Home – Home – Jornals – Geography and Natural Resources 2023 number 3

In the context of regional development, innovation and diversification are currently recognized as main strategic drivers. Particularly promising is the convergence of these areas, known as diversification based on innovation. For the resource sector of the economy and resource regions, such diversification entails the development of knowledge-intensive suppliers and high-tech services, often within specialized clusters. Given the increasing complexities of the resource base in the oil and gas sector and the pressures of sanctions, these objectives have gained significant relevance in Russia. A compelling illustration can be found in the establishment of a competitive oil industry cluster in the southern part of Tyumen Oblast. It is shown that this cluster has the potential to be a crucial catalyst for the socio-economic progress of the region. However, for the oil industry cluster to contribute sustainably to the region’s economic growth in the long term, it necessitates a substantial share of innovative projects. These projects should be science-intensive and deliver high added value, while effectively addressing all the emerging challenges associated with changes in the primary assets of the oil and gas sector in Western Siberia.

This article presents the findings of an empirical study conducted by the authors on cooperative network interactions among organizations in the production sector of Altai Krai. The study focuses on the region’s socio-economic development and, based on a brief review of other works, explores the aspects contemporary of empirical research on cooperative-network relations among organizations. We discuss and systematize the theoretical and methodological aspects of the study, provide our interpretation of basic concepts, and outline the key areas of analysis.The study methodology is described, highlighting its thus predetermined specific features that involve a comprehensive examination of organizations in the region. This includes small, medium, and large enterprises engaged in various types of activities, both within the region and across different regions and countries through cooperative-networking linkages. A questionnaire survey has been the primary tool used for data collection. We explain the principles for selecting the sample population and provide details about the information base of the study, which enables the achievement of its main objectives. The substantial results of the study’s first stage are presented, derived from testing the methodology. They offer a general overview of the scale, nature, and driving forces behind the development of industrial cooperation in Altai Krai, a typical agro-industrial region. Additionally, the study addresses the challenges related to the formation and development of industrial cooperation in the region.

State policies increasingly focus on fostering an effective innovation ecosystem and promoting the sustainable growth of high-tech and knowledge-intensive companies. A critical aspect influencing these objectives is the urban environment, which serves as a primary interface for most companies. In this regard, the Smart City Initiative at the departmental level and the federal project “Formation of Comfortable Urban Environment" are striving to establish modern smart cities. Smart cities create a growing demand for high-tech products and knowledge-intensive services, consequently driving their supply. The establishment of a smart, comfortable, and technologically advanced environment, coupled with an openness to new technologies, acts as a catalyst for the emergence and expansion of high-tech companies, as well as the development of an effective innovation ecosystem. Smart cities also facilitate the creation of innovation exchange hubs such as technology parks, business incubators, etc. Moreover, the presence of numerous high-tech companies reinforces the utilization of digital technologies and the Internet of Things within the urban landscape. The technologies developed and implemented must be relevant and user-friendly for citizens. This research aims to assess the reciprocal influence between high-tech and knowledge-intensive companies (HT&KICs) and smart cities, building upon a modified triple helix model as the theoretical framework. Through econometric analysis, we have observed that in large cities with a high level of digitalization in the urban economy and environment, there exists a positive impact on the development of HT&KICs.

The sustainable development of the Russian Arctic faces primarily socio-demographic risks: low population, migration outflow, subpar quality of life compared to the national average, and a mismatch between available educational opportunities and the needs of the Arctic economy and social sphere. Given that young peopleplay a crucial role in this area’s human and intellectual potential, their increased mobility in Arctic regions highlights the urgent need to find effective solutions to reduce youth migration. This can be achieved through the utilization of rapidly advancing digital technologies and smart solutions. This article presents the findings of a pilot study that aimed to test the hypothesis regarding the possible benefits of digital technologies in improving the quality of life for Arctic youth and mitigating their migration outflow. The results revealed significant potential for digital technologies to address the issue of youth migration outflow. In particular, the use of distance technologies to enhance the accessibility and quality of education can greatly influence young people’s decision to choose Arctic territories as their place of residence, work, and personal growth.

Human capital represents a crucial component for each enterprise, acting as a competitive advantage in achieving favorable outcomes. This study puts forward a hypothesis regarding the influence of factors causal to the emergent property on the self-assessment of firm-specific human capital within specific segments (individual categories) of the employed population, including business structure leaders, entrepreneurs, and employees. To measure firm-specific human capital, we employ a methodology adapted by the team of authors led by G.F. Romashkina from A. Moses’ research on human capital. The findings from our tests establish that social behavior factors, alongside traditional ones, significantly influence the self-assessment of firm-specific human capital, serving as the underlying conditions for the emergence effect.

