38. Characteristics of landscape-forming factors and their significance for sustainable development orientation in the Ea Sup semi-plain region

Abstract

Natural conditions and resources are fundamental to the existence and development of human society as well as socio-economic activities. Throughout history, humans have shifted from being dependent on nature to becoming active agents that exert strong impacts on natural systems, generating both positive effects and degradation when exploitation exceeds the natural threshold of self-recovery. The adjacency to major plateaus and the border location shape the Ea Sup semi-plain as an important geomorphological-ecological transition zone, and at the same time a gateway linking the sub-landscape regions of the Central Highlands with Cambodian territory. Geographically, the area lies to the southwest of the Pleiku Plateau, on the western margin of the Buon Ma Thuot Plateau, and connects to the northern part of the Dak Nong Plateau. The analysis of landscape-forming factors indicates that the eroded plains interspersed with residual hills, under a tropical monsoon climate with pronounced wet and dry seasons, combined with a dense river network, have created specific patterns in soil development and biological processes. In terms of soil resources, the region comprises five major soil groups with eleven soil types, ranging from fertile basaltic soils to leached grey soils and nutrient-poor sandy soils. The presence of the endemic dipterocarp forest ecosystem is a remarkable feature of high conservation value. However, human activities have increasingly exerted strong influences on the structure and functioning of the landscape. On this basis, the study focuses on analyzing the characteristics of the landscape-forming factors to identify the natural potentials and constraints of the Ea Sup semi-plain.