Home – Home – Jornals – Geography and Natural Resources 2019 number 3

The fauna of the Central Ecological Zone of the Baikal Natural Territory is considered, which is unique because of the region’s peculiar geographical location responsible for an exceptionally large diversity of its species composition that includes many genetically and ecologically inhomogeneous elements. About 460 species of vertebrate animals occur on the study territory, many of which represent rare and endemic species. It is found that long-term economic development of the region’s ecosystems led to serious structural rearrangements of the animal world, the introduction of alien species, and a reduction and even disap pearance of separate animal species or populations. The map of the anthropogenic factors of disturbances to faunistic complexes of the Central Ecological Zone of the Baikal Natural Territory was compiled, illustrating the main types of impact on the com munities of vertebrate animals and the magnitude of their manifestation.

The paper presents results of a score level assessment of the recreational-geomorphological potential (RGP) for a portion of Pribaikalskii National Park that includes the western coast of Lake Baikal and Olkhon Island. The basis for this research is provided by the author’s geomorphological map and results of his own expedition work on the territory of the park; an analysis is made of the existing kinds of recreation and the characteristics of the infrastructure used for tourism purposes. As a result, different forms of geomorphological structure were identified, and for each of them the significance of the relief for the develop ment of stationary and active kinds of tourism was determined. Based on the topographic features and the possible types of recreational use, an assessment is made of the RGP of the territory of the western coast of Lake Baikal.

The spread of wildfires in the central part of Western Cisbaikalia in the period 1975-2016 is considered. The study em phases a steady tendency for the fire danger of forests to increase as well as an increase of the number of fires and affected areas. The years of a maximal pyrogenic impact on geosystems are revealed. A correlative analysis of Earth remote sensing data was made to compile the schematic map of the spatial structure of catastrophic fires in 2015 and determine the areas affected by fire and the mean velocities of the spread of the fire front. Based on results of field investigations, examples of the local impact of fires on the structure and rehabilitation dynamics of geosystems are provided. For differentiating the possible sources of fires, a statistical analysis of meteorological data is made. It is concluded that the last five years are characterized by long periods of extreme fire danger, and a low-water level on rivers has been recorded. It is found that fires of a catastrophic nature as re corded in 2003 and 2015 occurred at the minimum of thunderstorm activity.

Ultra-fresh waters belonging to the hydrocarbonate class, the calcium group and the the second type (after Alekin). The study revealed dif ferences in the value of water mineralization between the northern and southern parts of the coast; it reaches 190 mg/L or higher in the north and only rarely exceeds 80 g/L in the south. It is shown that the ionic composition of the waters in the Bugul’deiskii and Slyudyanskii districts differs greatly from the water composition in the other districts: the former are character ized by an increased hydrocarbonate content (up to 99 %-eq of the sum of ions), and the latter-by an increased sulfate content (up to 50 %-eq of the sum of anions). A discrepancy was determined between the taxonomic uniformity of the waters and the variety of the values of the concentration ratios of cations ((Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)/K⁺) and anions (SO4^2-/ HCO^-3) which represent tracers of the sources of dissolved matter. It is concluded that there is a need to develop the classification principles for the wa ters at the level of subclass es or subgroups, and the criteria for identifying them can be provided by the values of the contributions - from the sources of dissolved matter calculated on the basis of the (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)/K⁺ and SO4^2-/ HCO3 ratios.

Presented are the results from investigating the geosystems in the northern part of Primorskii Range and Priolkhonskoe Plateau which are being intensely used for recreational purposes. In studying the landscapes, we examined the regional regu larities, the climate and topography characteristics, vegetation, and the specific features in current use of the territory. The in vestigations were made in the northern part along the watershed divides and on the eastern macroslope of Primorskii Range and on Priolkhonskoe Plateau. More than 500 detailed field descriptions were prepared in four key areas. The study territory is characterized by a close interpenetration of taiga and steppe geosystems represented by a combination of mountain-taiga dark-coniferous and, more often, light-coniferous piedmont larch steppizated and mountain-steppe geosystems. This explains the landscape diversity of the study territory. The main factor of disturbances to the geosystems on Primorskii Range is represented by fires which were recorded in the four areas, and by an active tourism development on Olkhonskoe Plateau.

We examine the technique of phased processing of bathymetric material obtained by means of high resolution multibeam echo sounding and Earth remote sensing data, based on using advanced GIS technologies, with the purpose of developing the digital elevation model that combines the bottom and coast of the Peschanyi (Sandy) segment of South Baikal. The suggested algorithm of developing the digital elevation model makes it possible to achieve an acceptable visualization quality of new bathymetric data in order to identify small topographic features not accessible previously because of low survey resolution of the bottom and subsequent data processing. It is shown how on the basis of analyzing the resulting digital model the morphological characteristics of the bottom surface of the Peschanyi segment are described. The analysis permitted us to assess the role of the endo- and exogenous factors in the creation of the most clearly pronounced forms of the bottom-slope relief. It was found that the subaquatic-gravitational processes produced widely occurring ridge-gully forms of the depth dump of the delta-fronts. Geomorphologically, the underwater slope of the western side of the segment is relatively uniform; it is dominated by abrasion, tectogenically-caused steeply inclined surfaces.