Based on a sociological survey conducted among residents living in mining areas of the Tyva Republic (Tuva), this article examines the impact of industrial development on the region’s socio-economic advancement, particularly focusing on the environmental situation and the well-being of the population. The study identifies the sectors significantly affected by the economic exploitation of the territories and establishes the foundation for sustainable growth in these mining areas. By employing cluster analysis, we categorize the development districts into three equilibrium states: indifferent, unsustainable, and sustainable. The research distinguishes the Tandinsky and Dzun-Khemchiksky districts as they remain unaffected by mining enterprises. In contrast, the Todzhinsky District demonstrates environmental degradation due to active mining operations. The Kyzylsky District is currently approaching a sustainable equilibrium state, with mixed changes observed across all three dimensions: economic, social and ecological. While negative assessments exist, positive ones prevail overall. The article also reveals divergence in collective assessments. Although clusters of values align closely on certain issues such as improving electricity supply, road quality, and increasing air pollution, opinions diverge on other aspects. The most notable divergence occurs in the assessment of wages and the local population’s purchasing power.

In today’s context, there is an urgent need to find new mechanisms for fostering domestic tourism. To formulate effective strategies for developing the tourism potential of specific territories, it is necessary to gather data on the tourist preferences and tastes of both visitors and residents. This study aims to create an applied tool for tourism design by utilizing a netnographic analysis of social networks. Through it, we identify the most appealing locations in Volgograd. The findings of this research can be used to optimize the allocation of tourism resources among these territories. The proposed consumer content analysis method, devised by the author, enables precise identification of each tourist cluster and optimization of its boundaries, thereby providing more comprehensive insights into tourist distribution in space and preferences.

This article examines the evolution of cost-benefit analysis methods in line with advancements in science and technology. It proposes a comprehensive set of interconnected models that combine an expanded financial and economic model as their basis, an optimization multiregional input-output model, along with detailed financial and economic models for individual subprojects and econometric models for some public effects. These models are utilized to evaluate the efficiency of large-scale investment projects. The study then focuses on four scenarios of technological changes and presents the calculation formulas for each key stage. Using these methods, the research assesses, for the first time, the performance indicators of “Akademgorodok 2.0, " a large-scale real project with a 2013-2030 timeline and an investment of 299 billion rubles. When considering constant 2013 prices, a cost-benefit analysis reveals a net discounted income of800 billion rubles at a 7% discount rate, or 1964 billion rubles without discounting. These figures demonstrate that the project’s financial, economic, and budgetary efficiency indicators align with evaluations of similar mega science installations in Europe.

In the new geopolitical and economic landscape, the transformation of cross-border relations and the strengthening of integration processes with Central Asian countries, particularly in the so-called “eastern vector, " hold significant importance for the development of Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union. Within this context, Siberia’s role in fostering such interactions, with a specific focus on collaboration among regional scientific, educational, and innovation ecosystems, is increasingly vital. This article examines the potential of cross-border cooperation in science, technology, the training of highly skilled professionals, and various approaches to advancing such cooperation. Specifically, it focuses on the dynamic Republic of Kazakhstan and Novosibirsk, which has emerged as the primary scientific and innovative hub for Eurasian cross-border interactions in Asian Russia. By exploring the establishment of a branch of Novosibirsk State University and an Akademgorodok in the city of Konaev, Kazakhstan, the article illustrates the steps involved in Russian-Kazakh scientific, technological, and educational cooperation, as well as the expected outcomes of these collaborative efforts.

This article assesses the role of Transbaikalia in the Russian economic space and explores its development potential in the new geopolitical landscape. Transbaikalia, identified as a key geostrategic region, serves as a vital link between the Far East and the rest of Russia. Moreover, it acts as a gateway to the primary land corridor extending deep into the Asian mainland. The study explores the trade and financial interactions of Transbaikalia with China and Mongolia, particularly within the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor, as well as its own potential for development through increased business activities with neighboring countries. The analysis draws upon customs data, banking information, and business statistics. It highlights a lower level of economic activity within local communities in Transbaikalia when compared to partners along the economic corridor. Furthermore, it emphasizes the peripheral position of Transbaikalia in federal strategies for macroregional development and the prevailing pattern of interaction in the northern direction, i.e., from China to Russia. This raises the issue of prioritizing the development of this region at the federal level, which is crucial for ensuring economic security amid the intensifying Asian direction of the country’s global engagement.

The study’s relevance is substantiated by the strategic goal and practical significance of economic cooperation and integration, as well as the advancement of cultural and political collaboration between neighboring states. The research involves analyzing socioeconomic data of cross-border territories and zoning the Kazakhstan-Russia border area. This comprehensive study can serve as a foundation for detecting border security risks and examining the stability of the Kazakhstan-Russia border. The findings reveal the existence of four socioeconomic regions within the Kazakhstan-Russia cross-border area: Western, Central, Northern, and Eastern, each with its specifics. The Western and Northern regions are identified as having predominantly developed territories, whereas the Central and Eastern ones exhibit lower levels of development and economic prosperity. Interestingly, a consistent pattern emerged, indicating significant developmental asymmetry between adjacent border areas in the more developed territories, whereas such disparities were minimal in the less developed regions. Overall, the research findings demonstrate notable differences in socioeconomic parameters across the Kazakhstan-Russia cross-border region.

