Home – Home – Jornals – Geography and Natural Resources 2019 number 5S

Relationships of the results of the 2016 State Duma election (the share of voters who supported each of the three main political parties) for the constituent entities of the Russian Federation with three indicators have been analyzed. The first indica tor are the socio-economic phenomena at the regional level. The second indicator are the results of the same election at the level of macroregions to which the respective regions belong. The third indicator includes the socio-economic phenomena at the level of macroregions to which the respective regions belong. Four types of regions were identified for each indicator, based on analyzing these correlations. The three indicators and types are all considered as complementary in predicting the electoral be havior of the region’s population. It is concluded that if in a constituent entity of the Russian Federation the level of support of a political party is higher than the national average and if the set of attributes favoring voting for a given party is relatively well covered, it is a region of stable support of this party. Also, in the event where in a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, a political party received fewer votes than the national average, and in the region the set of attributes of the support of a given party is not sufficiently expressed, it is a region of stably decreased support of this party. If a political party in a constituent entity of the Russian Federation received more votes than the national average, but has a weak set of support factors, this is a region of potential decrease in support for this party. If a political party in a region has received fewer votes than the national average, but the set of factors supporting this party is relatively strong, it is a region of potential increase in support of this party. It has been established that protest-type electoral attitudes are dominant in Eastern Siberia, which implies a widespread occurrence of the stably decreased support of the party of power (United Russia, UR) and the stably increased support of the main opposition parties (Communist Party of the Russian Federation, CPRF, and Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, LDPR). It is found that all regions of Eastern Siberia show coincidences of the types of electoral predisposition for CPRF - LDPR and UR - LDPR.

A new view of the morphogenesis stages in the Kel’tma hollow for the Valdai Glacial Period is presented. The main method of studying the hydrographic network elements which give direct or indirect evidence of its reconfiguration in the Pre-Holocene period involved satellite image interpretation and morphological analysis of large-scale cartographic material as well as constructing topographic profiles and digital elevation models. Results from studying the landscape pattern of the southern (Kama) part of the Kel’tma hollow and adjacent drainage areas suggest that on its surface there are features of fluvial morpho-dynamics whose formation might be associated precisely with the streams flowing from outside the contemporary basin of the Southern Kel’tma. This is indirectly evidenced by the parameters, configuration and geomorphological position of these forms relative to the modern hydrographic network. In the absence of evidence confirming the absolute age of the ancient valleys, runoff hollows and palaeochannels, it was possible to determine the stadial sequence of their formation having regard to the geomorphological structure as well as some characteristic properties of the planned-high-altitude position of fluvial landforms in relation to each other, to wetlands and aeolian landforms. Single stages of lake terrace modeling in the Late Pleistocene are identified. The manifestation of the very first (initial) modeling stage of the lake terrace is provided by the formation of the ancient valley extended south-westward. The second stage includes a large terrace hollow and microhollows. The third modeling stage refers to the time of formation of incised macromeanders which are currently the home for narrow and, often, undeveloped floodplains of the Southern Kel’tma and Timsher, and their main tributaries.

The characteristics of heavy rains are of key importance in to calculating the maximum water flow in small rivers. We pres ent the results from studying the main regularities in the intra-annual distribution of the characteristics (precipitation amount, total precipitation and duration) of flood-forming Ural rainstorms, with the total precipitation amount over 10 mm per rainstorm, based on analyzing more than 25 thousand single rainstorms from pluviographic observations covering the 80-year-long period obtained at all available meteorological stations located in the Russian part of Tobol river basin. The average number of flood-forming rainstorms in a year is 10.1, ad in mountainous areas the number of rainstorms is 20-30 % higher than on the plain. The greatest heterogeneity in the number of rainstorms across the territory is recorded in April and October. The average month ly total precipitation amounts for rainstorms are constant throughout the year, whereas absolute maxima are observed everywhere in June. The largest duration of rainstorms is observed in the spring and autumn months. Data on the classification procedures of the behavior of precipitation within a 24-hour period are provided. It is established that for 75 % of the observed rainstorms, more than 50 % of the total precipitation amount correspond to the first one-third of their duration. Uniform precipitation amounts are characteristic only for 5 % of the observed rainstorms. A simulation of the rainstorm characteristics over an 80-year-long period has been carried out for a number of meteorological stations, based on the log-normal law; good results were obtained in the range of rare probabilities of excess (less than 10 %). The findings are of significant importance in stochastic models for the formation of heavy rains and in deterministic models based on using radar information on clouds and precipitation.

We examine the debris flow activity in Trans-Ili Alatau since 1900 till the present. Characteristics of the debris flow formation conditions and data on the largest debris flows are presented. A study is made of the interannual and intra-annual variability of debris flow activity. The debris flow activity was characterized by the number of debris flows in a year, and by the total volume of debris transported. For the period from 1900 to 2017 we recorded 481 debris flows. It was found that the genetic types of debris flows are dominated by rain-induced and glacial flows (87 % of the total number of debris flows). The other genetic types (snow caused, seismogenic and anthropogenic) account for 13 %. Most of the debris flows have a rain genesis (71 % of the total number of rain-induced and glacial debris flows). Glacial debris flows account for 79 % of the volume of debris transported. The volumes of the largest debris flows, both glacial and rain-induced, exceed one million cubic meters. They make up 3 % of the total number of debris flows but they transported 70 % of debris. Small debris flows with a volume of less than 10 thousand cubic meters, in terms of their number, constitute 74 %; however, they account for a mere 3 % of the volume of debris flow deposits. Observations indicate that the earliest debris flows occurred in the second ten-day period of March, and the latest occurred in the first ten-day period of September. The distribution of the number of debris flows according to the dates of their occurrence clearly shows two maxima: one maximum in the second ten-day period of June, and the other maximum in the second ten-day period of July. The June maximum is due to rain precipitation, and the July maximum is associated with glacial debris flows. From 1950 to 2017  there were only 5 (7 %) years without any debris flows. Four of them corresponded to the 2010s. The number of years with rain-induced and glacial debris flows was 55 (81 %) and 39 (57 %), respectively.

We compared the dynamics of development of tourism in the European and the Asian parts of Russia on the example of Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, the Kaliningrad region, the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories, the southern regions of Eastern Siberia and the Far East of Russia for the period from 2009 to 2017. It has been found that a combination of factors in the attractiveness of tourist services during that period increased in all regions of the western group and in almost all groups of the eastern group (with the exception of Zabaikalskii krai), in spite of the sensitive economic shocks. Analysis of the dynamics of tax revenues to the budget system of the Russian Federation and income of collective means of accommodation revealed contradictory trends. Tourism development in the East and West of Russia is characterized by an increase in tourist flow, but the economic consequences of this trend are different, and this shows differences in historical, geographical and socio-economic conditions. This requires different managerial decisions, because the rules of regulation of tourist activities, which are effective in the west where the infrastructure conditions complying with demand exist already, may not “work” in the East where there remain numerous problems associated with the state of roads, environmental protection facilities, housing and communal services, etc.

