Analysis of the impact of the relief on the soil structure in Smolensk region

The main research topic is the theoretical justification of integrated regionalization of rural areas to optimize the use of natural agro-potential by developing conceptual frameworks and new methodological approaches to assessing the effectiveness of its use and determining environmentally and economically options for the interaction of natural and production-territorial systems. The problem of creating a theoretical (conceptual) model of integrated regionalization of rural areas using modern geographical methods and GIS technologies to optimize the use of natural agro-resource potential is arisen. The object of study is the natural agropotential of Smolensk region. Considering the complexity character of research we used the model area. The aim of the study is to assess the relationship of the spatial soil’s distribution and relief. For this aim, the model area on the territory of Smolensk region was chosen, digital model was created and analyzed. The research results have independent scientific interest and optimize the using of the natural agro-resource potential. The development of theoretical and methodological aspects of agricultural zoning is the most current problem of modern geography. The solution to this problem is necessary to develop recommendations for agricultural management. At the present stage of development of agriculture in Russia with extremely limited material, labor and financial resources, overcoming of the agrarian crisis will be possible on the basis of more efficient using of the natural potential of the territory. For the first time, the correlation of the spatial distribution of soil cover depending on the relief was studied using the model area of Smolensk region. The series of diagrams with the distribution of soil types by height, the distribution of the prevailing soil types on the slopes of different exposures, distribution of the prevailing soil types on the slopes of different angles have been constructed.

Assessment of the protective potential of the Moscow region soil cover to contamination with heavy metals and metalloids

Heavy metals and other trace elements that are not subject to degradation are among the priority pollutants. Significant amounts of heavy metals and related elements with variable valence are deposited on the soil surface as part of aerosols. Accumulating in the soil, they are very slowly removed from it, only changing the level of content or the state during migration, turning the soil over time into a source of secondary pollution. In this regard, an extremely urgent task is to assess the territory, especially such a highly developed and densely populated area as the Moscow Region, in terms of its protective potential to heavy metal pollution. The paper proposes and tested an algorithm for the cartographic assessment of the protective potential of the soil and vegetation cover of the region using GIS analysis methods based on the database “Digital medium-scale soil map of the Moscow region” and a vector map of forest cover. The formula used for calculations includes data on the soil texture, the content of organic matter in soil, the position of the soil in the landscape and the degree of forest cover of the territory. According to the proposed approach, in the Moscow region, the soil cover, taking into account the forest cover, forms 4 groups according to the level of protective potential for contamination with heavy metals and metalloids. The maximum estimate was obtained for noneroded sod-podzolic soils of medium or fine texture, gray forest soils, chernozems and peat bog soils under forest vegetation (17 % of the area). Unerroded soddy-podzolic soils of varying degrees of podzolization and gleying (45 %) received an average rating. Even lower is the protective potential of 22 % of the territory represented by eroded gray forest soils, various sod-podzolic, alluvial and peat bog soils. This group is the most heterogeneous in terms of soil texture, organic matter content and degree of forest cover. The group with a minimum protective potential included eroded soils, soils of gully-girder complexes, sod-podzolic soils of coarst texture, as well as alluvial peat and peaty soils (about 16 %).

Principles of incorporating data about the environmental condition of natural-historical parks of metropolises in the atlas information system (on the example of the Moskvoretsky park)

Within the framework of this research, the task of developing the principles of creating an atlas information system (AIS) for assessing the ecological state of specially protected natural areas of the Moscow metropolis was carried out. The research was carried out on the example of the Moskvoretsky park, the largest and most integrated natural-historical park in Moscow, located in the North-West and West administrative districts of the capital. Such parks have environmental, historical, cultural, educational and recreational significance as natural complexes and monuments of national history and culture that are especially valuable for the city. A general scheme for organizing data in the atlas information system about the protected areas of Moscow and specifically about the Moskvoretsky natural-historical park has been developed. All the various data are hierarchically linked. To obtain concentrated information, data from various sources were used and interconnected. The landscape and ecological structure of the Moskvoretsky park is considered. The historical and geographical processes that formed the appearance of the cultural landscapes of the natural-historical park—urbanization, hydrotechnical transformations, the construction of sports facilities, landscaping—are revealed. A map of the Moskvoretsky рark with all the protected areas that are part of its structure, other noteworthy objects, infrastructure, green areas was compiled. The role of this map is assumed as the basis for the further creation of an atlas information system and filling it with various data. A table for individual protected areas that are part of the structure of the Moskvoretsky рark, their types and main characteristics, features of natural and cultural heritage, cultural landscape, environmental problems, and conflicts of nature use are given has been compiled. The main environmental problem of the park is the expansion of urban construction, alienating the territory from the field of nature conservation. Prospects for the creation of AIS are associated with monitoring and solving environmental and cultural problems of a part of the metropolis that is part of the natural-historical park.