This article investigates how structural, institutional, and spatial factors influence business performance in Novosibirsk Oblast. The study utilizes data from the SPARK-Interfax database for the years 2019-2020, focusing on enterprises in the region. The empirical analysis employed regression models and an extended production function approach to examine how various factors influence enterprise revenue and profit. In addition to assets and labor remuneration, the study assessed the impact of factors such as industry affiliation, firm age, ownership form, and distance to the regional capital. The findings reveal that private businesses and young firms demonstrate higher productivity and profitability, underscoring the importance of supporting entrepreneurship and new ventures in the region. Furthermore, industrial and service businesses outperform the agricultural sector, suggesting targeted assistance for agriculture may be warranted. The analysis highlights the significant contribution of agglomeration effects to firm performance in Novosibirsk Oblast, comparable to national averages. This emphasizes the need for transport and infrastructure projects that reduce the cost of business interactions.

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of flames propagating with a sign-variable speed, in methane-air and coal-methane-air mixtures in a vertically located closed pipe at coal dust concentrations of 0.10 ÷ 0.42 kg/m³. The results of the study can be useful for developing combustion models and assessing dynamic and thermal effects during combustion of methane-air suspended coal in coal mines.

Experimental studies of combustion stability to a local excess of a component in a dispersed mixture of titanium and carbon powder are presented. The influence of the spreading of a melt of a fusible or liquid reaction product on the stability of the combustion transition through a solid and perforated carbon powder barrier is considered. The direction of melt movement with respect to the direction of front propagation has been studied. It is shown that the stability of the combustion transition through the barrier is determined by the thermal interaction between the combustion wave and the barrier and is not directly related to the convective heat transfer by the melt.

The results of an experimental study of the possibility of burning separated and discharged to the Earth's surface are presented on the example of the design of elements of the head fairing of a launch vehicle. A new scheme of a honeycomb-free three-layer construction of combusted elements of the head fairing using a charge of high-energy material is proposed. Based on the formulated requirements for the characteristics of the charge and analysis of the results of thermodynamic calculations, the basic compositions of high-energy materials (HEMs) were selected. The energy and strength characteristics of the selected HEM compositions are experimentally determined, and the patterns of their combustion at subatmospheric pressure are determined. The results of laboratory tests of the combustion of elements of the structures under consideration with a VEM filler charge showed the possibility of partial utilization of spent parts of the launch vehicle.

The possibility of using the method of flameless combustion of RDX in ballasted systems to produce composite materials containing copper and zinc particles. The initial energetic material was RDX, the binder was hexamethylene diisocyanate, and precursors were copper hydroxocarbonate and copper oxalate. Highly porous composite materials containing nanosized particles of copper, zinc oxide or mixtures thereof were obtained by optimization of the flameless combustion conditions.

The synthesis process was realized in activated mixtures 5Ti + 3Si + xAl (x= 0 ÷ 40%) and in the initial mixture 5Ti + 3Si + 10%Al. The effect of mechanical activation and aluminum content on the rate and maximum combustion temperature, morphology, elongation, integrity, and phase composition of combustion products have been studied. Mechanical activation expanded the limit of Al content to 40%, at which it is possible to realize the combustion of samples without preheating. Based on the Ti-Si-Al system, intermetallic alloys - solid solutions based on titanium silicide Ti(Si_0.75Al_0.25)₂ and based on aluminide titanium Ti(Al_0.9Si_0.1)₃.

A new method for determining the parameters of the equation of state JWL of explosive products from experimental data is presented. The experimentally obtained values of pressure and mass velocity on the adiabat of expansion - deceleration of the explosion products are used as reference points. The values of the JWL equation of state parameters are determined using an iterative algorithm.

One of the shortcomings of the classical electromagnetic method of Zavoisky is sensitivity to the non-one-dimensionality of the flow behind the front of the investigated wave. In this paper, it is proposed to use a four-contact gauge to correct the measurements. Two signals are detected from frames, one of which is located in a plane tangent to the front, and the other in a plane parallel to the direction of wave propagation. Next, the true velocity signal insensitive to the curvature of the front is constructed from the two signals. The second difficulty that arises in electromagnetic measurements is the large size of the gauges. Typically, the length of the working arm L is about 1 cm. An analysis of the potential distribution in the gauge showed that the proposed combined gauge is equivalent to two frames of zero width, and the effective length L is the distance between the midlines of the supply conductors. It is shown that the value of L can be reduced to 1.5 ÷ 2 mm with a lead width of about 0.5 mm. This makes it possible to perform local measurements at spots of millimeter size and handle small-sized charges. These improvements bring electromagnetic measurements closer to the level of modern optical techniques, at a much more modest cost of hardware.

The light emission from samples representing a transparent matrix with inclusions of hot spots was studied. The matrix material was water and epoxy resin. Hot spots were generated by shock-wave compression of MS-B hollow glass microballoons. In the pressure range 0.7-29 GPa, the time of brightness decay was 280 to 70 ns. The brightness decay time increased by more than an order of magnitude when replacing the optical window made of solid epoxy resins by LiF. However, even this increase in the brightness decay time is much shorter than the estimates of the temperature relaxation of hot spots due to heat conduction mechanisms in the calculation with stationary parameters (t_a = 10^-2 s) and due to light emission (τ = 2.4 · 10^-3 s). It is concluded that the dominant mechanism of temperature relaxation is the turbulent mixing of the medium behind the shock-wave front. The experimental results show that in numerical simulations of the temperature field during the passage of a pore by a shock wave, it is necessary to take into account the viscosity and strength of the matrix substance.