This article examines the attitude of the Russian society toward the Russian-Chinese relations in general and toward the One Belt - One Road (OBOR) megaproject in particular. An analysis is made of the Russian scientific, official and expert discourse, based on methods of critical geopolitics, as well as investigating the grass-roots ideas concerning China and the OBOR Initiative. It is found that expert discourse is dominated by negative and neutral analytical publications, whereas official discourse and grass-rout ideas have a clearly positive connotation, although occasionally with some wariness. The critical nature of expert discourse in respect of China reflects distrust Chinese politics from Russian specialists, associated with the lack of comparability of the demographic and economic potentials of the two countries and the ambitions of the Chinese leadership. It is established that in foreign scientific circles, the Russian strategy of the “turn to the East” is perceived skeptically. The authors do not believe in a real possibility that Chinese and Russian projects can be reconciled in the implementation of the strategic interests of the Russian Federation, referring to the different interests of the two countries. It is noted that the fears of unequal competition are encouraged by the Chinese side approach to joint projects focused primarily on the needs of China, as well as by the obvious difference in the interests of the two States. The main obstacle to a further development of bilateral cooperation is a credibility gap on either side of the Russian-Chinese border. Field studies in the Russian-Chinese borderland in Zabaikalskii krai confirmed this conclusion, showing that at the regional and local level the Russian-Chinese relations are sharply asymmetric.

A specific feature of the term “transboundary” is defined, which is usually perceived as an opportunity to overcome the borders separating the territory, and is used as opposed to the “frontier” objects adjacent to the border but not crossing it. Trans-boundary interstate territories are discussed, where only regulated activities may be carried out, such as nature conservation in solving the problem of preserving biotic and landscape diversity where a poor involvement of border areas in economic activity ensures an adequate degree of ecosystem preservation. A possibility of establishing transboundary specially protected natural areas arises in the most significant (in terms of natural diversity conservation) areas adjacent to the borders of neighboring States. The main condition for the effective functioning of transboundary specially protected natural areas implies signing bilateral agree ments or agreements between more countries with the aim of developing joint scientific and tourist programs as well as weaken ing of border control. Issues related to the theoretical and practical substantiation of the establishment of transboundary spe cially protected natural areas are considered. As of the beginning of 2019, there are five such areas established in accordance with interstate agreements: “Altai”, “Dauria”, “Sources of the Amur”, “Lake Khanka” and “Ubsunur Depression”. The most important planned transboundary specially protected natural areas of the Asian part of Russia are also highlighted. The rela tively investigated areas “Amur Tiger and Leopard”, “Delger-Muren”, “From Khubsugul to Baikal”, “Khentei-Chikoi Highland”, “Sailyugem”, “Sayan Junction”, “Selenga”, “Tumangan”, “Southern Kuriles”, and “Beringia”.

A brief geographical description is provided for Lake Khanka and its drainage basin where the Russian part accounts for more than 90 % of the area. Sixteen rivers on the Russian territory and 8 rivers on the Chinese territory flow into the lake. Only one river, Sungacha, flows out of the lake; it is a border river and connects Lake Khanka with the Ussuri river. A historical analysis of the water level dynamics in Lake Khanka for the last 10 thousand years showed that rises of the lake water level, shore erosion, an increase in flood frequency and duration, and an increase of the degree of waterlogging of the valleys corre sponded to warm climatic phases. The cold phases showed a decrease in hydraulicity of the rivers and in the lake level, and an enhancement in aeolian processes in the coastal zone of the lake and its river valleys. Seismic processes and changes in ground water flow can also be responsible for changes in the lake water level. Morphostructural analysis indicates a potentially high seismic activity of this territory and risks of magnitude 8 earthquakes. In the 20 ^th century, the natural processes of water level fluctuations in the lake began to be influenced by anthropogenic factors, such as the water withdrawal for irrigation of paddy fields and streamflow control. The territory of China within the Lake Malaya Khanka drainage basin is the home for extensive paddy systems which are supplied with water from the Muling river basin. The water is then directed to Lake Malaya Khanka, and through the drain facilities it enters Lake Khanka. In fact, an inter-basin transboundary water transfer is carried out, which can affect significantly the water level in the lake. Characteristics of the existing nature management practices in the Russian portion of the lake drainage basin, and also lake pollution assessments are given. The main geo-ecological problems in the Lake Khanka transboundary drainage basin associated with water level fluctuations, geodynamic processes and environmental pollu tion are identified. Geo-ecological problems are considered to mean changes in natural processes accompanied by the transforma tion of separate natural components and landscapes in general, and causing, as a rule, negative consequences for humans and for various forms of nature management. The primary and related components of the geo-ecological problems are highlighted. The main directions of comprehensive research within the framework of cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation in order to work out the plan for governance of sustainable nature management in the transboundary drainage basin of Lake Khanka are suggested.

This paper presents results of wildfire studies conducted Transbaikalia over the last five decades. Station-based experimen tal investigations into fire hazards of vegetation accomplished at the regional forest fire stations during those years covered all altitudinal vegetation zones, representative landscape localities and forest types. Route investigations were made in different natural areas. Arial monitoring of landscape fires was used during two fire seasons. Long-term effects of fires in the Baikal Natural Area and in Central Transbaikalia were investigated. Fire regimes in vegetation complexes were analyzed and for each of them the duration of the fire hazard was determined both as the total duration for the entire season and as a continuous duration for the period of the fire maximum. Characteristics of the regimes for the altitudinal belts are provided in three versions according to precipitation amounts for a season (normal, dry and wet). It is found that forest fires occur in intensive and extreme fire regimes when most of the vegetation complexes of the region become exceptionally hazardous as compared to adjacent areas. In such a situation, there are almost no barriers to fire, except for broad rivers, lakes and mountain crests. The forest fire fre quency index is high due to a predominance of light coniferous stands. A rapid spread of fires is also promoted by dry grass stands and fire-hazardous shrubs where the fire is spreading nearly as fast as the speed of wind. It was established that unmown mead ows, and abandoned pastures and croplands in the outskirts of villages present the threat of devastating fires not only in forests but also in settlements. In a situation, such as the one that arose in 2015, landscape fires turn to a natural disaster with severe forest-ecological consequences. Surviving forest stands decrease in productivity and increase in self-thinning, followed by an increasing degradation caused by subsequently recurring fires. Burns undergo local deforestation or a long-lasting replacement of coniferous stands by deciduous forests. The future runoff from the burned-over areas is able to enhance pollution of Lake Baikal. It is concluded that the EMERCOM resources used to fight the latest fires in Transbaikalia showed very little promise because of being delayed. A reasonable alternative to EMERCOM would involve advanced forecasting of high risks of fire oc currence in order to rapidly fight fires with moderate expenses without letting them turning to a natural disaster.

