A Cartographic Landscape Analysis of the Geo-Ecological Condition of the Natural Reserve Object—Lake Doshne (Volyn Polissya, Ukraine)

Comments

Responses

1) General note - Authors should pay attention to the Abstract, where instead of the required 200 words maximum (see the Instructions for Authors), they have 392 words. I recommend removing unnecessary stuff in the Introduction, for example, about Directive 2000/60/EC, the International Lake Environment Committee Foundation, European Landscapes Convention and the objectives of the work, etc.

The abstract has been shortened:

The research is based on landscape-geographic methods, GIS cartographic modelling, and geo-ecological analysis. The study involved hydrochemical analysis of the lake's water masses, conducted for blocks of saline, tropho-saprobiological indicators, and specific indicators of toxic action. Three geological sections of anthropogenic and pre-Quaternary complexes, along with a geo-lithological transverse profile of the lake basin, were developed based on geological profiling of the lake-basin system (LBS). The analysis includes the distribution of ash content, chemical elements (compounds), and pH at one of the probing points of the stratigraphic section. Additionally, a landscape-geographical model of the lake's natural-aquatic complex is presented. During the research, littoral-sublittoral and profundal aquatic sub-tracts and five types of aquafacies were distinguished, and their landscape metric assessment was carried out. The advantages of the landscape approach to the study of the LBS are twofold. Firstly, it enables a geo-complex analysis of the condition and functioning of the LBS. Secondly, it facilitates the creation of sectoral and integral cartographic models of the geo-ecological condition of the LBS. These models can serve as an informational basis for creating a cadastre of lakes, planning the spatial development of territorial communities, and ecological and landscape optimization of the condition of local territories.

2) I believe needs on revision: the objective of the study is to analyze the geo-ecological condition of the hydrological reserve "Lake Doshne" in Volyn Polissia, Ukraine using landscape-cartographic analysis of lakes. Because, in the manuscript, the main results are related to the geoecological condition of the lake “Doshne”, and landscape-cartographic study is a means of understanding it.

The aim of the research is to analyse the geo-ecological condition of the hydrological reserve "Lake Doshne" (Volyn Polissya, Ukraine) using landscape-cartographic methods.

Accordingly, the title of the article has been amended to "Landscape-cartographic analysis of the geo-ecological condition of the natural reserve object – Lake Doshne (Volyn Polissya, Ukraine)".

3) Although the manuscript discusses the connection between groundwater and karst origin, the chemical composition of lake water is not compared to groundwater. The manuscript can be improved by early studies on the hydrogeology of the area.

The aquifer of the Upper Cretaceous is formed by atmospheric precipitation and the dissolution of minerals. The depth of groundwater in the marl-chalk deposits of the Turonian-Maastrichtian stage (K2t-m) in the sub-basin of the western part of the Pripyat River, where the Doshne Lake basin is located, ranges from 11.5 to 25.0 m, but in river valleys, it can reach up to 60.0 m. The groundwater is predominantly fresh, bicarbonate-calcium, and calcium-magnesium, with prevailing mineralization of 200-600 mg/dm³. In terms of free hydrogen content, the waters are neutral, occasionally slightly alkaline. These waters are usually moderately hard, less frequently soft or hard. Elevated levels of nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia are recorded only in areas of water pollution within settlements or on sites of current and buried peat bogs

4) In Fig. 2, the legend suggests using 'borehole' instead of 'geological well'  instead of 'geological well'.

Corrected on Fig. 2 from "geological well" to "borehole".

5) In l. 243 requires the use of 'lake' instead of 'reservoir'.

Corrected 1. 243, replaced the word "'reservoir" with "lake"

6) Table 1 and its description (ll.243-245) contain all the characteristics except the area of the lake.

The lake area is provided (1. 220). The lake area is also given in the table (*F, km²) 0.19 km². F_lake added.

7) Using a single scale line to measure the a.s.l. for three well boreholes  in Fig. 6 would be more convenient for readers.

Corrected. One scale line made for three boreholes.

8) On ll. 423-425 “From an evolutionary perspective, the genesis of the lake and its subsequent evolution are inextricably linked to its catchment area.” This sentence is not in line with the information you wrote about in the manuscript about the origin and connection of karst with groundwater. According to them, the lake's subsequent evolution cannot be solely connected to the catchment area mentioned in the manuscript.

We agree with the reviewer's comments.

