Study of erosion-channel systems and its components: theory, history, and practice

The article is dedicated to the 50th anniversary since the N. I. Makkaveev’s Scientific Research Laboratory for soil erosion and channel processes was organized at the Moscow University. The history of scientific school, created by N. I. Makkaveev, establishment is considered, as well as the discipline on integral erosion-depositional process and its evolution to the theory of catchment erosion-fluvial systems. The analysis of the fundamental researches performed by the Laboratory is submitted, and the application tasks in the area of soil erosion, gully erosion, channel and estuarine processes are outlined. Main directions of research are formulated, the prospects for their development are evaluated.