Presented are the data from a comprehensive investigation into the causes and extent of dark coniferous forest dieback in geosystems of the northern macroslope of Khamar-Daban Range for the time interval 2006-2009. Forest dieback was caused by bacteria Erwinia nimipressuralis Carter. The disease outbreak was triggered by water scarcity in the region at that period. Land scape approach was used in assessing the magnitude of damage to dark-coniferous forests. The medium-scale map of geosystems was created for the northern macroslope of Khamar-Daban Range, showing the region’s geosystem diversity at the level of classes of facies. The ranking of forests was done according to three degrees of damage to tree stands (from strong to weak), and an assessment was made of the territory covered by them. The main areas of affected forests are concentrated in the eastern and western regions of Khamar-Daban where they occupy the middle and upper parts of the mountain-taiga belt. The Siberian stone pine stands suffered the most from the disease. Fir trees were less affected; in some areas, however, the damage to Siberian stone pine and fir stands is comparable. A dramatic decrease of the rate of radial increment in Siberian stone pine stands corresponds to the time interval 2006-2009. Furthermore, there occurred a decrease in nutrient content in pollen grains of Siberian stone pine and a decrease in of the rate of their germination as well as a negative transformation of Siberian stone pine cones in the form of their excessive resinosis and immaturity, which is one of the diagnostic features of bacterial dropsy. A disturbance to the development of pollen and pine cones negatively affects the ripening of Siberian stone pine seeds thus impeding forest regenera tion. However, a study of the state of the young growth in forest stands affected by bacterial dropsy bears witness to the gener ally satisfactory processes of dark-coniferous forest rehabilitation.

A study and mapping of habitats of wild and synanthropic animal species were carried out on the model research site of the Baikal Nature Reserve in order to develop methods and conduct zoological tourism on their basis. This type of tourism pro motes the preservation of the maximum possible diversity of animal species composition and habitat. The focus of the investiga tions is on recreational development of the territory while preserving optimal diversity of species composition of the animal popu lation and the ecologically substantiated number of animals. The research site is located on the southeastern coast of Lake Baikal within the northern macroslope of Khamar-Daban Range and the Tankhoi piedmont plain. According to the specific features in the natural and economic conditions and the animal population, we identified the goletz alpinotype, mountain-taiga, piedmont-taiga, coastal and synanthropic landscape-faunistic complexes with characteristic terrestrial vertebrate species. Criteria were defined to be used to identify, among the total list of animals, recreationally significant species. Their study and mapping were carried out on the basis of a landscape map which was used in compiling maps for habitats and the number of species in them. It was found that the number and abundance of species increase along the direction from the goletz-taiga complex in the middle part of the mountain range to the piedmont-plain taiga-bog complex on the shores of Baikal. In economically developed areas as well as in settlements, there is an increase of the total number of species due to an increase in the proportion of synan thropic animals. Considerable attention is paid to synanthropic bird species because of their abundance, availability for observa tion and high ecological and recreational significance. Some features in zoological tourism development in the conservation and protection areas of the Baikal Nature Reserve differing in the level of environmental protection and in the mode of management are outlined. The areas occupied by recreationally significant species will be evaluated in the future. The findings can be used in the Baikal Nature Reserve as well as in neighboring territories and in other regions.

We examine the current problems of Lake Baikal level regulation. A comparative analysis is made of the changes in the lake level, the range of its fluctuations and in the intra-annual amplitude for the 120-year-long period of observations in natu ral and regulated conditions. The period 2014-2017 with an extremely low water level is analyzed. It is pointed out that the inconsistency between existing legislation and the water resource management system within the Baikal and Angara drainage basins has also contributed to the decline in sustainability of the water economy, along with the climatic factors. It was found that while generally quite well complying with the requirements of water users and water consumers in conditions of normal and almost normal water availability, it cannot meet the regulatory needs and restrictions in periods of extreme water availability. The risks and contradictions in the regulation of the Lake Baikal water level in low- and high-water years are considered. Quantitative assessments are made of the possible maximum levels in Lake Baikal during floods for different restrictions of water flow in the downstream water. The estimates of expected areas of flooding are given. It is pointed out that along with water management and socio-economic risks, climatic and environmental factors should also be taken into account in the lake level regulation. An analysis is made of the environmental requirements which were taken into account when setting the limited meter range of Lake Baikal level regulation (Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 3.26.2001 No. 234). There is an inconsistency in these requirements and, in some cases, the impossibility of meeting them. Quantitative assessments are made of the implications of the re-enforcement of Decree No. 234 on January 1, 2021. It is shown that the enforcement of this decree in full necessarily involves violating the requirements of water users. The years of elevated water levels are necessarily accompanied by flooding of the city of Irkutsk. It is suggested that the “social” option of regulating the level of Lake Baikal water level regulation be used in order to avoid infringement of existing legislation and flooding by the downstream water. Special research work should be done to determine a reasonable range of Lake Baikal water level regulation having regard to the current environmental and socio-economic factors.

A sanitary-microbiological assessment of the water quality in the small tributaries and the littoral zone of Lake Baikal within the area of the settlement of Listvyanka was made over the period from April 2015 to October 2016. The investigations were made in the upstream (of the boundaries of the settlement) and estuarine sections of the Bol’shaya Cheremshanka, Malaya Che remshanka, Kamenushka and Krestovka rivers. It was found that the water quality in the upstream sections of the rivers complied with the standard rates of water requirements imposed by the Russian Federation for the waters used for recreational purposes. The estuarine sections of the Bol’shaya Cheremshanka, Malaya Cheremshanka and Kamenushka showed significant concentra tions of fecal indicator bacteria. The waters of the Krestovka, the largest among the four rivers used in the study, generally complied with water quality standards. These data indicate that the rivers in this study are experiencing considerable fecal pollution. In the coastal waters from the estuarine areas of the lake itself, the concentrations of thermotolerant coliform bacteria and enterococci varied considerably and often exceeded the standard rates established in the Russian Federation, indicating input of fecal indica tor bacteria with the waters of the rivers flowing into Baikal. It was found that the water from the small rivers and from the estua rine areas of Baikal at the sampling locations is polluted by fecal indicator bacteria. Use of such a water without treatment poses an immediate threat to public health. It is concluded that in the settlement of Listvyanka there is a clear need for the construction of efficient treatment facilities for household waste water, because the flow of tourists to this area is growing rapidly and the buffer capacity of soils for adsorption of microorganisms is decreasing over time with an increase in anthropogenic load on the ecosystem.