Results of geomorphological investigations in the estuarine region of the Selenga river for the last 10 years are presented. Within the Ust’-Selenginskaya depression, the modern estuarine region of the Selenga has been identified on the basis of assess ing the interaction of the fluvial flow with the banks and the riverbed for the technogenic stage of development - from the begin ning of the Irkutsk reservoir filling. A geomorphological analysis of cartographic material from different times was made to identify the floodplain complex of terraces an abandoned stretches of channels that emerged in different periods of discharges in the basin. It was found that during the stage under consideration the Lake Baikal drainage basin showed at least three anoma lies of the river runoff which were responsible for the onset of low- and high-water periods. Furthermore, we determined the areas of the islands and banks which were unaffected by erosion-accumulative activity of the delta by-channels and inundations. Such areas include high islands and banks, on the surface of which there occur abandoned channels, hollows and oxbows pro ducing a network of fans of wandering of the relict channel network. It is established that some negative forms are filled with water and have no direct hydraulic connection with the modern channel network. A dating of bank deposits and bottom sediments of the oxbows was carried out by the radiocarbon method. It was found that the bottom sediments of the oxbows are represented by gyttja which often occurs on the riverbed alluvium. The bank sections are similar in structure and are composed of different facies of alluvial deposits intercalating with paleosoil horizons. The modern floodplain deposits are represented by silty sands with sparse fine well-rounded pebble.

We examine an important role of zoogenic migration of matter in the transformation of the relief of the piedmont steppes of Southern Siberia. The study revealed a large diversity of the animal population involved in the morphogenesis. On the basis of long-term field observations of the behavior of denudation, it was found that burrowing mammals and ants remove to the surface of steppe slopes a significant amount of sandy loamy-loamy material from beneath the surface horizons (up to 10-15 t/ha); after that, it is involved in the subsequent movement by aeolian and fluvial processes. A qualitative assessment is made of the volumes of material relocated on the steppe slopes by various animals. The morphometric indicators of the zoogenic micro- and nanorelief are determined. Spatio-temporal variability in the zoogenic morpholithogenesis is demonstrated.

This paper considers the characteristics of the occurrence of erosion-accumulation processes at the passage of the 2019 disastrous floods on the rivers of the Angara river basin in Irkutsk oblast (using the Bol’shaya Belaya river as an example). Field investigations were made within the program of monitoring the dynamics and development of floodplain-channel complexes and coastal deformations on the rivers of the Upper Angara region. It is pointed out that the existence of line facilities of the infra structure (roads) within the floodplain massifs often triggered an enhancement in the flow velocities, an increase in the volumes of transported material as well as the formation of accumulative landforms which can subsequently prevent the water exchange between channel and floodplain flows and serve as an additional factor for the occurrence of negative processes for humans which can involve destruction to the facilities of economic activity, or do a substantial damage to them.

Presented are the results from analyzing large-scale atmospheric processes (using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data) and me teorological characteristics measured in the glacial zone of Kodar Range during the ablation period of June-August 2019. It was established that the meteorological regime of the glacial emerged developed at the background of a clearly pronounced positive anomaly of the geopotential height in the lower troposphere (700 and 500 hPa) over the territory of Eastern Siberia. Quasi-cyclic fluctuations of air temperature and wind velocity as revealed on the glacier (with a period of 12-13 days) are well cor related with the wave pattern of the passage of the ridges and troughs over the study area. It is determined that the high ablation rates were associated with anticyclones and blocking ridges of subtropical origin, and the low rates - with cyclones and low-gradient pressure fields.

A comprehensive geographical analysis of bottom sediments of aeolian-dam Lake Rybnoe in Malkhanskii Range revealed evolutionary features in the development of landscapes of Southwestern Transbaikalia. New evidence on the accumulation dy namics of bottom sediments in this lake is presented and their absolute age is determined. A palynological characteristic is given to the bottom sediments of Lake Rybnoe and their stratigraphic correlation with Lake Gun-Nur in Northern Mongolia. A study of the structural features in the lake’s bottom sediments, coupled with radioisotope data on the age and a palynological assess ment, permitted us to assess the dynamic characteristics of the sedimentation processes and the evolution of vegetation cover in different climatic stages of the Holocene.

It is shown that in conditions of global warming the lakes of the steppes of the Onon-Argun interfluve, which are the exten sion of the steppes of Mongolia and China, are experiencing a severe degradation, even to the point of emerging solonchaks in their place with a high degree of salinization (more than 4 % from the surface). Their number decreases with depth, similar to the CaCO3 distribution. In the early stage of formation of solonchaks, their composition, and also the water, is dominated by soda and sodium sulfate, and the amount of chloride and calcium is decreased. Subsequently, the dry bottom of the lake trans forms to the hilly-erosion surface. Aeolian hillocks are depleted in soda and chlorides. The composition of the salts of the surface, complicated by erosion furrows, is dominated by sulfate and sodium chloride. With the passage of time, under the effect of wind and storm rainfall, the amount of salt decreases and saltwort encroaches onto the dry bottom. A reduction in the water surface enhances the dryness of the air and influences the local rise of temperature.

