Geo-ecological approach to evaluation of ecological condition of water bodies

The paper proposes a new approach to evaluation of ecological condition of water bodies. The method is based on the use of fractal dimension of the temporal dynamics of water environment pollution components as a quality indicator of state dynamics for a specific type of pollution or an ecosystem in its entirety. The method enables both common integrated and component-based differential evaluation. The writers have identified fractal threshold values that describe the extent of environmental stability of a water system, its resistance to industrial pollution, and probability of further anthropogenic loads. The paper offers a methodology to forecast the ecological condition of water bodies on the basis of quantitative estimation of dynamic fractal parameters representing pollution dynamics of water system components