We examine the composition of metals in the waters of the southern tributaries of Lake Baikal as well as comparing it with the composition of metals in bottom sediments and calculating the water migration coefficients of metals. The territory of the southern part of the lake drainage basin was regionalized according to the ability to ensure a particular water composition. The contribution from the southern tributaries to the chemical composition of Lake Baikal water was evaluated. It was found that the composition of macroelements and trace elements in the waters varies over a broad range. There occur waters with salt contents far exceeding those in Baikal water and its main tributaries as well as with considerably lower salt contents. Macroelements in the waters of all the streams studied are absolutely dominated by calcium, whereas the waters differ greatly in magnesium and sodium contents. Trace elements in the waters of the rivers on the southwestern coast are dominated by strontium, vanadium and molybdenum, which significantly differs them from the waters of the rivers of the southeastern coast, Lake Baikal and its main tributaries The values of the water migration coefficients as calculated for the macroelements in the waters of the southern and main tributaries of Baikal are similar. The water migration coefficient of trace elements for the river waters in the study area differ greatly from the coefficients for the waters of the main tributaries of Baikal. The reason behind this is the existence of sources of dissolved matter, such as rocks and deep underground water, with their composition not characteristic for correspond ing landscapes. The contribution from the southern tributaries to the macroelement composition of Lake Baikal waters can be estimated at the range of 5 to 30 % depending on the selected tracer metals. The contribution from the southern tributaries to the trace element composition of the Baikal waters defies estimation because of their much higher concentrations in the rivers when compared with Baikal water. The differences in the trace element concentrations in the water of Baikal water and of its tributaries are caused by their migration in the composition of organic matter. In consequence of a long period of water exchange in Baikal, this matter is deposited or decays thus promoting the removal of trace elements from solution.

Data from the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) were used in investigating long-term variability of anoma lies of the total amount of atmospheric precipitation within the Selenga river basin in July. We identified several long periods (four years and longer) with negative precipitation anomalies: 1935-1939, 1955-1958, 1977-1981, 2007-2011, and 2013-2017. The last period is characterized by the smallest precipitation amount. Day-to-day variations in total precipitation were also analyzed for each July from 1982 to 2016. The analysis revealed a tendency to a decrease of the number of days with a large precipitation amount and to an increase of dry periods. Based on ECMWF Era Interim data, we examined the features in the atmospheric blocking Europe, Siberia and the Far East for periods with large and small precipitation amounts within the Selenga river basin. To identify the blocking in the atmosphere used the southern gradient of the geopotential. It was shown that in periods with large precipitation amounts blockings occurred most frequently over Eastern Siberia and more rarely over Europe and the Far East (especially if they were accompanied by blocking over Western Siberia). Atmospheric precipitation within the Selenga basin is associated not only with blocking but also with the position of the jet stream and with dynamic blocking formation schemes. The significance of these factors has been demonstrated in a number of specific situations of the atmospheric circulation in years with large and small precipitation amounts within the Selenga basin. Long-term transformations of these characteristics caused by climate change and the general atmospheric circulation can lead to a disturbance of the correlations between blocking and pre cipitation amounts within the river basin. In all likelihood, the correlation of blocking with precipitation regimes, rather than with precipitation in the region, will be more rigid. A functional dependence of the Selenga flow on climate change appears to be de termined by the position of the monsoon front and by the wave properties of atmospheric flows in midlatitudes.

Results of long-term observations of the state of the fish community in the subarctic Lake Imandra are presented. The his tory of relevant ichthyological research is briefly outlined. An analysis is made of the changes in the composition of the ichthyo cenosis and biological characteristics of valuable fish species. It is shown that a total of 17 fish species inhabited the lake, and two of them were invaders. It was found that the construction of Niva HPP-2 involved disturbances to the migration route of Atlantic salmon to the lake for spawning, which led to its exclusion from the ichthyofauna. In aquaculture, rainbow trout (mikizha), Siberian sturgeon and sterlet are reproduced. Mikizha and previously reproduced carp has become naturalized in the lake. The dominant role in the ichthyocenosis and resource importance is played by representatives of the arctic freshwater faunistic com plex: whitefishes and European smelt. The retrospective dynamics of organized (industrial) catch of commercial species indicates its decrease by more than a factor of 20. At the present stage the structure of commercial capture fisheries production is domi nated by European smelt. In conditions of anthropogenic eutrophication, the number and the size characteristics of low-value eurybiont species increase. An increase in longevity and maximum (limiting) size-weight characteristics of vendace, ruff and smelt was recorded. There is a decrease in the proportion of whitefish and salmon species valuable to humans, and arctic char has almost disappeared. All this indicates a decrease in the resource potential of the surface waters of the region.

The capabilities of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) in the study of bog massifs are discussed. The foundations of this method, a historical summary of its use, and a brief overview of problems dealt with in peatland study are provided. A detailed analysis is made of the influence of main peat parameters, such as density, moisture content, ash content, and the degree of decomposition, on the electromagnetic wave transmission rate, and on the formation of reflection boundaries. Literature sources were used to generalize electrophysical properties for peat deposits of different types. Data obtained show a presence of substan tial differences. The performance of GPR is demonstrated by results of our experimental studies on bog systems of the Zaonezhs kii Peninsula (Central Karelia). Using the Tolvuiskoe bog as an example, experience in studying the structure of the deposit and determining its boundaries is outlined. Radargrams were used to determine the three-layer structure, including peat, sapropel and varve clays, which is characteristic for the bogs in the study area. Each of the layers identified is characterized by a spe cific GPR complex, providing a means of uniquely identifying it on the radiogram. In addition, intermediate differences were determined, which are due to changes in moisture content and in the degree of decomposition. Data obtained for the depth of the layers were compared with biostratigraphic sections. The accuracy of determining the boundaries was of the order of ±0.2 m, which is comparable with the resolution of the 150 MHz GPR antenna used. Radargrams for the Tolvuiskoe bog were compared with GPR profiles for the Karasozerskoe, Gan’kovskoe and Padmozerskoe bogs to reveal a similarity in their structure. This confirmed the theory of their identical origin caused by the transgression of Lake Onega. Furthermore, some differences were noted, indicating local changes in the growth conditions of the bog massifs.

We examine the fundamental tenets of the theory of geochemical barriers and their role in landscapes associated with an intensification of migration processes caused by an enhancement in anthropogenic activity, including in the sphere of industrial production. Observational evidence indicates that the flow of multiple elements in the form of substances, which is produced by the aluminum smelters of Khakassia and enters the landscapes through the atmosphere, contains the associations of hydrous migrating pollutants. According to their accumulation weight, they can be subdivided into the following groups: main pollutants - F, Al, Na and Ni whose content in the melt water exceeds the background level by factors of 10 to100, associated pollutants - Mn, Sr, Ca and Mg (exceeding the background levels by a factor of 10), and secondary pollutants - Si, Zn, Ba, K, Fe, V and Pb (exceeding the background level by factors of 1.8 to 7.0). For all the indicators analyzed, including toxicity, fluorine has been identified as the priority pollutant, and special emphasis was placed on it in the analysis of the migration mechanisms. The fol lowing geochemical barriers play an important role in the accumulation and migration processes of pollutants: biogeochemical (organogenic and humus-organogenic, and sorption), and physicochemical (sedimentation, evaporation, and multifunctional: solonetz). It has been found that in conditions of technogenesis, soil-geochemical barriers do not conform fully to a classical understanding of the function of the barrier, i. e. the transition of elements to an inactive or slightly active form, as they can accumulate not only in a slightly active, but also in an active form. It allowed us to expand the concept of geochemical barriers and define them as active barriers or starter barriers.