This paper considers the problem of differentiating the cities - regional capital cities of the Russian Federation - with respect to the number of representatives of the Russian elite native of them and identifies the macroregional patterns in the dis tribution of the places of birth of the elitists. It is found that the macroregions constituting the historical core of the country exceed, according to the ratio of the percentage of native-born in the elite to the percentage in the population of the regional capital cities in the elitogenesis, the “later’ macroregions, except for the North Caucasus. Moscow and St. Petersburg are most active in the elitogenesis. With respect to the indicators of the “historical core of the country”, the group of macroregions including the Volga region, Siberia and the Far East may be defined as the “Eastern depression”. It is determined that in this area Irkutsk stands out as having a high ratio of the native-born in the elite to the share in the population, and this can be regarded as the expression of its potential.

The coal deposits in the north of Asian Russia are considered, the coal basins of the region are highlighted as well as specifying their location, reserves, the kinds and ranks of coals, the degree of development and modern use of coals extracted. The specific character of the northern coal deposits and the factors limiting their development are explained: the small size of permanent population, severe climatic conditions, a large distance from railroads, and a short period of navigation in the northern ports. This author’s subdivision of the coal basins and deposits of the north of Asian Russia into three groups is provided: brown-coal, hard-coal intracontinental and hard-coal maritime. For each of the identified groups of deposits, positive and negative factors of exploitation are indicated as well as determining the prospects of development and directions of further use, including for each coal deposit.

The economic specialization of the Baikal region is presented. The relevance of dealing with this issue is explained by the requirements for an increase of the level of socio-economic development of the country and its separate territories, and by the effectiveness of production facilities and the specialization of the region. The economic complex of the Baikal region is analyzed, the branches of industrial and agricultural specialization are identified, and the typologies of the region’s municipalities are highlighted according the predominance of the main kind of activity in the industry, the conditions of economic management and the volumes of agricultural products. The determining factors of development of the region’s economic complex are the characteristics of the economic-geographical location, the natural-resource potential, the natural and climatic conditions, and the investment attractiveness. The region’s agriculture is being developed in extreme natural conditions. Beef and dairy animal husbandry is the leading branch of specialization of enterprises of the public sector as well as farm enterprises in the region. An important role is also played by the cultivation of grain and vegetable crops for the creation of the local food base.

The growing popularity of Lake Baikal as the tourist destination determines the strengthened focus on the well-being of a territory. A significant factor for such well-being is the development of insurance services and of the accessible tourist environ ment. An analysis is made of the existing practices of carrying out insurance activity for different groups of tourists. The assess ment of the availability of insurance services is made from the method of effecting a tourist’s policy of insurance, the existence of offices of insurance companies on the territory of recreation as well as from the efficiency of rendering medical and financial assistance in the event of maturity of the insurance risk. Emphasis is placed on the necessity of developing the accessible environ ment for tourists with disabilities, which will improve the image of a territory as well as making more comfortable the habitat of the local population in the Cisbaikalian areas of Irkutsk oblast.

The main directions of the migratory movement and the dynamics of migration processes and the problems facing the Si berian macroregion are considered. An assessment is made of the migration flows in the regions on the basis of analyzing the basic statistical indicators of Rosstat for 2016-2020. The influence of the migration problems on a comprehensive development of the regions through the migration outflow of population, the depopulation and a relative quality deterioration of the population is considered. On the basis of analyzing the migration flows combined according to the attributes of the geographical location, transportation development and the center-periphery relations, seven groups of migration problems were identified for all Sibe rian regions. A systematic view of the migration processes and problems in Siberian regions is suggested, which can be used in updating the techniques of assessing the migration status and developing the regional socio-economic policy.

A comparative analysis is made of the urban agglomerations that are at different stages of development. The contemporary agglomeration processes occurring in the Irkutsk and Ulaanbaatar agglomerations lead to the functional reorganization of space, exacerbation of various social and economic conflicts as well as to changes in the way of life of the population. This study used the comparative-geographical, statistical, geoinformation mapping, spatial analysis and dazymetric investigation techniques. The geoinformation system served as the basis for compiling a series of maps displaying different aspects of the territories under study. It is found that the Irkutsk agglomeration is in the stage of suburbanization, and in the Ulaanbaatar agglomeration there is tak ing place the ongoing process of the core and its surroundings. In analyzing the urbanization processes in Irkutsk and Ulaanbaatar, we demonstrate how internal migration can change the eternal pattern of the agglomeration, influence the formation of the natural zone, etc.