Temperature distribution characteristics are important for evaluating the combustion status, safety monitoring, and disaster diagnosis of combustible gases. Traditional colorimetric thermometry is difficult to measure the temperature of combustible gases for the lack of the grey-body in the burning processes. In the present study, a visible burning facility for combustible gases is designed, and the temperature characteristics are measured using an improved colorimetric pyrometer with auxiliary solid powders as a grey-body. In order to improve the temperature measurement accuracy of the system, the type, particle size, and concentration of the powders as well as the ignition delay time are studied. After many debugging experiments, it is found that the best measurement results are obtained for the 30/70 H₂/air mixture with the tungsten powder with the mean particle size of 7.9 μm, particle concentration of 21 g/m³, and ignition delay time of 80 ms. The results are corroborated with the previous studies.

In this study, explosion venting of front, centrally, and rear ignited 9% methane-air mixtures has been conducted in a 1-m³ rectangular vessel with and without cylinders placed parallel to the venting direction. Three pressure peaks P₁, P₂, and P_ext caused by vent failure, flame-acoustic interaction, and external explosion, respectively, can be distinguished. The pressure peak P₁ appears in all the tests and is insensitive to the ignition position, but the existence of obstacles increases its value. The pressure peak P₂ only appears in the centrally and front ignited explosions without obstacles. The pressure peak P_ext can be observed in the rear ignition tests and is strengthened by the cylinders. The duration of the Helmholtz oscillations is longer in front ignition tests, whereas addition of cylinders had a minor effect on their frequency. This study also validates the ability of FLACS in predicting a vented methane-air explosion by comparing the simulated pressure--time histories and flame propagations with experimental results. FLACS can basically predict the shape of overpressure curves. If cylinders exist, the simulation results ensure better agreement with the experimental data because FLACS cannot simulate the flame-acoustic-interaction-induced pressure peak P₂. The performance of FLACS is satisfactory in rear ignition tests because it calculates P_ext and obstacles' effect on P_ext exactly. The flame behavior simulated by FLACS is similar to that in experiments, but the effect of the Taylor instability on the flame is not sufficiently considered.

A unified approach to the calculation of equilibrium states of combustion products of hydrocarbons with a lack of oxygen is used to numerically construct a self-similar solution that allows simulating the structure of the detonation wave in a fuel-rich acetylene-oxygen mixture. The influence of the presence of condensed carbon particles in detonation products on this structure is analyzed.

Regimes of continuous multifront detonation of two-phase mixtures of aviation kerosene and hot air are obtained for the first time and studied in a flow-type annular combustor 503 mm in diameter and 600 mm long. Air with a flow rate of 7.8 ÷ 24 kg/s is preheated up to 600 ÷ 1200 K by a firing method in the settling chamber by means of burning a stoichiometric H₂-O₂ mixture. Liquid kerosene is bubbled with air in the fuel injection system. The equivalence ratio of the fuel is 0.66 ÷ 1.28. The influence of the air temperature on the region of continuous detonation, pressure in the combustor, and specific impulse is studied. Experiments with the air temperature in the interval 600 ÷ 1200 K reveal regimes of continuous multifront detonation with one pair (frequency 1.2±0.1 kHz) or two pairs (frequency 2.4±0.2 kHz) colliding transverse detonation waves. Based on the stagnation pressure measured at the combustor exit, the thrust force and specific impulse are determined. It is shown that an increase in the air temperature assists in detonation burning of the two-phase kerosene-air mixture, but the degree of dissociation of combustion products increases, while the specific impulse of the thrust force decreases. The specific impulse increases if the amount of the fuel in the mixture is sufficiently small, and its maximum value with allowance for the energy of compressed air in receivers is approximately 2200 for the air temperature in the settling chamber equal to 600 K.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the detonation in air containing an n-heptane droplet cloud and the effect of the droplet size. A finite volume solver is developed to simulate the two-phase reacting compressible flow using a single-step reaction mechanism. The focus is on the impact of the droplet size on the detonation wave pressure and velocity. For the physical situation considered, the upper limit of the droplet size is determined to ensure self-sustained detonation, and it is shown that medium-size droplets initiate a stronger detonation wave than the gas fuel detonation or than large-size droplets. The distribution of the flow properties behind the wave is analyzed to demonstrate the observed behavior of the droplet size.