An analysis is made of the use of indicators of the spatial distribution dynamics for of natural geosystems in the system of modern regional environmental criteria for sustainable development. The analysis revealed the absence of indicators character izing the actual distribution and dynamics of changes in the area of disturbed lands. It is suggested that methods of landscape and geoinformation analysis should be used for a qualitative and quantitative assessment of conditionally unchanged and weakly modified geosystems. Their use is illustrated by the example of a large natural feature, the mountain system of Northern Sikhote-Alin (Khabarovsk krai). Material obtained is based on long-term field investigations and on the analysis of satellite images from different years. The scheme of physiographic zoning was developed, on which 13 physiographic districts were identified. For a complex of landscape stows of each district, quantitative characteristics of landscape diversity were calculated (relative wealth index, landscape complexity, fragmentation and uniqueness). A spatial analysis of the geosystem structure of the central, western and eastern parts of Northern Sikhote-Alin has been carried out. It was found that fires and logging have the greatest impact on the dynamics of undisturbed geosystems, especially in the northern and eastern parts of the mountain system. Analysis of satellite images from 1990-2011 revealed a change in the structure of physiographic districts, which is manifested in the fragmentation and simplification of geosystems (the Yaiskii, Tumninskii and Eastern Tumninskii districts). An irregularity of representation of specially protected areas was revealed: from 52.7 % in the Koppi-Nelminskii district to their complete absence in the Yaiskii and Tumninskii districts, and a high proportion of secondary plant communities. The suggested landscape analysis is considered as a database and a necessary element in assessing the dynamics of undisturbed land for the purposes and objectives of spatial planning.

New evidence for an active geological and geomorphological object, the Ksudach caldera complex, has been obtained: geomorphological and repeated bathymetric and thermal imaging surveys were conducted with a break of 25 years. For the first time, a geomorphological map of the coasts of the lakes was compiled, and detailed bathymetric schematics of their basins were drawn. Four morphogenetic types of coasts are identified, with a general predominance of abrasion processes (accumulation is dominant only in the mouths of the rivers). In Lake Stubel, an underwater extrusive dome was recorded instrumentally, about 40 m high and about 300 m in diameter of its base, with extensive underwater gas-hydrothermal vents. Most likely the morpho logical configuration of the extrusion in the relief of the bottom of the lake occurred after the surveys of 1991, and the analysis of modern gas-hydrothermal activity in the Ksudach caldera shows a relative stability of the post-volcanic processes that mani fest themselves as gas-hydrothermal vents both within the lake basins and on their shores. The depth of Lake Klyuchevoe and Lake Stubel decreased by 3 m over the last 25 years, while their linear and areal characteristics have remained almost unchanged. A gradual decrease in maximum depths can be caused by permanent input of detrital material to the deep-water part of the lakes, transported by rivers and as well as abrasion, and by planation of their bottoms. The depth of the crater part of Lake Stubel could also decrease due to the rise of the bottom areas during the formation of the extrusive domes.

An analysis is made of the investments in fixed capital at the regional and municipal level in Irkutsk oblast, the Republic of Buryatia and Zabaikalskii krai. On the basis of the average indicators considered, the conclusion is drawn about the general lag of the Baikal region from Siberia and Russia over the course of the last several decades. Population changes in municipal districts and urban okrugs have been analyzed to show a general decrease of the indicator in most of the study areas. The indi cators of average annual investments in fixed capital and average annual per capita investments are calculated. It is suggested that the municipalities of the Baikal region should be ranked according to the indicators of population change and per capita investments in fixed capital in order to estimate the relationship of these characteristics. The group has been identified, which had the highest indicators for the period under consideration with a consistently high loss of the permanent population. It is determined that the municipalities with the highest population growth did not have a high level of per capita investment. It is shown that most of them refer to the largest group in which the territories had low levels of per capita investment and did not show any stable population growth. The study revealed no correlation between the implementation of major investment projects of resource development and changes in the population dynamics of the remote territories, which is confirmed by cartographic material presented. It is concluded that there is no influence of the main investments on the structure of the economy of the Baikal region and the consolidation of the existing raw material specialization. An assessment is made of the existing federal target programs focused mainly on stimulating territorial development through the provision of comprehensive support of imple mentation of the major investment projects.

An assessment is made of the reindustrialization potential of the regions of Eastern Siberia (Krasnoyarsk krai, Zabaikalskii krai, Republic of Khakassia, Republic of Tyva, Irkutsk oblast, and Republic of Buryatia) for the time interval 2010-2014. The algorithm for calculating the index of the reindustrialization potential is suggested on the basis of consideration of its components (industrial, scientific and technological, personnel and investment). Krasnoyarsk krai holds the lead in all the aspects under consideration; it is followed by Irkutsk oblast. Of key importance is the analysis of the scientific and technological potential of the region, which implies investments in the research infrastructure that promises further technological changes, which has a significant influence on the human and investment potentials. Among the aforementioned federal subjects of Russia, Krasnoyarsk krai has the greatest opportunities for scientific and technological development. The Republic of Buryatia, due to the prevalence of mechanical engineering in the processing industry, has the highest share in the high-tech manufacturing sector. Over the years under review, the investment policy in the region has remained unchanged. The investment potential of the republics and Zabai kalskii krai is characterized by volatility because of the influence of individual investment projects against the backdrop of low investment attractiveness. Emphasis is placed on the influence of export markets, of China in particular, on the development of industrial production of the regions. The influence of the environmental factor restricting industrial development is pointed out. A decrease in the reindustrialization potential from west to east and from north to south is observed. The new industrialization projects largely involve the process of developing new sources of natural resources, rather than creating high-tech industries.

We examine the current state of the tourism industry in one of the Arctic regions of Russia, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The necessity and possibility of diversifying the economy of the resource-producing regions of the North through the promotion and development of tourism is substantiated. The main problems hindering the development of Arctic (northern) tour ism are identified. It is found that tourism, as a full-fledged sector yielding significant budget revenues of different levels, has not yet been firmly established in the Arctic zone of Russia. There are a significant disparity of tourism development, a lack of uni fied tourist space and of the integration interaction between Arctic regions as well as within separate regions. Analysis of the economic and geographical location of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug showed that there are competitive advantages of the region in the form of an advantageous transport-geographical and tourist-geographical locations. An assessment is made of the prospects for tourism development in comparison with the development of the other sectors. It is established that the infrastructure projects being implemented contribute to the development of tourism; however, the existing economic structure, oriented only toward the development of raw-material extracting industries, is a barrier to the development of tourism as one of the leading sectors of territorial specialization. As part of this research, it was possible to develop and suggest proposals for remedying the existing situation. Economic, administrative and information mechanisms are suggested, which are aimed at the formation of the tourism industry permitting a restructuring of the economy of the regions in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. It is de termined that the formation of the tourism industry has a favorable influence on employment and income of the indigenous population, primarily leading a traditional way of life. Data on the main tourist-recreational resources and their distribution in the municipalities of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug have been obtained and systematized.