Corrected:

Lake Doshne, like other lake basins in the Volyn Polissya region, underwent a series of Pleistocene glaciations (Zalesski, 1987), during which the sedimentary cover was subjected to denudation, bringing Upper Cretaceous rocks close to the surface. The combination of tectonic and hydrogeological processes at the beginning of the Holocene led to the intensification of karst formation and the formation of most lake basins (Dobrowolski et al., 2001).

Comments

Responses

The first reason is that its structure is quite disordered, with an impressive amounts of data presented not following a logical flow clearly recognisable by a reader. You often mix different information, jumping from a topic to another one, and then back to the previous. As an example: at lines 254-55 you start to describe the hydrological regime of the lake, then you introduce a lot o text on another topic, and then you go back to hydrology at lines 303-5.

This sentence has been removed from the text:

A significant role in the water supply of the lake is played by the aquifer horizon of chalk deposits, which is indicated by a small difference between the flood and boundary water levels in the lake (0.1-0.2 m). (L. 303-305)

Too many sentences are not correctly constructed, making really difficult to understand what you mean.

The text has been further refined.

A very important point is the description of genesis and evolution of the lake: you introduced some discussion at different lines, but without organising information for depicting an evolution model. Looking at the bathymetric map the lake seems a sink-hole, but what about the time of its genesis and following evolution?

The text has been further elaborated and clarified in Block 4. Discussion:

Lake Doshne, like other lake basins in the Volyn Polissya region, underwent a series of Pleistocene glaciations (Zalesski, 1987), during which the sedimentary cover was subjected to denudation, bringing Upper Cretaceous rocks close to the surface. The combination of tectonic and hydrogeological processes at the beginning of the Holocene led to the intensification of karst formation and the formation of most lake basins (Dobrowolski et al., 2001). Field instrumental research has confirmed the deep funnel-shaped form of Lake Doshne's basin. Such formations are characteristic of lakes of karst origin. A reliable argument for the karstic origin of the lake is the geological structure of its basin and the basin itself, as well as adjacent landscape complexes. They are composed of thin (up to 10.0 m) sand deposits of fluvioglacial (middle stage of the late Neopleistocene), alluvial, and aeolian-deluvial (upper stage of the late Neopleistocene) genesis, lying on a thick chalk-marly layer of the Coniacian-Turonian age. The lake basin is filled with non-lithified sapropelic deposits, lying directly on carbonate formations of the Upper Cretaceous. Similar structures are found in lakes of adjacent landscapes, where their modern (Holocene) origin is confirmed by radiocarbon dating. The age of Lake Okunin formation is approximately 10370 ± 170 years (Dobrowolski et al., 2001), Lake Bolotne - 11250 ± 90 years (Ilyin, 2008b), and others are provided in the work of M. Pasichnyk (2021).

You should modify Figure 6, extending it and introducing geological information on the country rocks, not only presenting recent sediments data. Moreover, you classify under a stratigraphic focus the rocks, but a lithological perspective could be much more appropriated for the aims of your work.

The title of Figure 6 has been clarified to "Geological-lithological cross-section of Lake Doshne basin". Justification has been provided in Block 4. Discussion of the geological deposits adjacent to the lake basin.

A reliable argument for the karstic origin of the lake is the geological structure of its basin and the basin itself, as well as adjacent landscape complexes. They are composed of thin (up to 10.0 m) sand deposits of fluvioglacial (middle stage of the late Neopleistocene), alluvial, and aeolian-deluvial (upper stage of the late Neopleistocene) genesis, lying on a thick chalk-marly layer of the Coniacian-Turonian age.

Chemico-physical data measured at different depths along the water column will be useful for understanding if the lake is meromictic, that is very important for well understanding its echo-hydrological functioning. I can see few sparse information, but not related to the depth at which they were measured. In any case, a single spot measure in summer is not sufficient for describing the hydrological regime.

The reviewer's comment is valid, and we fully agree. Given the current circumstances, conducting an expedition to the lake poses challenges. Unfortunately, due to this limitation, we are unable to present the results of hydrochemical indicators at various depths of the lake. We will take the reviewer's suggestions into account for future research on other lakes in the studied region.

In the introduction you wrote "The objective of this research is to elucidate the fundamental principles underlying the landscape-cartographic study of lakes. " Honestly, the core of your work seems much more concentrated on the analysis of punctual data than on cartographic methods.

Revisions have been made:

The aim of the research is to analyse the geo-ecological condition of the hydrological reserve "Lake Doshne" (Volyn Polissya, Ukraine) using landscape-cartographic methods.

Accordingly, the title of the article has been amended to "Landscape-cartographic analysis of the geo-ecological condition of the natural reserve object – Lake Doshne (Volyn Polissya, Ukraine)".