The explosion process of the flake aluminum powder-air two-phase flow is experimentally studied in a large-scale long straight horizontal tube with a length of 32.4 m and an inner diameter of 0.199 m. The deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) of the aluminum powder-air mixture is analyzed after being ignited by a 40-J electric spark, and the DDT of the mixture at different mass concentrations is compared. The results show that self-sustained detonation can be achieved in the range of 286 ÷ 532 g/m³ of the flake aluminum powder concentration, and the DDT process of the aluminum powder-air mixture at the concentration of aluminum particles 409 g/m³ (optimal concentration) is analyzed in detail. The detonation velocity and detonation pressure at the optimal concentration are 1690 m/s and 58 bar, respectively. During the self-sustained detonation stage, the detonation overpressure of the multiphase fuel-air mixture exhibits a typical constant oscillation characteristic, while the detonation velocity remains stable. In addition, a double-headed mode helical detonation phenomenon is observed in the detonation wave front of the aluminum powder-air mixture. The structure of the detonation wave, the flow field parameters, and the interaction between the shock wave and the three-wave point trajectory are analyzed. The detonation cell size at the optimal concentration is approximately 486 mm.

Experimental and numerical studies of premixed methane-air flame dynamics in an obstructed chamber are carried out. In the experiment, high-speed video photography and pressure transducer measurements are used to study the combustion dynamics. In the numerical simulation, three subgrid-scale viscosity models and three subgrid-scale combustion models are selected to evaluate their individual predictions compared to the experimental data. The high-speed photographs show that the flame propagation process can be divided into four typical stages. When the flame front passes through the obstacle, two distinct vortex structures are formed. The volute flame is the result of the flame-vortex interaction. In addition, the combustion regime experiences a transition from “wrinkled flamelets” to “corrugated flamelets” and finally arrives at a “thin reaction zone regime.”

We examine changes in the baric field of the AT-500 hPa surface during two natural periods of the Earth’s climate system: the period of stabilization, and the second wave of global warming consisting of the active phase, and the phase of deceleration in warming. The study area includes the Atlantic-Eurasian sector of the hemisphere, which is characterized by the highest weather-climatic instability. The analysis of climatic fields was carried out for January and July. It has been established that both in January and in July, the highest degree of zoning is characteristic of the active phase of the second wave of global warming. In January, a west-east shift of the climatic baric wave from one natural climatic period to another was revealed. The western shift was observed during the period of stabilization and the phase of deceleration in warming. The eastward movement of the wave took place in the active phase of the second wave of global warming. In July, against the background of the west-east shift of the baric wave over most of European Russia, an anticyclonic source was formed during the deceleration in warming, which indicates an increase in the frequency of anticyclones over this territory. It is suggested that such a restructuring of the pressure field contributes to an increase in the role of summer transformation processes in current warming.

For the first time, a geographical analysis is made of the manifestation of various forms of meandering of river flows and conditions for occurrence of bends of channels and bends of branches of channels is given. It is shown that the instability of rectilinear movement of the flows, causing their sinuosity (meandering), is reflected primarily in the formation and development of river bends (formation of meandering channels) which are the most common morphodynamic type of channel in small and medium-sized rivers. It has been established that channel bends dominate in the rivers of the southern part of the East European Plain, in Western Siberia, and in other lowlands which are characterized (according to geological and geomorphological conditions) by the free development of channel deformations. In large rivers of these regions, bends are complicated by islands on their wings or in the apical parts, whereas in the Lower Volga, and the Middle and Lower Ob, which belong to the category of the largest, are characteristic for the arms of bifurcated channels (Volga, Akhtuba, and Malaya, Gornaya and Bolshaya Ob). It has been revealed that a specific feature of meandering and branching channels is floodplain-channel branching with meandering arms (up to 3-6 bends each). In branched rivers of any type, the meandering process manifests itself in the formation of branching arms, and in rectilinear unbranched channels - in the sinuosity of the meandering flow among side channels located in a staggered order. In conditions of limited development of channel deformations (the north-west of the European territory of Russia, and Central Siberian plateau), incised bends and bends of branching arms of the incised channel on large rivers prevail. In areas of complex geological and geomorphological structure, there occurs a complex alternation of free and incised bends, and a braided channel with bends of branches of the incised and broad floodplain channel. In mountain rivers there occur incised bends and structurally conditioned bends of the channel. The distribution of various forms of meandering is displayed on a small-scale map which combines the zoning for small and medium-sized rivers and the linear form (off-scale strips) for large and major rivers.

For the first time, an electronic vector map of small river basins and their interfluves with a regional level of spatial detail (1:1 000 000) was created using GIS-technology for the territory of mainland Russia with a total area of almost 17 million sq. km. Global model GMTED2010 was used as a digital elevation model. The total number of basin geosystems is 388 627, and their area averages 47,8 sq. km. The selected basin geosystems were used as operational-territorial units, in relation to which the geodatabase was created, characterizing the natural resource potential and geoecology of Russia. Open access geoportal “River basins of the European part of Russia” was created for a large part of the country, where all information thus obtained is posted. The article provides examples of solutions based on the previously formed GIS and the basin approach. A digital mosaic of small river basins makes it possible to “collect” territories of different scale (from local to transregional) and different taxonomy (from catchments of large rivers to federal districts of Russia) for geographical analysis. Such examples are given with the creation of specialized GIS for the Great Rivers of Siberia: the Ob and Lena, and a number of federal districts: the Volga and Siberian districts. Based on the map thus created of basins and GIS, a number of major geographical and geoecological problems are solved: evaluation of current intensity of soil erosion, density of gully erosion, modeling of river runoff and anthropogenic impact on basin geosystems.