The paper gives characteristics of natural and anthropogenic factors responsible for the geoecological situation inside the boundaries of the floodplain-terrace complex of the Tuul river within Ulaanbaatar. Among them, the geological structure and orography (occurrence in the intermontane depression), the specific character of climate-forming (frequent temperature inversions) and hydrological (mainly summer feed by rain water) characteristics, the degree of economic development (high pressure on the central city zone) and population density in administrative districts, etc. have been distinguished. Results obtained from hydro- and geochemical analyses of the territory and published previously (during 2009-2013) were used in the typification of the areas of the floodplain-terrace complex of the Tuul river according to the intensity of anthropogenic impact. An analysis was made of the sources of pollution, primarily of large industrial enterprises and facilities of housing and communal services: combined heat and power plants, industrial, meat-packing and biological plants, the poultry farm, sewage treatment plants, etc. Based on a comparative analysis of average concentrations of the component composition of the river waters and floodplain soils, maximum exceedances of maximum and approximate permissible concentrations of pollutants were determined. Categories of the intensity of anthropogenic impact were identified to vary from decreased to very high. It is shown that, in spite of a high degree of geo chemical understanding of the urban territory of Ulaanbaatar, no detailed investigations have been made within the floodplain-terrace complex of the Tuul river. The first-time assessment of the geoecological status of the sites across the study territory de termined the migration routes of chemical substances and correlated their occurrence in natural environment with the sources of pollution. According to the intensity of anthropogenic impact, for each site of the floodplain-terrace complex we have suggested environmental and water protection measures. Results of the assessment are presented in the form of cartographic material.

The paper takes us through the life course, research priorities, and scientific achievements of the geographer, specialist in the field of socio-economic geography, cartography and environmental protection Vladimir Vasilievich Vorobyev (19.10.1929- 14.05.2003). V.V. Vorobyev obtained his main scientific results in the fields of economic geography, historical geography, geogra phy of the population and cities, regional nature management, environmental and geographical developments, atlas and envi ronmental mapping. The scientist offered and substantiated original ideas about the geographical features of the formation of the population of Siberia. Thus, the decisive role of the initial main body of old-timers was identified, and it determined the com position of the region’s inhabitants, their connection with exit points, and new waves of immigrants. The research results are published in more than 350 scientific papers, including three individual and a large number of collective monographs. Academi cian V.V. Vorobyev is the founder of the Siberian school of population geography and the scientific school Methodology of En vironmental Ecological Mapping. The scientific activity of V.V. Vorobyev was noteworthy for the ability to set a goal and achieve its achievement. This applies both to his personal scientific work on the economic and geographical problems of cities, formation of the population, its dynamics and forecasting, and the collective development of nature management, environmental protection and ecological mapping of Siberia. The scientific and organizational decisions existing up until now enabled the creation of the Dissertation Council and the scientific journal «Geography and Natural Resources», which are still functioning in the Institute.

Currently, the main purpose of environmentalization of nature management is to create conditions for the harmonious and balanced development of nature, society, and economy. One should pay particular attention to the importance of life supporting functions of geosystems for society before directly using natural resources in order to maintain the balance of the nee ds of the population with environmental well-being. Under these conditions, ecological optimization of nature management based on the ecological potential of geosystems is the main paradigm of environmental policy, allowing one to balance the ecological and economic interests of society, create scientific prerequisites for developing legal environmental standards, economic calculations, and scientific and informational/analytical support for nature protection and environmental safety.

In the summer of 2017-2018 we researched the landscape-geochemical and socio-geographical aspects in the delta of the Selenga river (southeast coast of Lake Baikal). The structure of land use is dominated by hayfields and pastures. The study area is important for the development of meat and dairy farming in Buryatia. The cultivated crops here are cereals, legumes, cold-resistant silage crops, potatoes and other vegetables. In the Selenga river delta various types of soils have been formed: fluvisols, folic-podburs, and gray metamorphic and folic-gray soils. The fertile soils of the high floodplain with chernozems and phaeozems are used for arable land. The agricultural land of terraces with gray and folic-gray soils is used for pasture. The soils of the low floodplain of waterlogged meadows are included in agricultural circulation. We revealed that the soils of most agricultural lands have a satisfactory agronomic quality. The upper horizons of gray soils under the forest and chernozems under the steppe have high humus concentrations in their natural state. In constantly used agricultural soils humus content is reduced. In fallow lands, its concentrations are restored. The water pH level of soils is mostly neutral. It is revealed that the soils of the Selenga delta are mainly light soils. It was revealed that gray soils after forest clearing and using them for arable land, quickly degrade and lose their fertility. Soils of the steppes show good resistance to agricultural use. Soil deposits and arable land, previously located under forest, are infertile and require introduction of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers. Soils recently introduced for agricultural use require phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Chernozems and gray soil of natural landscapes, as well as anthrosols, previously located under steppe, are in good and satisfactory agronomic condition. Near the settlement of Kabansk we established high concentrations of some heavy metals in alluvial soils, exceeding the MPC. An increased content of oil products, phosphates, fluorides and heavy metals in the waters of the Selenga river was revealed. The coastal waters of Lake Baikal at the mouth of the Selenga river still meet sanitary and hygienic requirements. Alluvial soils of the Selenga river delta acts as a geochemical barrier to the migration of pollutants into Lake Baikal.

The paper outlines the tourist flow to the Republic of Buryatia. We revealed that during the last ten years there was an increase in the total flow of tourists by 60 %, and of foreign tourists by 3.5 times. The main areas of tourism on the northern coast of Lake Baikal are health-improving, educational, sports, water, scientific, ecotourism and extreme. Presented are the results of studies of the surface water of the rivers Upper Angara, Kichera, Dzelinda, Tyya, of the lakes - Slyudyanskoe (Bolshoe) and Boguchan, and the coastal zone of Lake Baikal. According to the results of the analysis of the lake waters of Slyudyanskie (Bolshoe) and Boguchan, an increased content of sulfates, phosphates and ammonium was found in the summer. The revealed presence of ammonia and nitrites in the water indicates a constant flow of household wastewater into the reservoir. Higher con centrations of sulfates, nitrates, and phosphates are found in the water of the studied rivers now than in the middle of the 20 ^th century. Especially significant changes in the hydrochemical regime were detected in the water of the Kichera river. We established elevated concentrations of nitrates and sulfates both in winter and summer. The chemical composition of Baikal water is under the constant influence of the Upper Angara and Kichera, which is manifested in a low content of bicarbonates and calcium. Elevated concentrations of sulfates and nitrogen compounds were found. The rivers Upper Angara and Kichera are connected with each other and wastewaters from Kichera and Lake Sikili, falling into Lake Baikal, what was recorded by chemical ana lyzes in winter. In summer, both phosphates and nitrogen compounds (ammonia and nitrites) were recorded there, which indicates a constant influx of pollutants into the reservoir. We revealed that the hydrochemical regime of the rivers of northern Baikal basically retains seasonal changes in the composition of river waters, only quantitative values have become higher.

