Natural Afforestation on Abandoned Agricultural Lands during Post-Soviet Period: A Comparative Landsat Data Analysis of Bordering Regions in Russia and Belarus

Remote monitoring of natural afforestation processes on abandoned agricultural lands is crucial for assessments and predictions of forest cover dynamics, biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services. In this work, we built on the general approach of combining satellite and field data for forest mapping and developed a simple and robust method for afforestation dynamics assessment. This method is based on Landsat imagery and index-based thresholding and specifically targets suitability for limited field data. We demonstrated method’s details and performance by conducting a case study for two bordering districts of Rudnya (Smolensk region, Russia) and Liozno (Vitebsk region, Belarus). This study area was selected because of the striking differences in the development of the agrarian sectors of these countries during the post-Soviet period (1991-present day). We used Landsat data to generate a consistent time series of five-year cloud-free multispectral composite images for the 1985–2020 period via the Google Earth Engine. Three spectral indices, each specifically designed for either forest, water or bare soil identification, were used for forest cover and arable land mapping. Threshold values for indices classification were both determined and verified based on field data and additional samples obtained by visual interpretation of very high-resolution satellite imagery. The developed approach was applied over the full Landsat time series to quantify 35-year afforestation dynamics over the study area. About 32% of initial arable lands and grasslands in the Russian district were afforested by the end of considered period, while the agricultural lands in Belarus’ district decreased only by around 5%. Obtained results are in the good agreement with the previous studies dedicated to the agricultural lands abandonment in the Eastern Europe region. The proposed method could be further developed into a general universally applicable technique for forest cover mapping in different growing conditions at local and regional spatial levels.

The Establishing of Geospatial Database for Agricultural Lands of Islamic WAQF In Iraq: Case Study Babil Province

In numerous countries, one of the most significant pieces of background records is a religious endowment that usually called (WAQF), which have a cultural, and economic value. For instance, in Iraq, religious endowments comprise a large number of dispersed real estates and lands usually required effective administration methods. Agricultural lands that belonged to religious endowments lack of sufficient systems, which are combined statistical and spatial information in terms of spatial monitoring and informatics updating such as ownership and existing condition. Recently, geospatial techniques such as GIS showed a feasibility in the management of information belonged to lands management. Therefore, in this study we proposed a method based on GIS technology for the management of lands of Islamic endowments in Babil province, Iraq. The proposed methodology included the integration between field works using GPS equipment and Geospatial database. The developed database is considered as the first geodatabase related to the agricultural lands of the religious endowment in Iraq included almost all coordinates and specific details for each piece of agricultural lands that owned by the endowment. Furthermore, the output geodatabase is a flexible database included various features like query, search, and statistical computation.

On the question of the use of inter-settlement territories in the structure of urban agglomerations

The article discusses the reasons that contribute to the formation of agglomerations on the territory of the Novosibirsk region, overpopulation of urban areas that make up the agglomerations, as well as the reasons for the decrease in rural inhabited space on the territory of municipalities located within the boundaries of the regions of the region, both within the agglomeration itself and on the territory districts of the region located outside the agglomeration. The results of the influence of urban agglomerations on the state of agricultural lands located within and outside the specified agglomerations are considered. An analogy is drawn between these processes in relation to agricultural lands with lands of the named category located on the territory of the Russian Federation. A possible solution to these problems is proposed, providing for the development of conceptual approaches, including the introduction of phased structural and investment measures.

DISTRIBUTION OF RESTORATION SUCCESSIONS IN TAIGA AND FOREST-STEPPE LANDSCAPES OF THE PERMSKY PRIKAMYE (ON THE EXAMPLE OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS)

The research of forest cover development on agricultural lands in the Perm Prikamye was carried the example of taiga and forest-steppe types of landscapes. The Babkinsko-Yugovskoy and Irensko-Kungursky landscapes were select for research. Received information about the geosystem condition in different years using remote sensing data. All landscape changes were record during the formed stable snow cover. As a result, was divide into two classes - forested and treeless areas. Established, the main natural factors of land differentiation by an areas and a pace of withdrawal from agricultural use are the small contours of agricultural land and differences in soil fertility. The growth pace of forest geosystems within the forest-steppe landscape was 2.5 times higher than of the taiga. The research of the dynamics of forest cover showed that in the Perm Prikamye in the forest-steppe landscape substitution of anthropogenic geosystems with natural-anthropogenic ("wild") accompanied by the development of forest biogeocenosis, not steppe.

