Title: ПЕРЕДГІРНІ ЛАНДШАФТНІ ЕКОТОНИ: ОБҐРУНТУВАННЯ МЕЖ ТА ВНУТРІШНЯ СТРУКТУРА
Abstract: The foothills and foothills of the Crimean Mountains are considered to be a kind of landscape ecotones, to which landscape experts pay little attention. In particular, from a geographical point of view, Precarpathia is separated by geocomponent boundaries – narrow 25-40 km. A strip stretching along the eastern slopes of the Carpathians for 280-300 m. However, detailed landscape studies of the Precarpathians and adjacent plains showed that the eastern landscape and geographical (geocomponent) boundaries of the Precarpathians, as well as the Carpathians in Ukraine do not coincide. In addition to the Carpathian foothills, it is necessary to highlight the Peredkarpattia plain, which includes Roztocze, Opillia, Middle Transnistria and Khotyn Upland. The landscapes of the Carpathian foothills and the Precarpathian plain are not the same. This is the western and eastern part of the Eastern Carpathian landscape ecotone, formed during their interaction. On its basis, no less unique anthropogenic landscape ecotone is developing, which is still poorly studied by Ukrainian scientists.The landscape ecotone of the foothills of the Crimean Mountains is represented by the foothill forest-steppe, which covers the Outer and Inner Quest Ranges. Here, the diversity of the landscape structure and compliance with the forest-steppe altitude zone of the Crimean Mountains make it difficult to clearly divide the ecotone into three components: two – steppe and mountainous external and central contact. More detailed studies of the landscape ecotone of the foothills of the Crimean Mountains in the future will make it possible to do so.