The studies of structural-dynamic organization of forests in the central part of Lake Baikal eastern shore performed using method of field geobotanic survey (at the key sites) revealed modern trends of the formation of forest communities under different physical-geographic conditions in the Eastern Pre-Baikal in the whole. In particular, we noticed expansion of dark-coniferous trees species as undergrowth, at initial stages of timber stand formation, with appearing in the second synfolium suggesting spatial widening of a dark-coniferous component in taiga structure on the background of climate dynamics during last decades in the region. Common features of forest communities at the key sites - the Tolbazikha and Manturikha Rivers valleys, as well as in middle part of the Bol’shaya River (south-eastern coast of Lake) is strengthening of dark-coniferous species position in the un dergrowth of polydominant dark- and light-coniferous forests. Often on burnt sites and cuttings under the canopy of small-leaf timber stand, there is undergrowth of trees forming dark-coniferous taiga (cedar, spruce, fir) characteristic for pre-mountain region of the Khamar-Daban Ridge. According to the integrated studies data consisting of plants species composition, geoelemen tal (arealogical) and ecotypological (ecotypes) compositions, to ratio of belt-zonal plants groups in the communities and to structural-dynamic variability of communities with time for these physical-geographic conditions, we have to state that at present there are trends of substitution of dark-coniferous - light-coniferous taiga by dark-coniferous component everywhere. Such trends in the forests formation were noticed before several times for Lake Baikal southern and western shores, as well as in the whole Baikal Region.

The development of mineral and raw-material resources is accompanied by persistent negative changes in the environment, which threaten the state of ecological systems, health and economic activity of the population. In the Baikal-Mongolian region, various types of minerals are being developed. We identified areas where natural and socio-economic complexes were disturbed under the influence of mining, or the disturbance is forecasted. We proposed a model that reflects the main directions and stages of the study. Examined are the issues of the influence of the mining industry of the Baikal-Mongolian region on the human environment and the livelihoods of the population, which are understood as everyday activities of people, their work and leisure, quality of life and environment, environmental safety. We also presented a method for technogenic impact assessment. A series of maps compiled using high-resolution satellite images and geographic information technologies were developed. The maps show the consequences of the impact on economic activity, public health, specially protected natural areas, spa facilities and health and recreation facilities. A new direction is considered related to the development of mining and geological tourism. An environ mental assessment was carried out taking into account various indicators - impact indicators, considering different types of raw materials, mining conditions and methods. Special attention is given to the types and purpose of the mine workings, areas of disturbed lands, volumes of overburden and raw materials, their toxicity degree, distance from the pollutant, nature of distribu tion and migration of chemical elements. The approaches of a systematic analysis of the geographical environment developed and implemented by a prominent academic Vladimir Vasilievich Vorobyev was further strengthened in this work. His works are based on an anthropocentric concept, according to which the interaction of nature and society is considered in the interests of man, provides sustainable socially-oriented territorial development of our country and its regions.

The article discusses the possibility of organizing the “ Sayan Cross ” transboundary UNESCO World Heritage Site in the East Sayan mountainous region. The object includes the following territories: part of the Khuvsgul aimak in Mongolia, and in Russia - part of the Nizhneudinsky district of the Irkutsk region, part of the Tojinsky kozhuun of the Tyva Republic and the Okinsky district of the Buryatia Republic. Each of these sectors of the Sayan Cross with a large area is sparsely populated and inaccessible. The design of the Sayan Cross includes the formation of the structure of a transboundary UNESCO World Heritage Site, namely the planning of various categories new specially protected natural areas and territories of traditional nature used of native small turkic-speaking peoples with mountainous reindeer herding - Dukha (Tsaatans), Tofalars, Sojots and Tojins. In most cases, protected areas of national importance are included in World Heritage Sites. But in order to combine the natural and cultural components of the Sayan Cross object, it is also necessary to take into account the protected natural areas of regional significance and the territories of traditional nature used. Territorial planning for the conservation of natural areas and inhabited sites by native Sayan peoples is a complex and lengthy process. The main problem is related to the contradiction between the extremely clear task of preserving the nature at the global level and environment of small ethnic groups and the task of intensive development of the territory associated with the extraction of natural resources at the regional level. Therefore, the creation of a World Heritage Site will solve the problem of the contradiction between the priority of conservation of the natural environment at the global level and the priority of intensive development of the territory at the regional and local levels.

Forest fire activity in the Baikal region during 2000-2017 is higher as compared to Russia in terms of fire frequency, density, and area. The fire frequency and the average area of a single fire are observed to be increasing. This is facilitated by the fire hazard of the forest cover mainly represented by coniferous stands and by the values of the fire hazard in the forest ac cording to weather conditions varying from average to extreme. Changes in the average air temperature over all months of the fire hazard season contribute to maintaining the danger of fires in the Baikal region. The greatest potential natural fire hazard caused by weather conditions (a Nesterov index of more than 1000 units) was noted in the June-July of 2015 according to the weather stations of Ulan-Ude and Chita. The most developed and populated southern part of the Baikal region suffers from fires most often, which indicates that the fires are caused by humans. For the territory of the Tunkinsky basin, satellite images are used to identify the fire hazardous years of 2001, 2010, 2015, and 2016, and the fire covered areas are determined, which vary from 18 to 32 % for the territory of the Badara tract.

The paper considers the necessity to control each occurring vegetation fire on protected areas. This is possible using an improved forest fire danger rating and fire behavior prediction with the help of vegetation fuel maps. Fire data for the nature reserve “ Stolby ” were taken for a retrospective performance test of the developed software program on fire behavior prediction including fire spread rate, type, development, effects and calculation of the necessary manpower and resources for its control and suppression.