The objective of this paper is to clarify the system of higher classes of geographical complexes and, on their basis, to identify natural and natural-technogenic types of layering of the geographical sphere as well as to discuss the landscape sphere concept. A model of the geographical sphere (epigeosphere) is proposed on the basis of vertically alternating layers, each of which is a set of laterally bordering landscape level geocomplexes on the boundary of partial geospheres (atmo-, hydro- and lithosphere) or within one of them. The classification scheme of seven divisions (classes of the highest rank) of natural geocomplexes is justified: atmolithospheric (terrestrial), hydrolithospheric (bottom (underwater) and glacial-mineral (subglacial)), atmohydrospheric (air-water (water-surface) and air-glacial), atmohydrolithospheric (amphibious and glacial), atmospheric (air), hydrospheric (water and glacial), lithospheric (underground (mineral)) geocomplexes. The classification of geocomplexes serves as a single basis for a comparative analysis of the most diverse parts of the geographical sphere. This approach makes it possible to display not only the layering, but all aspects of the spatial structure and can be used not only at global and regional, but also at local levels. The same model allows us to reflect anthropogenic changes of the spatial structure. Four natural types of layering structure of the geographical sphere (epigeosphere) are distinguished: terrestrial, amphibious (continental and marine) and glacial, mid-deep-water (marine and continental) and glacial, deep-water (oceanic and marine) and glacial. Five technogenically altered (natural-technogenic) subtypes of layering structure were identified: two in the terrestrial and one in each of the others. The concept of the landscape sphere as part of the geographical sphere (epigeosphere) along the contact zones of partial geospheres is supplemented by the idea of the landscape sphere as a sphere confined to the outer boundary of the lithosphere. In this version of the concept, the landscape sphere is formed by geocomplexes of three classes: atmolithospheric, atmohydrolithospheric and hydrolithospheric.

In view of the growing problem of global depletion of natural resources, the concept of sustainable development and natural capital as relevant tools for environmental management has been considered. The place of specially protected natural areas (SPNAs) in the structure of natural capital is indicated. Qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the network of SPNAs and their changes from 1992 till the present, corresponding to the recommendations of the world community within the framework of the concept of sustainable development, are examined. Countries with the most successful networks of SPNAs are highlighted. The problem of compliance with the international requirements of networks of SPNAs in various regions of the Russian Federation is outlined. An assessment is made of the network of SPNAs by using, as an example, Omsk oblast in terms of important structural indicators and recommendations for its improvement. The present state of the network of SPNAs in Omsk oblast as an important part of natural capital of the region is considered. Data on the modern structure of the network of SPNAs in Omsk oblast are presented. An uneven distribution of SPNAs across the region’s territory, a small number of SPNAs of the “natural park” category and the absence of SPNAs of federal significance were revealed. Changes in the number of SPNAs in 2015-2020 were analyzed, and data on changes in the number of SPNAs according to the categories for the given period are presented. A reduction in the area of SPNAs in the region was revealed. Recommendations are given for improving the efficiency of management of the network of SPNAs in Omsk oblast. Experience of foreign countries in using the public-private partnership mechanism to improve the effectiveness of SPNAs and attract private investment in this area was considered. The Strategy for the development of the system of specially protected natural areas in Omsk oblast for the period into 2030 has been considered. The purpose, objectives and principles of the implementation of the Strategy in the field of the organization and functioning of SPNAs are defined as well as the main directions of the activities of state bodies to increase public support for SPNAs and create conditions for the promotion of educational tourism.

The regularities of potassium sorption from an aqueous solution of KCl were studied using three types of soils (peat lowland, light chestnut, and alluvial turf) formed in the conditions of Western Transbaikalia and their treated analogues. Potassium sorption in soil was measured in laboratory conditions using an experiment in which soils were balanced with a solution with different initial concentrations of KCl (0,5, 1,0, 3,0 and 5,0 mmol/L) for 24 h. The resulting potassium sorption isotherms were described by the Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The parameters of these equations indicate inhomogeneities of the bonds of potassium ions with the solid phase of soils. The maximum potassium uptake by the soils under study varied within 53,2-87,8 % at the initial concentration of the introduced solution of KCl in 1 mmol/L, while the distribution coefficient (K_d) of potassium between the solid and liquid phases of the soils used in the study varied from 11,37 to 72,11 L/kg. The highest value of K_d was found for peat-lowland soil and the lowest value for alluvial turf. The patterns of changes in potassium K_d correlate with the degree of its absorption by the soil. The maximum sorption capacity of potassium by the soils under study varied in the upper humus horizons from 54,05 to 98,04 mmol/kg, and in the lower horizons from 35,71 to 100,0 mmol/kg. The values of the K_L coefficient of the Langmuir equation in humus horizons were slightly less (0,272-0,668 L/mmol) than in mineral horizons (0,102-1,511 L/mmol), which indicates that potassium binds more strongly in mineral horizons. The coefficient K_F of the Freundlich equation in humus horizons varied from 9,98 to 23,51 mmol/kg, and in mineral horizons 6,63-26,77 mmol/kg. It was established that the soils under study are characterized by a different sorption activity with respect to potassium and form the following decreasing series according to the level of potassium absorption: peat lowland > light chestnut > alluvial turf.