GEODESY, CARTOGRAPHY AND AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

The development of exogenous processes on the Earth's surface is a large-scale problem. Due to the development of exogenous processes there are changes in the composition and structure of the earth's crust and its surface. The destruction of streets, houses and public buildings, roads and railways leads to enormous losses. To predict the development of soil degradation, erosion processes on agricultural lands, which lose annual production areas, leads to the formation of a ravine-beam system and reduces the productive amount of land owned by citizens – is a solution. The use of GIS technologies, remote sensing of the Earth and modern programming can partially solve the problem, as it is a rapid identification of areas that have undergone the process of soil degradation and possible prediction of the development of negative phenomena. The use of geodetic software, GIS, information layers of the Public cadastral map can help in the fastest finding of territories, development of the forecast of the further destructive action, development of the corresponding protective methods and their introduction. The areas with manifestations of exogenous processes - soil degradation in agricultural enterprises, where every year the area of highly fertile chernozems is lost, which leads to large losses and landslides in the forest-steppe and steppe settlements of Kharkiv region have been subject of our study. We investigated destructive processes by geodetic measurements in the territories of their manifestations, observations were carried out for 8 years. The development of exogenous processes on the Earth's surface was revealed, which was manifested in landslides in the settlements of the forest-steppe zone and degradation of agricultural lands in the steppe and forest-steppe part of Kharkiv region. The cause of the destruction of the earth's surface were factors independent of human activity. We built 3-D models of development of exogenous processes manifested in soil erosion and growth of the ravine-beam system and determined the degree of erosion after surveying and processing the results of geodetic measurements in the software Digitals. For 8 years, we made changes to the software, surveying the area and building a monitoring line. Also in the settlements on the territory of the two zones, we observed the development of landslides on the streets of the village. Milova and s. Nova Vasylivka, where there is an intensive development of exogenous processes. The use of GIS technologies and remote sensing of the Earth to monitor the development of exogenous processes simplifies the solution.

RESILIENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AMONG RURAL AND URBAN POPULATION IN CHIDAMBARAM TALUK - A COMPARATIVE STUDY

The intense changes in climate change directly and indirectly affect the agriculture, food supply and even the service sectors. Hence, as we people have to change our method of agriculture and other elated activates. The study was conducted in Chidambaram Taluk in Cuddalore District. The present study covered the four villages and five wards were selected from town. First, selection of village which are nearer to the town and wards in the town often affected by heavy rain, drought during summer and in general affected agriculture, food supply. Proportionate Random sampling techniques was used. Total sample size was 180 as proportionate to the population in the wards and villages. Finally 172 were used for the analysis and presentation. The study conducted with the following objectives.To understand the socio-economic and demographic conditions of the respondents in the study area, To examine the resilience of climate changes among the rural respondents and to analyse the use of different method used among the respondents in the study area To prove the association between the variables such as sex, place, religion, caste, occupation, income of the family, age, presently cropping. Holding agricultural lands statistically prove, the resilience accepted by place, education. Presently cropping and those who were having agricultural lands in the study area were significantly associated at 1% level. Income of the family religion, caste were significantly associated at 5% level. Create awareness campaign about the ozone depletion and the effects ozone depletion in both rural and urban areas. Insurance scheme on flood damage was poor response in rural areas but it was little higher in urban areas as they were all affected in the past 5 years than rural people. Adaptation of forecasting system was also poor in rural areas. Motivate the rural people to follow forecasting measures given by the government agencies and NGOs.