The paper considers the development of alternative energy for an industrial region (as exemplified by the Kemerovo oblast). Based on the assessment of natural, environmental and socio-economic factors and conditions, we demonstrate possibilities of alternative energy for each administrative region of Kuzbass. Presented is the zoning of the territory, the main criterion of which was the similarity of the development paths of alternative energy. We identified seven zones, and each one has its own promising types of alternative energy: solar, wind, small and micro-hydropower, bioenergy and, as a feature of this territory, the use of mine methane. We supplied justification that the economy of the region, based on the coal industry, can experience all the negative consequences of a decrease in demand for this energy resource. The significant potential of the resources of the Kem erovo oblast for the development of alternative energy enables the development of a new energy industry and identifies new ways of regional development.

This article was prepared on the materials held in 2015-2018 of initiative geoinformational assessment of the current level of anthropogenic disturbance in Russia’s natural ecosystems. A new calculation of the wildlife index for biomes and admin istrative-territorial entities of the Far Eastern Federal District is made. The cartographic material shows the current location of protected natural areas of federal and regional significance within the new borders of the Far Eastern Federal District. The Far Eastern protected areas, officially approved in the last decades of the current century, are briefly characterized, special attention is paid to the transboundary conservation problems of rare and threatened species of animals and the created reserves of inter national importance. Summarized geographical information is provided on the ratio of officially protected natural areas and those that have retained their ecological and biospheric potential, but which do not have official status of large areas of wildlife. It is proposed the introduction into the Russian environmental system of a new category of protected areas - «wildlerness reserve», the widespread global counterpart of which are the conservation facilities IUCN «1b» «wilderness» reserves.

This paper presents the results of geomorphological reconnaissance field studies of the effects of floods on the rivers of the Irkutsk oblast basin Angara - Iya (Angara river tributary), Olha (Irkut river tributary), as well as a number of tributaries of the lake Baikal. Were considered three sites located in different geodynamic conditions: Iya-river (Gadaley mouth-mouth Azey), Olkha, part of the tributares of lake Baikal (near the Baikalsk). The typing of channels and complexes of the studied rivers is carried out. High geodiversity of channel types within the study area was noted. The river Iya has incised, adapted, wide floodplain-channel river channel type. Olha characterized wide floodplaine with a meandering or branched- meandering type of channel with mostly segmental flat floodplain type. Tributaries of lake Baikal (Solzan, Babkha, Bezymyannaya) in the lower reaches and are characterized by a wide-floodplain, adapted branched and branched-winding types of channel, often with shore-and selezaschitnymi designs. On the basis of a combination of morphodynamic channel types the basic types, degree of interac tion of flood waters and floodplain-channel complexes on various sites are preliminary defined. It is noted that for the wide-floodplain areas the main type of interaction of the flow - floodplain-channel system was the flooding of negative forms of floodplain relief, in the areas of the adapted and embedded channel there was a complete flooding of floodplains. The most intensive, apparently, interaction of the flow and flow-floodplain-channel complexes, took place in the zones of change of the hydrodynamic regime, morphodynamic types of the channel. The types of exogenous geomorphological processes in river valleys arising or activated by the passage of the flood were determined.

Mapping the areas which build the ecological framework is based on a theoretical approach, a functional separation method and a three-level classification of the ecological framework elements of a region previously developed by the author. We considered a region is as part of the southern regions of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation (the Republic of Buryatia, the Zabaykalsky Krai and the Irkutsk oblast) within the catchment area of Lake Baikal and the northern regions of Mongolia. The methodology consists in a comprehensive analysis of the three most important target components in the organiza tion of the ecological framework of the region: protection of the Baikal geosystem; landscape and biological diversity protection; providing comfortable living conditions for the population of the region and the state of its physical health. Changes in environ mental legislation, in particular, the adoption of new federal laws and decrees of the Government of the Russian Federation, the expansion of the study area, and the experience in creating digital maps of the “Ecological Atlas of the Lake Baikal Basin” (2015): natural geosystems, resilience of geosystems to anthropogenic impacts, recommended use of landscapes; land use; land and forest resources, etc., this all provides general methodological concept for the preparation of a series of maps of the eco logical framework of the Baikal region. The territories that create the ecological framework were determined by comparing and analyzing the structure and functional features of landscapes and land uses using layers of digital map series: Landscape of the Lake Baikal Basin; Modern Land Use; Protected Areas, etc.

Contemporary society needs competent atlas cartosemiotic publications that form its scientific knowledge and intellectual communication potential. We consider the process of forming the iconic system of atlas mapping of the Baikal region. More than twenty atlases were created for the territory of the Baikal region and published. Fifteen of these were selected by us for their general cartosemiotic study. The internal cartosemiotic structure of atlases was analyzed through the prism of a unified system developed by the author, the classification of symbols and graphic display methods on the example of two atlases: of Transbai kalia and the Ecological Atlas of the Lake Baikal Basin. Both atlases include scientific fundamental and comprehensive content: we achieved the thematic completeness of the atlas, its sections and individual maps, created as a whole scientific work, showing specifically the components of nature and society and their territorial interaction. The analytical, synthetic, complex and system maps of the atlases are combined with a special system-hierarchical organization of the legend. In general, the mutual coordina tion of individual maps in sections and of the sections themselves was successfully implemented, which corresponds to the scien tific requirements for compiling maps and designing atlases for publication. The presence of balance and diversity in the combi nation of various types, classes, groups and types of syntactic designs of map characters revealed during semiotic analysis of atlases demonstrates a high scientific level of map compilation works and works on the general semiotic design of the publication of the atlas of Transbaikalia and the Environmental Atlas of the Lake Baikal Basin.

The paper presents the analysis of the changes that occurred in the post-Soviet period in the main industrial structures of the Irkutsk oblast - industry, food, institutional and territorial. We revealed a sectoral shift in industry and product structures in the direction of strengthening resource and raw material specialization and increasing the share of industries and types of products that focus primarily on the foreign market. The transformation of the institutional structure as a result of the privatiza tion of basic enterprises and their transfer under the control of metropolitan capital has led to a significant reduction in the fiscal return for the region. The main trend in changing the territorial structure of industrial production is a dramatic shift to the pe ripheral northern regions with the formation of a new large Verkhnelenskii territorial-production complex there. The main direc tions of regional industry development in the foreseeable future, their advantages and disadvantages are outlined.

The urgency of the topic of interregional cooperation is caused by a decrease in the intensity of horizontal ties between regions resulted from the increased centralization of economic resources, a general decrease in the rate of economic growth, and the underdeveloped institutional basis of the cooperation. The research considers the possibility of enhancing interregional coop eration on the basis of a joint addressing the main territorial challenges by regional authorities, which are currently being ad dressed from the federal level. It has proven essential to include horizontal ties between regions, which will take into account the interests of the territories. Three groups of similar problems have been identified related to the nature of the use of natural re sources, environmental impact on the habitat, and the preservation of the human potential of the territory. We proposed to study the practice of reducing the level of decision-making in the country and abroad by the method of case analysis, in particular, when solving the problems of protecting Lake Baikal, in order to create a system of institutions for inter-regional interaction. This approach will strengthen federalism and accelerate the pace of socio-economic development of territories.