Presented are the results of terrestrial landscape studies obtained in the goletzes of the Barguzin Range and Baikal Range. Modern exogenous processes of relief formation, which change the structure of glacial geosystems, are considered. Profiles for further large-scale research into geosystems have been laid in the key areas. It has been revealed that on the Barguzin Range, rocky watershed and corrie complexes, and steep-slope rocky-coarse-clastic, slope-shrubby dwarf mountain pine-steppe complexes predominate. On the Baikal Ridge, the landscape structure of the key area consists of rocky, steep-slope rocky-coarse-clastic, and slope dark coniferous complexes of reduced and limited development. Using satellite images, topographic maps and results of ground route surveys, landscape maps of key areas were created. The basic unit of mapping at a scale of 1:50 000 is represented by a group of facies which is characterized by the similarity of locations and by the belonging of plant associations to one group, and soil phases - to one genus, which represent homogeneous natural and natural-anthropogenic geosystems of topological level. Groups of facies are differentiated with respect to the regime of moistening in different areas, geological and structural features of rocks, the position in the relief (the relation to the altitudinal belts, steepness of slopes and exposure, and the effects of barrier shade and insolation), and the altitudinal-belt differentiation of soil and vegetation cover. It is concluded that the modern structure of goletz geosystems of Cisbaikalia is experiencing changes associated mainly with climate warming. Conditions are being created for soil formation, overgrowth of rubbly areas with pioneer vegetation, expansion of dwarf mountain pine-clastic, yernik and alder shrub habitats.

As a result of soil-geochemical studies, we determined the degree of hydrogenic transformation of soils on the most developed and periodically flooded territories of the western and southern coast of Lake Baikal. Indicators were selected and a scale was proposed for a point assessment of hydrogenic transformation of soils and soil cover. The following indicators were used as indicators of hydrogenic transformation of soils and soil cover: morphological signs of hydromorphism; soil pollution; reduction of physical clay content; increased area of exposed soil-forming and underlying rock; reduction of humus reserves; the area of natural forage land and arable land removed from land use, and others. An assessment is made of the environmental damage caused to the soil cover of the coastal area as a result of the influence of fluctuations in the lake level. It was revealed that most of the key areas of the western coast of Lake Baikal are characterized by an average degree of soil transformation. A high degree of soil transformation is noted at the mouths of the Goloustnaya and Anga Rivers, on the coast of the Gulf of Shida and Lake Ulan-Khan. On most of the study territory of the southern coast of Baikal (the mouth of the Snezhnaya, Utulik, Pokhabikha and Kultuk Rivers), a high degree of transformation of soil cover was established, where anthropogenic impact is also observed. In all periodically flooded soils of the lake coast, geomorphological signs of hydromorphism are observed, and in some areas there occur processes of increasing the fraction of physical sand, sediment from organic remains of dead vegetation, a decrease and increase in humus reserves, a decrease in the area of forage land. Increased concentrations of petroleum products and some heavy metals were detected in the soils of the estuaries of the southern coast of Lake Baikal. The soils of most of the key areas are characterized by low levels of plant nutrients.

Based on analyzing a Digital Elevation Model, we obtained novel evidence for the bottom surface at the junction between the Northern and Southern basins of the South Baikal Depression. The topographic patterns revealed for the north-western slope and the abyssal surface of the site are largely due to high seismic activity and complex fault structural organization of the territory. Fault structures limit the site from all sides, determine the direction of the north-western and south-eastern sides of the site, diagonally dissect its surface, and determine the direction of underwater valleys of canyons, the features of their transverse and longitudinal profiles, the direction and initiation of erosion and gravity processes. Active erosion and gravity processes favored the creation of a well-developed ridge-ravine relief on the slopes of the Posolskaya Bank, the delta-front of the Selenga River and the Kukui Crest. Further to the north, when approaching the surface of the Buguldeika-Selenga bridge, the amplitude of tectonic movements decreases, which has led to a decrease in the depth of the incision and the extent of ridge-ravine forms. On the slopes of delta-front and Kukui Crest, in addition to ridge-ravine forms, landslide structures and concentric forms are of wide-spread occurrence, the formation of which is also associated with active seismotectonics of the territory. It is shown that gas-saturated precipitation plays only a minor role in the intensification of landslide processes on the underwater slopes of the lake. Сatastrophic landslides due to the decomposition of accumulations of gas hydrates at low lake levels and temperatures in modern environmental conditions are unlikely.