We examine the system of roads of Barguzin Cisbaikalia in the latter half of the 19 ^th century and the historical-geograph ical characteristics of its emergence and evolution. The chronological timeframe of the research spans the 1853s-1890s, i. e. th time of enhancement and intensification of the economic and cultural ties of local communities. Changes in communication ways of the indigenous and incoming population are analyzed as well as identifying the particular historical-geographical character istics: the role of recreational resources and gold-fields, the place of the indigenous population in maintenance of the road system. On the basis of archival sources, it was concluded that that the local population played a leading role in maintenance of the road system and road development; its dynamics and perception by local communities was highlighted. Field material obtained by the authors in the investigations made in 2008-2019 confirm the cultural-geographical implications of the emergence and evolution of the road network and its influence on the poly-ethnicity of the cultural landscape.

This paper considers the issues related to the creation of the basic repository of digital thematic maps displaying the status of the geographical (natural and public) environment of the regional of Siberia and neighboring territories in the central and eastern parts of Extratropical Asia using geoportal methods and technologies. A characteristic of the main problems and precondi tions of their formation is provided, including the issues of analyzing the previously obtained research results in this field. Variants of development of the blockwise structure of spatial coverage, the modular organization of special thematic contents and specialized services of their storage and use are shown. The maps of the status of the natural and public environments forming part of a fundamental basic depository associated with methods and technologies of modern geoportals will be useful in dealing with urgent needs for the digital cartographic support of special development of the vast eastern regions of Russia and neighboring territories.

Mapping of the population with high resolution of images alleviates the investigation of the urban environment, while cur rently relevant information problems have been actively discussed, such as the poor spatial inhomogeneity of alternative data, and the quality of traditional (usually outdated and inaccurate) data on the population of the territory. The technique was de veloped for compiling population localization and mobility. Data received from mobile telephones can be displayed in real time as well as enhancing the spatial inhomogeneity of users. Based on the geographical location of base stations, it is possible to analyze the density of users at a particular time at a particular point. Using results of spatial analysis as a basis, we obtained the density of signals for a specific time interval. However, the geographical range of users recorded via mobile telephone by base stations do not have any fixed spatial boundary. To solve this problem we compiled the Voronoi polygons for the base stations.

The main methods of assessing the ecological sustainability of territories are considered. An inventory is taken and the database of the indicators of ecological sustainability of the territory is generated. An assessment is made of the ecological sustainability of the territories of the Baikal region with due regard for the composition of land reserves and natural conditions. On the basis of analyzing the coefficients of ecological sustainability, the administrative districts of the Baikal region have been ranked according to the degree of balanceness of their territorial structure. Groups of administrative districts of the Baikal regions were identified: with the ecologically unbalanced territorial structure; with the unstably balanced territorial structure and with relatively balanced territorial structure. Using the integral indicator of sustainability, the map was compiled. The ecological sustainability of the territory is determined on the basis of comparing and analyzing the structure, functional characteristics of landscapes and types of land use by using layers of the digital maps of the “Ecological Atlas of the Baikal Region”.

An assessment and mapping are made of the potential productivity of forest natural-territorial complexes (geosystems) of regional dimension as well as of its influence and the influence of the entire set of natural conditions on the development of for est management in the Baikal region. The investigation determined the productivity of forest which was identified with the pro ductivity of the main forest-forming woody specie - edificators of the phytocenotic part of forest geosystems. The following indi cators were used in assessing the productivity: bonitet, the mean reserves and the mean growth of timber. The productivity of forest geosystems was compared with the economic zones of forest development, and with the types of forest management in them. A high degree of influence of the productivity of forests and of the entire set of natural conditions on the development of the types of forest management was determined, based on using the raw-material and ecological functions. Types of promising forest man agement were identified within the boundaries of the ones of forest development.

The method is suggested for an accurate quantitative assessment of the socio-economic spatial differentiation based on Zipf’s law. A comparative analysis is made of the demographic, social, economic, investment and budgetary differentiation at the inter regional and intraregional level (using Irkutsk oblast as an example). It is found that the demographic (estimated from the population size), economic (from the volume of shipped own-produced goods), production and investment (from the volume of fixed investments) differentiation manifests itself multiply more strongly at the intraregional level in Irkutsk oblast than between the regions of the Russian Federation. The social (estimated from the average monthly wage) and budgetary (from the actual volume of revenues and expenditures of consolidated budgets) differentiation, on the contrary, is stronger in the interregional rather than intraregional context.

A theoretical framework for environmental impact assessment of economic activity is formulated by using methods of math ematical modeling and thematic mapping. Theoretically, environment is considered as a surface of variety (manifold), linking various factors and conditions. Tangential planes to the surface correspond to any natural systems (ecosystems), individual ac cording to their connections with the environment (points of tangency). An example of the display of the environmental variety is provided by landscape-typological maps of a territory. The equation of the plane specifies connections of factor parameters of ecosystems by taking into account their shift relative to environmental coordinates of these reference points. Different types of systemic interpretations of these equations (types of models) are formed with various quantitative criteria for change of in envi ronmental status, such as the measures of responsibility and effectiveness of decisions made. Environmental impact assessment methods generally estimate changes in the state of natural systems rather than the transformation of their environment. Therefore, methods of distinguishing relevant indicators and selecting the characteristic features of their controlled changes are suggested. The antisymmetry of variability and stability is naturally discernible from the factors and conditions of economic activity, which is demonstrated by modeling the impact of economic processes on the environmental status: an assessment was made of the influ ence of the size of gross regional product on amounts of atmospheric emissions of pollutants as well as of waste water discharges on human health. The findings can be used in developing methods of mathematical modeling of the relationships between the ecological, economic and social blocks of territorial systems in order to solve problems of thematic mapping and seek optimal solutions in the field of environmental management.

