process of mire development in the West-Siberian taiga zone. This is confirmed by the fact that the mires occupying watershed territories prevail. The peculiarity of these categories is flat slopping surface, a large amount of lakes and surface water drainage, as a rule by means of filtration. The water usually runs off to the nearby forests. A restricted run-off from the mires to water flow

11 V.A. Bazanov et al. 482 Figure 4. The map of hydrological conditions (fragment No 2). The key to the map is in table 4. channels is confirmed by a small area of deforested swamps. Their hydrological function is to drain the territory. Conclusion Western Siberia is a unique wildlife territory characterized by a great amount and diversity of mire landscapes. It is necessary to use new approaches to the research into these complicated

12 The phytoindication method for mapping peatlands in West-Siberia 483 Table 4. The key to the map of hydrological conditions (figure 4). No Types of plots on the map of hydrological conditions and their indication 1 Eutrophic tree moss-motley grass mire; homogeneous forest-covered surface, filtration run-off within the active layer in the direction of water flows 2 Eutrophic moss-motley grass mire; homogeneous surface without forest, the place of underground water outlet, filtration run-off within the active layer along the outline perimeter 3 Mesotrophic Sphagnum-sedge swamp in the zones of the contact peat-mineral subsoil ; homogeneous surface without forest, the place of collection of filtration water from mire and forest on the mineral subsoils and passage to underground run-off 4 Mesotrophic Sphagnum-sedge swamp; within peat lands; homogeneous surface without forest, the place of collection of filtration water from bordering parts of the bog and passage to channel run-off and/or low-lying parts of the relief 5 Mesotrophic Sphagnum-sedge swamp in the sources of constant water flows; homogeneous surface without forest, the place of collection of filtration water from bordering parts of the mire and passage to channel run-off of river heads 6 Mesotrophic tree Sphagnum-grass mire; homogeneous forest-covered surface, filtration run-off within the active layer in the direction of water flows 7 Mesotrophic pine Sphagnum-sedge mire; the isolated places of primary peat formation in low-lying or raised parts of the relief or mire periphery, homogeneous forest-covered surface, filtration run-off within the active layer and passage to soil run-off 8 Oligotrophic pine shrub-sphagnum bog (ryam); homogeneous forest-covered surface, filtration run-off within the active layer along the outline to the neighboring plots 9 Oligotrophic hollow-ridge and hollow bog; heterogeneous surface with the elements not oriented in space, filtration run-off within the active layer along the outline perimeter to the neighboring plots 10 Oligotrophic hollow-ridge-lake bog (with lakes of non-linear form); heterogeneous surface with the elements not oriented in space, filtration run-off within the active layer along the outline perimeter to the neighboring plots 11 Oligotrophic hollow-ridge-lake bog (with lakes of linear form); heterogeneous surface with the parallel elements, filtration run-off within the active layer along the perimeter to the water flow channels and/or low-lying parts of the relief 12 Mesotrophic lake inside the bog 13 Oligotrophic lake inside the bog 14 Water flows inside the bog formations. We have developed an algorithm for the indication of natural conditions of large bogged territories and electronic mapping basing on satellite images. The method uses the data on the composition and structure of the mire vegetation cover (taking into consideration the life forms of plants). The plot where the phytoindication method was used is situated within the subzones of the central southern taiga in West Siberia (figure 1). The territory is in area thousand km 2 including the land taken by peatlands 65 thousand km 2, or 47% of the area under investigation. For the first time the mire outline has been shown with the help of space survey, the mires have been brought into correspondence with the existing classification and the electronic map of the mires has been designed. The largest area within the territory under investigation is taken by oligotrophic bogs (29.4 thousand km 2 ). They are characterized by forming on the positive elements of watershed relief, the terraces of big rivers under the conditions of rainwater nutrition prevalence. Mesotrophic mires are in area 26.7 thousand km 2. In the examined territory mesotrophic mires are usually found on peripheral parts of upper watershed bogs expressed in the relief by the valleys of small water flows and separate big rivers. The area of eutrophic mires is 8.9 thousand km 2 (less than that of oligotrophic and mesotrophic ones). In the examined territory

13 484 V.A. Bazanov et al. eutrophic mires are situated in pre-terrace parts of river valleys, and, rarely, on river watersheds. The method of phytoindication can be used to map mires in large territories. Now we are preparing the map of the Great Vasyugan bog (scale 1:200,000). It is possible in perspective to map the mire cover of the whole territory of Western Siberia. Acknowledgements This work was financially supported by RFBR project CNRS_a. References [1] Beruchashvily, N.L., 1990, Landscape Geophysics (Moscow: Vys[scaron] šaja [scaron] škola), 287 (in Russian). [2] Sykachev, V.N., 1973, Bogs, their formation, development and characteristics, in: Selected Works (Leningrad: Nauka), v.2., pp (in Russian). [3] Perelman, A.I., 1975, Landscape Geochemistry (Moscow: Vys[scaron] šaja [scaron] škola), 342 (in Russian). [4] Ivanov, K.E., 1975, Water Cycling in Bog Landscapes (Leningrad: Gidrometizdat), 290 (in Russian). [5] Vinogradov, B.V., 1964, Ecological compensation, replacement and extrapolation of plant indicators, in: Plant Indicators of Soils, Rocks and Subsoil Water (Moscow: Nauka), pp (in Russian). [6] Victorov, S.V., Vostokova, E.A. and Vyshivkin, D.D., 1964, Some problems of the theory of geobotanical indication research, in: Plant Indicators of Soils, Rocks and Subsoil Water (Moscow: Nauka), 7 11 (in Russian). [7] Serebryakov, I.G., 1962, Environmental Morphology of Plants (Moscow: Nauka), 379 (in Russian). [8] Berezin, A.E., Bazanov, V.A. and Savichev, O.G., 2005, The principles of working out the cadastre of peat bogs (the case of oil-extracting sites in the Tomsk region), in: A.E. Beresin (ed.) Nature Protection, Issue 3 (Tomsk: Izd. NTL), pp (in Russian). [9] Bazanov, V.A., Skugarev, A.A. and Makushin, Yu.V., 2005, Environmental monitoring of oil extracting objects basing on the data of remote sensing the Earth. Technologies FEC, 1(20), (in Russian). [10] Mikhaylov, V.Ya., 1966, About assessment of aero photos used for decoding, in: Theory and Practice of Decoding by Aero Photo (Moscow: Nauka), pp (in Russian). [11] Savichev, O.G., 2005, Bog influence on hydrochemical run-off in the basin of the Central Ob (in the Tomsk region), News of Tomsk Polytechnic University, 308(3), (in Russian). [12] Savichev, O.G., 2009, Chemical composition of bog water on the territory of the Tomsk region and their interaction with mineral and organic-mineral compositions. News of Tomsk Polytechnic University, 314(1), (in Russian).