New localities of rare for the Arkhangelsk region speciesin the Lyamitsky landscape of the Onega peninsula

The Onega Peninsula is located in the north-west of Russia in the Arkhangelsk Region, juts out into the White Sea, is located in an area of a transitional climate from an oceanic to a continental temperate climatic zone, belongs to the central sector of the northern taiga zone. The flora and fauna of the peninsula are very diverse. A significant part of natural complexes is highly preserved and is ideal for biosphere monitoring. In connection with intensive industrial logging on the peninsula, there is a need to identify rare species of living organisms and determine measures for their protection. The article provides data on the finds of habitats of 11 rare species discovered by the author during field routes along the Lyamitsky landscape in the period from 2009 to 2020. Finds of 10 out of 11 species have not been previously published. In 2020, the state of a group of individuals of 1 of 11 species that had not yet formed a stable population was reexamined, the find of which was previously published. This species (derbyanka spikate) is new for the Arkhangelsk and all adjacent regions and needs to be entered into the Red Book of the Arkhangelsk Region, which includes the remaining 10 species. 4 species of them are also included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. The finds of the species belong to the lands of different purposes: to the forbidden zone of forests and to the lands of the forest fund leased by a logging company. The article discusses the number of discovered species and such a limiting factor as logging. The assessment of the feasibility of measures for the protection of species has been carried out. It was revealed that some of them (splachnums) increase in number due to felling, the number of others is not threatened by felling (common viper, etc.), to preserve the number of the third, special protection measures are required (pulmonary lobaria, truncated horn, etc.). The information obtained is processed cartographically using geoinformation technologies and can be used to replenish the database of the Red Book species and to organize their protection.

Calculation of gravitational corrections using airborn laser scanning data

Calculation of corrections to gravity measurements is one of the most important stages that determine the whole quality of research. Wrong corrections can lead to incorrect interpretation of the obtained measurements and lead to their false interpretation. To achieve highly accurate results, it is necessary to take into account not only the height, but also the entire array of information about the relief. In this case, level of detail of relief model becomes critically important, especially in case of working with rugged terrain with large number of vertically developed rock formations (outliers, rock faults, steep slopes). Now the methods normally used are based on the use of previously created materials from cartographic archives (topographic maps at a scale of 1:100,000–1:25,000). It is also possible to use open (free) terrain models. These materials have a number of drawbacks, for example, low detail of the microrelief and steep inclined surfaces (slopes, walls, faults, incisions) that have a significant effect on the values measured by gravimeters located at a small distance from such forms. The available methods do not assume ability to work with dense terrain models. These shortcomings lead to wrong corrections during gravimetric measurements. however, using of modern remote sensing methods makes possible to obtain a high-precision terrain models easily. The best opportunities are provided by lIDAR technology. here we describe differences between using lIDAR data and other types of data (1:25,000 maps, open data models), and make comparison between corrections, calculated using different data sources.

Visual characteristics of landscapes and methods for their assessment on GIS (Belogradchik rocks (Bulgaria) as an example)

Visual characteristics of landscapes are important factors for the assessment of tourist and recreational potential of territories. At present, a number of methodological approaches are applied to assess the visual characteristics of landscapes. They can be divided into traditional, associated exclusively with field research, and innovative, which is based on remote sensing data (RSD) of high spatial resolution and GIS technologies. Field assessment of the visual quality of landscapes utilizes a system of numerous elementary indicators to minimize subjectivity of assessment. They are conducted within separate areas or touristic routes. In its turn, modern GIS and high quality of remote sensing data allow assessing of most indicators of the visual quality of landscapes for any observation point on the entire territory. The main task of our research is to verify the results of automated processing of ultra-high resolution aerial photographs obtained from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) by field observations on a touristic route. The research was carried out on the territory of the “Belogradchik Rocks” Geopark (North-West Bulgaria). In our study, we estimated 4 out of 28 aesthetic indicators—the amount of mountain peaks visible from a site, the amount of mountain peaks on the skyline, the percentage of the forest-covered area, and the amount of open spaces in the wooded landscape. The obtained results confirmed that our approach allows calculating these aesthetic indicators at an accuracy level comparable to field observations.