This article analyzes the current state and relevance of using landscape-geochemical mapping. A case study for the south of Russia is presented, with a focus on the principles of the geochemical landscape typology, the compilation methodology and the main areas of practical implementation of particular maps. An analysis is made of the major landscape-forming factors for the south of Russia and the methods of their systematics and cartographic presentation. We suggest the matrix legend to the map of geochemical landscapes, visualizing all their diversity as well as modeling landscapes which could exist in the past (or in the future) as a result of the realization of existing combinations of natural and man-made factors. The landscape structure in the Southern Federal District and the North Caucasus Federal District has been analyzed, including assessments of the natural differentiation and specificity of the technogenic transformation of the biosphere. The analysis revealed a high level of anthropogenic transformation of the region so that only 54 of the 232 landscape types as identified at a scale of 1:1 000 000 are natural, and all the others have been to a certain extent transformed by economic activity or created by man. As a result, technogenically transformed landscapes occupy more than 70 % of the southern territory of the European part of the Russian Federation, which reduces the region’s ecosystem stability. Suggestions are made on practical implementation of landscape-geochemical mapping in environmental management.

The activity-geospatial approach as one of the most powerful interdisciplinary approaches in geopolitical research is con sidered. It provides a means of studying political phenomena in terms of the geospatial organization and self-organization of society, including its geopolitical organization. The key to this lies with the “geopolitical relation” category. It implies a unity of political activity and geographical space as well as an elementary subject for study. In the broader context, geopolitics is re garded as the political type of geo-adaptation of society. From this perspective, it is suggested that the following idealized types of geopolitical models be identified, namely: natural-geographical, socio-geographical, activity-related, and chronogeopolitical. A generalized logic of their construction is shown. The natural-geographical type describes a coercive determination of the charac teristics of the geopolitical actor caused by natural phenomena as well as geo-adaptational pressure produced by them. The socio-geographical type reflects the influence of socio-geographical space (economic, civilizational, ethnic, etc.) on the charac teristics of the geopolitical actor. Activity-related models characterize the interaction process between any geographical factors and the activity of particular geopolitical actors as well as results of such an interaction, i. e. the spatial forms of political phe nomena. If such models are applied to several actors, they will overlap and identify common geopolitical regions. Graphical schemes of generalized geopolitical models are presented.

A crucial issue in atmospheric studies on greenhouse gas content involves assessing the representativeness (footprint) having influence on their concentrations measured by tall towers. In this study, the Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) model was used to estimate seasonal cumulative footprint climatology for greenhouse gases measurements obtained on the 301-meter-high Zotino Tall Tower Observation Facility (ZOTTO) for the growing seasons (May-September) from 2008 to 2012 (with the exception of 2011). Results showed that the ZOTTO seasonal concentration cumulative footprint climatology for four years reached 6.9×10 ⁶ km ² and the 75 % cumulative footprints varied from 1,9 to 2,3×10 ⁶ km ² . For the same period, the Russian Land Cover map based on MODIS data for 2014 was used to estimate the impact of land cover surrounding the ZOTTO tower on concentration measurements. The analysis showed that in the 75 % seasonal cumulative footprint the largest area is occupied by bogs, followed (in decreasing order) by larch, mixed, light-coniferous evergreen forests, grassland, and by other classes. Furthermore, analysis of the contributions from individual cells making up a footprint showed that the largest influ ence on formation of greenhouse gas concentrations as recorded by ZOTTO comes from the types of vegetation growing in the immediate vicinity of the tall tower, namely bogs, mixed forests, and light and dark coniferous forest stands.

A classification of anthropogenic meso-landscapes is developed, the landscape map (the map of meso-landscapes) of an thropogenic areas for Sikhote-Alin biosphere region is prepared, and the practical applications of the map and of a spectrum of anthropogenic geocomplexes/geosystems are outlined. The sequence of naturalness-artificiality of geocomplexes and geosystems was used for the classification of meso-landscapes: natural - techno-natural - natural-technical - technical. A diversity of natural-technical and techno-natural meso-landscapes is identified. They are dominated by agricultural fields in river valleys and rural settlements on sloping sites; dumps of surface rocks, roads of categories II-V, low-rise industrial buildings on sloping sites, and slurry tailings occupy a significant area. The diminished map of techno-natural and natural-technical areas for the Sikhote-Alin biosphere region and two maps of key areas (scale 1:50 000) are provided. The range of application for a landscape spectrum and the map of the techno-natural and natural-technical areas is outlined: assessment of the (geo)ecological status, analysis of the type and extent of land use, monitoring of anthropogenic changes in landscape cover, and optimization of nature management. Their use is especially important for regions with protected natural areas and natural and cultural heritage sites. It is pointed out that mapping of technical, natural-technical and techno-natural geocomplexes, when natural geocomplexes are not mapped, is significantly less time consuming for elaboration of a geographic information system and for the preparation of a map; this is especially true for a study territory which has been only slightly modified by human activity. In this case, mapping of anthropogenic geocomplexes alone is a very informative proximate method of assessment, analysis and monitoring.