A forecast landscape-ecological analysis is made of the forest cover of the Volga River basin, with a focus on the problem of absorption of greenhouse gases by ecosystems and their adaptation to global warming, the solution of which is in line with the goals set in the Paris (2015) Agreement. Empirically substantiated are the well-known conceptual provisions on the capacity of the ecological resources of forest cover to additionally absorb greenhouse gases using the mechanisms of regulating the carbon cycle under climate change. The absorption potential of indigenous and derivatives of boreal and nemoral forests has been established, and their ability to mitigate climate changes, including reducing anthropogenic warming, has been evaluated. A quantitative assessment is made of the loss of environmental resources by the forests of the Volga River basin since the beginning of intensive forest and land use in it. Contrasting changes in the ecological resources of boreal and nemoral forests in the process of their structure transformation due to global warming were revealed. A verification of the forecast calculations of the carbon balance, carried out on the basis of remote sensing and ground-based measurements in the boreal forests of Central Canada, gave positive results only in the first decades of current warming.

We examine the present status of the main type of agricultural land, namely arable land. An assessment is made of the growing negative trends in the ratio of the main biological groups of agricultural crops and clean fallow when using arable land. With such a structure of the use of arable land and crops in soils, a negative balance of organic matter - humus, the main indicator of the favorable agroecological state of soils, has developed. In large agricultural enterprises, the share of clean fallow reaches 24,8 %, and in peasant farms the share reaches 30 %, which together with grain crops makes up 71-80 % and characterizes the farming system as an extensive type of grain-fallow system. The proportion of perennial grasses and siderates is extremely low and does not allow maintaining the balance of humus at the level of deficit-free. It is shown that in most agricultural areas there is a grain-fallow system of using arable land, the structure of crops is dominated by spring wheat, which is practices in clean fallow. This is due to the fact that in conditions of high cost and shortage of mineral and organic fertilizers, it is impossible to increase the yield of wheat by non-fallow precursors, because the level of natural fertility of the soils in Irkutsk oblast without fallowing and fertilizers does not exceed 13-15 centers/ha. To eliminate the imbalance of organic matter content in the soils of the region, it is proposed to replace some of the clean fallow lands with sideral ones and increase the proportion of the areas of perennial grasses, while the optimal share of grain crops should make up 45-50 % in the structure of arable land.

A brief analysis is made of the agricultural land use in the Republic of Buryatia with a focus on the regional aspects of returning fallow lands to agricultural use. Geobotanical descriptions are provided for the abandoned arable lands along the middle reaches of the Selenga River (Southwestern Transbaikalia), the degree of overgrowth and the current status of tree and shrub vegetation. A characteristic is given to the structural-dynamic organization of plant communities in the key areas which are currently used as natural forage areas. The main species of plants are identified, which characterize the current status of vegetation cover in different areas of post-agrarian landscapes. It is found that the arable lands, which were abandoned as a result of the agrarian reforms of the 1990s, are used as pastures and hayfields. Natural forage lands are not withdrawn from agricultural turnover and are used with a different degree of intensity. The regeneration potential of vegetation (long-term regeneration successions) is low. This is due to the specific character of the physical-geographical conditions (the duration of dry periods) of the study area and of the region as a whole. We developed the economic-mathematical model which permits assessing the efficiency of the return of fallow lands to agricultural use. The inverse relationship obtained between the area of arable land and the volume of agricultural products indicates that an increase by 1 ha of arable land will lead to a decrease in the volume of agricultural produce. On the contrary, an increase in the area of pastures by 1 ha increases the volume of gross agricultural output by 35 thousand rubles annually. In the current socio-economic conditions of the Republic of Buryatia, it is more economically efficient to use fallow lands as natural forage lands. By calculating the area of fallow lands and analyzing the possibility of using them to obtain livestock products, it is possible to calculate how much income post-agrarian landscapes can provide in the event of their the recultivation.

This article presents the results from studying the Engorboi thermal spring located in the Zakamensky district of the Republic of Buryatia (southwestern Transbaikalia). This spring is unique in its chemical composition and geological conditions. It is the only nitrogen thermal spring outside the Baikal Rift Zone in Western Transbaikalia. It belongs to the Baikal arch Neogene-Quaternary uplift. Its discharging takes place in the spurs of the Dzhida Range which belongs to the Khamar-Daban mountain system. The geological and geographical structure features of the surrounding territory and the hydrogeological conditions of water discharging are presented. The spring is unloaded in fissured rocks formed under tension conditions during uplift of the Paleozoic granite massif. The spring outlet is located at the intersection of a large northwest-trending fault with a sublatitudinal fault. The water composition is formed upon contact with intrusive, effusive, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Quaternary age. New data on the macro- and microcomponent composition of water are provided. According to its chemical composition, water belongs to the hydrocarbonate-chloride-sulfate calcium-sodium type with a mineralization above 1 g/L. It is demonstrated that the spring is characterized by high content of balneologically active components: chloride, fluoride, and silicic acid. Using a silicon geothermometer, the water spring temperature and the formation depth of hydrotherms were estimated as 82 °C and 3,6 km, respectively. A characteristic of the current status and prospects for using the spring for medical and recreational purposes are given.