Polesian Lowland | |
|---|---|
Part of the cross-border region ofPolesia | |
 Polesie region of Eastern Europe marked in dark green. One of the largest forest areas on the continent | |
| Countries | Ukraine,Belarus,Russia andPoland |
ThePolesian Lowland[a] is a lowland in the southwestern portion of theEast European Plain in thedrainage basins of several rivers including theDnieper,Pripyat andDesna. It stretches along theBelarus–Ukraine border. It basically defines the historical region ofPolesia.
It is politically split into theBelarusian Polesia [be] in the south of Belarus,Ukrainian Polissya [uk] in the north of Ukraine (where Волинське, Рівненське, Житомирське, Київське Полісся are distinguished), the eastern part of the lowland extends intoBryansk Oblast in theRussian Federation, and the western part extends into Poland.
The lowland has an area of 270,000 km2 (100,000 sq mi). The Polesian Lowland is characterised by predominance of sandy lowlands with large, mostly swampy valleys. Its average elevation is 150–200 m (490–660 ft), while its maximum elevation is 316 m (1,037 ft) (Ovruch Ridge).[1]Most of the lowland is located in the Pripyat River Valley. The lowland borders theDnieper andVolyn Uplands in the south, theWestern Bug River Valley in the west, and the Dnieper Lowland in the east.[2] The historical region of Polissya is located within the Polissya Lowland. The lowland is divided into Belarusian Polissya in southern Belarus and Ukrainian Polissya in northern Ukraine. In Ukraine, the Polesie Lowland is located in theVolyn,Rivne,Zhytomyr andKyiv regions.[3]
The Polesie Lowland has a large number of lakes, the largest of which areChervonoye (Belarus) andSvityaz (Ukraine).[4][5]
The lowland is covered with mixed forests. Forests occupy about 33% of the territory, in some areas up to 60%.[6]
Sod-podzolic soils [uk] andbog soils [uk] have developed on the territory of the Polissia Lowland. ThePripet Marshes are located along the Pripyat River Valley.[7]
The climate of the lowlands istemperate continental, with warm and humid summers and mild winters. The average annual temperature varies from west to east from +6.5° to +7.5°C. The annual amount of atmospheric precipitation is 550–650 mm, decreasing from west to east, with the highest quantity falling in June–July. The Polissia Lowland has a moisture coefficient of 1.2–1.6.[8]
A large part of Polissya was contaminated as a result of theChernobyl disaster in 1986,[9] part of the region ended up within theChernobyl Exclusion Zone[10][11]
Nature conservation areas have been created in the Polissya Lowland:Polissya Nature Reserve,Shatsk National Natural Park,Polissia Nature Reserve, and others.[12] Theblack stork (Ciconia nigra),European otter (Lutra lutra Linnaeus),Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx),brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus), andcommon noctule (Nyctalus noctula) are protected.[13]
Large areas of peat deposits have formed on the Polissia Lowland, with some locations having a thickness of up to 0.7 m.[14]Amber deposits are widespread in the lowland, especially in theZhytomyr andRivne Oblasts Zhytomyr and Rivne regions. TheIrshansk titanium ore deposit [uk] is also located in the lowland.