Using on ten-year-long monitoring observations of the status of natural environments across the territory of development of the copper-nickel deposit in the settings of Kamchatka, we examine the characteristics of ecological and geochemical changes in surface waters, soils, plants and bottom sediments, reflecting the main technological stages of deposit development. The assessment of the status of natural environments was made every year for the same sampling locations, both in the influence zone of mine facilities and at a distance from them, to determine seasonal variations in the parameters of the local geochemical background. Soils were assessed by selecting them from the upper, most polluted, organogenic horizon. Vegetation monitoring was carried out on sphagnum mosses for which background studies revealed the highest biological absorption coefficients. At natural water sampling locations, the youngest and fine-grained (sandy-clay fraction less than 1 mm) bottom sediments were collected, characterizing recent changes in the catchment areas in the influence zone of influence of the enterprise. It is shown that the geochemical transformation of soils, plants, and bottom sediments at the time of development of the copper-nickel deposit is more complex in character than the dynamics of chemical changes in the surface waters of the territory which is determined by the development stages of production and by the structural characteristics of the ore body. Adjustments to the ecological and geochemical changes in soils and plants are made by the processes of release of ore elements from secondary superimposed haloes of dispersion triggered by mass explosions in open pit mining, and by the polybarrier mechanism of concentration of chemical elements inherent in mosses. The specific properties of chemical elements that manifest themselves in the interaction of surface waters with organic matter are responsible for the time difference in their accumulation in marshy soils and bottom sediments of streams.

We examined the relationships between the dynamics of surface inflow into Lake Baikal and the runoff of the main tribu taries of the Baikal drainage basin and regional and global circulation parameters to determine the role of certain of the meteo rological factors in the current low water level within the Baikal catchment area. A decrease or an increase in the runoff of Baikal’s rivers in the summer months depends on the synoptic situation in the south of East Siberia and in the north of Mongo lia where southern cyclones provide the main influx of moisture to the Baikal region. We used different indices as climatic and circulation factors which characterize the specific features in the forms of atmospheric circulation in high and low latitudes of the northern hemisphere (NAO, АО, SCAND, and others) as well as the anomalies of mean monthly values of surface pressure and geopotential altitudes of isobaric surface АТ-500 in the zone of 43-50 ° N and 90-115 ° E. It was found that the low water level within the Lake Baikal drainage basin has persisted since 1996 but it has manifested itself particularly clearly due to the lake stage reduction. In the south of Siberia and in the north of Mongolia, since the early 21 ^st century there has been an en hancement in anticyclogenesis processes accompanied by an increase in air temperature, surface pressure and geopotential alti tudes at the level of the mid-troposphere (5 km). The more favorable conditions for river runoff formation are created during the development of the ridge of elevated and low pressure over Ural and the associated ridge of low pressure over Siberia, with cy clogenesis processes occurring in front of them over the territory of Mongolia and the south of East Siberia at the Earth’s surface. Elevated precipitation and runoff are observed at the time of blocking anticyclones over Transbaikalia and the Far East, which are responsible for a long-lasting persistence of Mongolian cyclones.

The present level of external nutrient load and its separate parts on the Kuibyshev reservoir - the largest one on the Eur asian continent, was estimated. The mathematic model for calculating mean annual input of nitrogen and phosphorus from  river drainage areas of non-homogeneous structure, and load on water bodies was developed. The main components of the load are the nonpoint nutrient emission by the underlying surface which is currently not affected by agricultural impact, the load generated by agricultural activity, discharges of pollutants from point sources into the hydrographic network of the catchment area and directly into the water-receiving reservoir, and the mass exchange with the atmosphere. The model includes calculating the retention of chemicals by catchments and by their hydrographic network. The model was calibrated against the data of State monitoring for the pilot areas: the catchment area of the Kazanka river (the left bank tributary) and the Sviyaga (the right bank tributary). The nutrient load generated by discharges from point sources of pollution was estimated using statistical reporting data. The values of atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and phosphorus on the surface of the study catchments were calculated using the data of field studies on the chemical composition of deposits. It is shown that implementation of the best available technolo gies into agricultural practice will not lead to any significant reduction in the nutrient load on the reservoir, because in recent years across most of the study area the rates of application of nutrients with organic and mineral fertilizers have been lower than the average removal of nitrogen and phosphorus with the harvested crops. An approximate estimation of nutrient load on the Kuibyshev reservoir was carried out for the left and the right bank sides of the catchment area. The background (natural) and diffuse (anthropogenic) components of the load are identified.

