Assessment of the Role of Oil and Gas Production Complex in Anthropogenic Changes in Vegetation in Mangystau Region

Abstract

The article includes the detailed description of a simplified method of solving the integrated environmental assessment inverse problem. The method was developed by the authors on the basis of using ready map of expert specific environmental assessment of anthropogenic transformation of vegetation in Mangistau region. The first part of the methodology is aimed on obtaining concrete actual evidence which is adapted for the use in objective functions and justification of sufficient objectivity of objective functions. The second part is based on comparison of areas with different levels of anthropogenic impact on vegetation in the whole Mangistau region of the Republic of Kazakhstan and same levels for areas with Oil and Gas Production Complex (OGPC) in the objective functions, in which the loads on the levels of transformation take into account the need for phytomelioration measures. Use of Arc-GIS components has greatly simplified the task, because after conducting digitizing procedure of each contour, vector shape files have been obtained, which areal values are displayed automatically in outlining of each contour. The results of selected field researches were conducted in 2015 serve as independent verification of the objectivity of the obtained results of high level of anthropogenic transformation of vegetation and showed almost complete replacement of eatable plant species by weeds in location of oil well field Zhetybai compared to the state of vegetation outside the sanitary protection zone of the deposit.