ИСТИНА

We identified three principal ways of subordination to higher-order geosystems for the properties of soil and plant cover. First, the property can undergo priority influence of the other geocomponents independently from external factors. Second, the property can be influenced by ecological processes of a single higher-order geosystem that imposes strict constraints on the possible range of values. Third, the property can be influenced by emergent effect of several higher-order geosystems, i.e. to a set of broad-scale processes. The information translated from the higher-order geosystems is manifested mainly in drainage conditions that depend on landforms pattern in certain neighborhood and control soil and vegetation properties. Most soil and vegetation properties are governed by not only a single scale level. The research confirmed the hypothesis that the combined effects of several higher-order geosystems provide emergent effects in low-order landscape units. Equilibrium relations between the focus landscape units and the higher-order geosystems dominate in areas with low relief dissection which is indicated by high uncertainty of soil-vegetation class membership.