This article deals with spatio-temporal changes in methane emission from the surface of the Mozhaisk reservoir. Seasonal changes in the content and specific flow of methane were revealed for different morphological areas of the reservoir, based on field observation data obtained in 2015-2018. In the low-flow Mozhaisk reservoir, the methane content in the surface and bottom layers of the deep-water areas at the end of the summer stratification period may differ by three orders of magnitude. According to results from measuring with floating chambers in the сentral area of the reservoir from early June to the end of the period of direct stratification (August-September) the total methane flow increased from less than 1 to 16 mg С-СН4 / (m ² ⋅ hour). Time-coin cident measurements with floating chambers of two types revealed characteristic values of the methane flow components and their change during the sampling period. It was found that at the period of stratification the diffusive flux predominates with the mean values 0,2 mg С-СН4 / (m ² ⋅ hour). A further increase in the total methane flux is associated with an increase of its bubble component. According to calculations, the diffusive flux reaches its maximum values in late summer in the shallow zone of the reservoir. It is established that a significant increase of the values of the total methane flux is observed when the upper boundary of the oxygen-free zone reaches the lower boundary of the epilimnion. The specific methane flux density reaches its largest values prior to destruction of direct stratification. Comparison of field measurements with literature data showed that the magnitude of emission from reservoirs with a slow water exchange in the temperate zone can be underestimated in estimations of global methane emission.

Use of hydrooptical characteristics in monitoring of the reservoir ecosystem is investigated. Two basic characteristics which are most commonly used for purposes of ecological monitoring having regard to information content and ease of measurements are considered: the beam attenuation coefficient ε , the and Secchi disc depth ZSD. Theoretical analysis shows a relationship of ε and ZSD with content of suspended matter and chlorophyll in water. It is concluded, however, that correct theoretical calcula tions of the content of these substances is not possible to correctly calculate these substances in a theoretical way from ε and ZSD. In this context, empirical relationships of suspended matter and chlorophyll concentrations with hydrooptical characteristics are used for monitoring purposes. These relationships are regional in character, which is accounted for by the regional composition of suspended matter and by the intracellular concentration of pigments in algae. Examples of empirical relationships of the sus pended matter and chlorophyll concentrations with the beam attenuation coefficient and Secchi depth in Lake Baikal, the Black Bea and the tropical waters of the Atlantic waters are given. It is found that in addition to the content of suspended matter and chlorophyll in reservoirs, it is important, for biological purposes, to know the thickness of the euphotic layer for total quantum irradiation Heuph.quant. Examples of the determination of the euphotic layer thickness for total quantum irradiation Heuph.quant using Secchi depth for different reservoirs are provided.

The objective of this study is to make an analysis of the natural characteristics of the mountain territories in Southern Siberia as part of the development of the technique for assessing the ecological potential of geosystems by using the central part of the Oka Plateau as an example. A brief description of the relief and exogenous processes is provided for three geomorpho logical regions: Okinsko-Sorokskii, Okinsko-Tustukskii and Soroksko-Bel’skii, which are characterized by a predominance of flat-topped interfluves, slopes of moderate steepness and deeply incised river valleys. The main features of the climate and hy drological regime in the study area are emphasized. The first ever bathymetrical survey of Lake Sagan-Nur was made, and its morphometric indicators were calculated. On the basis of the morphology and bottom sediments of the lake basin, the genesis of the lake is treated as glaciotectonic. The chemical composition of the waters and the lake bottom sediments were determined, which may well characterize it as a natural unpolluted reservoir. The natural regionalization scheme for the southeastern part of Eastern Sayan is presented. The large-scale landscape map has been compiled for a portion of the central part of the plateau as well as indicating and the main species of vegetation within its boundaries. The identified features in the natural conditions of the study area (relief, climate, surface waters and landscapes) furnish a means of assessing the ecological potential of geosys tems. A combination of the nature- and anthropocentric approaches in assessing the ecological potential of geosystems offers considerable scope for optimal use of natural and human resources of this area which sparsely populated but rich in mineral resources. On the plateau, a detailed study of landscapes and their components is crucial to the assessment of the ecological potential of geosystems, although forecasts of the possible enhancement in the influence of the anthropogenic factor and analysis of the consequences of such an influence on the natural environment are also required.

This paper focuses on identifying adverse processes of relief formation by ascertaining the transformation mechanisms of floodplain-channel complexes for different types of economic impact. Within the lower reaches if a number of tributaries of the upper reach of the Angara river, the specific features in the modern functioning of valley geosystems undergoing long-term industrial development are considered, based on observations made during 2015-2018. We carried out a landscape-geomorphological analysis of the key areas to identify the main types of channels as well as the most widely occurring landscape complexes within them. A retrospective analysis of the intensification process of environmental management covering a period longer than 350 years identified dominant agricultural activities which we designated as the main transformation factors of valley geosystems. The analysis revealed the mechanisms by which production activities influence the landscapes of floodplain-channel complexes as well as the main relief-forming processes whose intensification is due to the construction and operation of the facilities of the economic infrastructure. Two variants of the conditions for the functioning of the floodplain-channel complexes in the zones of anthropogenic impact are considered. The first variant includes areas with intensive industrial exploitation of the natural resource potential within which there occurs complete or partial destruction of the floodplain-channel complexes accompanied by the manifestation of adverse exogenous processes. Characteristic for the second variant of development of the valley complexes is a minimization of the risks of the manifestation of hazardous relief-formation processes by carrying out environmental measures and constructing engineering protection facilities in the course of gradual long-term development.

An analysis was made of the ALOS PALSAR radar images (L-band with a wavelength of 23.6 cm) and images from the TanDEM-X bistatic system for the Eravninskaya depression in the south of the Vitim Plateau. A processing of the images provided an interferogram with the expected distribution areas of cryogenic soil deformations. In ground-based geomorphological surveys, they are identified as local heaving and lowering regions. The image of the frost mounds has a complex structure, and thermokarst lakes are distinguished by characteristic rounded, oval-elongated shapes. In the Eravninskaya depression, frost mounds most often occur in piedmont aprons and flat watersheds. The mounds reach several tens of meters in width and their height above the surface is 1.5-2 m. Thermokarst manifests itself in local collapse-subsidence forms which are often filled with water. They emerge mainly in the depression bottoms as well as on broad planate watersheds. Ground-based verification of the surface deformation areas confirmed a good resolution of radar interferometry in assessing the intensity and in mapping of the areas of cryogenic processes, in particular the zones of heaving and thermokarst depressions.

We report results from investigating the landforms of the coastal zone of Uda Bay, one of the most poorly explored and hard-to-reach areas of the Sea of Okhotsk. Expedition-based investigations were carried out, satellite images were interpreted, topographic and sea maps were analyzed, and archival material was studied (namely, geological-geomorphological route coastal and hydrographic descriptions). A package of methods was used to obtain new evidence on coastal topography and morphogenetic processes. The region’s natural conditions are considered to identify the factors influencing morphogenesis of the coast of Uda Bay. The influence of the cold Sea of Okhotsk, the duration of freeze-up, strong tidal currents, and an attenuated wave regime are the main factors for the present-day morphogenesis of the bay bottom. Composite coastal topography is determined by the geological structure of the study area, while the river runoff, activity of the ice, and abrasion of the seacoast have influence on input of sedimentary material. According to the morphodynamical attributes and on the basis of a genetic classification of the shores, we carried out a coastal zoning of Uda Bay. A schematic zoning map for Uda Bay and a detailed geomorphological schematic map for Lyutsun Bay were compiled. Eight coastal areas of Uda Bay were identified and described.

Formation of debris flows and occurrence of debris flow basins on marine terraces, and also their further evolution is still a poorly explored area of debris flow research. To create the engineering protection, spatial planning and laying-out of line structures with due regard for the dynamics of development of debris flow basins on the sea coast requires an integrated approach to the study and prediction of the evolution of such landforms. Field material and archival data were used as a basis to determine landforms on the slopes of marine terraces of the coast of Magadan oblast and Sakhalin Island which are debris flow basins. We processed a large array of engineering-geological and meteorological data, and morphometric and morphological characteristics of the debris flow basins. On the basis of the characteristics of the geomorphological structure of the debris flow channel, we identified four evolutionary stages of the debris flow basins on the marine terraces as well as determining a number of attributes and quality characteristics of the debris flow basins, allowing us to accurately identify a particular stage of their evolution. Furthermore, we examined the conditions for emergence and evolution of debris flow basins and determined the main factors that are responsible for the transition of the debris flow basins on the slopes of the marine terraces from stage to stage. Knowledge of the occurrence and evolution patterns of debris flow basins is instrumental in undertaking a package of measures for the engineering protection of territories and for a minimization of the negative impact at different evolutionary various stages of debris flow basins.

The role of regulatory ecosystem services in the development of the rural economy is considered. The ranking of the most important (for the Komi Republic) regulatory ecosystem services, including the functions of climatic control, water regulation, water cleaning of soil, prevention of soil erosion, biodiversity support, was carried out. An economic assessment is made of the ecosystem services at the level of municipalities and forestries using the method of indirect marker-based evaluation and the method of compensation expenditures as well as from the point of view of the beneficiaries for the rural economy. It is demonstrated that the most essential functions of regulatory services are the protection of forest stands from soil erosion, and water cleaning of bog ecosystems. Rural areas are grouped together according to natural zones of vegetation and specific indicators of the value of forest ecosystems, which makes it possible to evaluate damage to forest stands. The most vulnerable territories in terms of the fulfillment of the functions of regulatory services have been identified. The reasons behind the vulnerability are substantiated, and the vulnerability thresholds are indicated for particular municipalities. The findings are important for calculating the potential damage caused by forest exploitation, for predicting permissible forest use in areas with low ecosystem resilience, and for transforming nature management by extending environment-friendly uses: traditional nature management, ecotourism, and recreation. Using suburban recreation of the region’s capital city as an example, the beneficiaries from ecosystem services are determined. Introduction of payment schemes for use of ecosystem services, and improvement of payment mechanisms for use of natural resources with the purpose of accumulating financial resources for the environmental protection are considered as the main direction of practical implementation of the economic assessment of ecosystem services.