Geomorphometry today

Topography is the most important component of the geographical shell, one of the main elements of geosystems, and the framework of a landscape. geomorphometry is a science, the subject of which is modeling and analyzing the topography and the relationships between topography and other components of geosystems. Currently, the apparatus of geomorphometry is widely used to solve various multi-scale problems of the Earth sciences. As part of the RFBR competition “Expansion”, we present an analytical review of the development of theory, methods, and applications of geomorphometry for the period of 2016–2021. For the analysis, we used a sample of 485 of the strongest and most original papers published in international journals belonging to the JCR Web of Science Core Collection quartile I and II (Q1–Q2), as well as monographs from leading international publishers. We analyze factors caused a progress in geomorphometry in recent years. These include widespread use of unmanned aerial survey and digital photogrammetry, development of tools and methods for survey of submarine topography, emergence of new publicly available digital elevation models (DEMs), development of new methods of DEM preprocessing for their filtering and noise suppression, development of methods of two-dimensional and three-dimensional visualization of DEMs, introduction of machine learning techniques, etc. We consider some aspects of the geomorphometric theory developed in 2016–2021. In particular, a new classification of morphometric values is presented. We discuss new computational methods for calculating morphometric models from DEM, as well as the problems facing the developers and users of such methods. We consider application of geomorphometry for solving multiscale problems of geomorphology, hydrology, soil science, geology, glaciology, speleology, plant science and forestry, zoogeography, oceanology, planetology, landslide studies, remote sensing, urban studies, and archaeology.

The assessment of the Bostanliq district (Uzbekistan Republic) based on the wind energy potential

The idea of achieving energy security and lowering the dependence on the global hydrocarbon market is at the top of the agenda in many countries. Most of them consider switching from traditional energy sources to renewable ones as one of the ways to reduce fuel import. This concept absolutely conforms to one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (Goal no. 7, “Affordable and Clean Energy”). In May 2019, the Government of Uzbekistan Republic adopted the law on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). By 2030, Uzbekistan is going to increase the share of RES in the total structure of electricity generation up to 25 % (currently it is at 10 %), by building solar and wind farms with a total installed capacity of 5,000 MW and 3,000 MW, respectively. The energy-deficient Bostanliq district of the Tashkent region has become one of the places of interest, where transport infrastructure, recreation services, and renewable energy will be developed. The purpose of this study was a multivariate analysis, considering the meteorological, ecological, and socio-economic characteristics of the Bostanliq district, leading to the selection of the optimal location for the wind farm. The assessment map based on the results of this analysis made it possible to identify areas that are most suitable for the location of wind power plants. The assessment method, that was used in this work, is also applicable to other regions of the world.

Assessment of erosion risk of relief based on the digital modeling

On the basis of a digital elevation model (DEM) based on generalized data from USGS STRM DEM and ASTER GDEM with a resolution of 3″ with the help of GIS technologies, a morphometric analysis of the territory of the perm Territory at a scale of 1:2.5 million was carried out and a series of morphometric maps was created, as well as an assessment map of the erosion hazard of the relief. According to the results of morphometric analysis, the values of the index of vertical dissection of the relief in the region vary within the range of 0–623 m with an average value of 44 m. The steepness of slopes varies from 0 to 40° with average values of 3°. The horizontal dissection, determined on the basis of the thalweg network of permanent and temporary streams, varies in the range of 0.145–1.202 km/km2. Comparison of morphometric indicators in key areas with the data obtained by traditional methods of morphometric analysis revealed their coincidence at the level of gradations. The following geomorphological factions curtains: wide development of slope surfaces with elevation differences over 50 m and slopes exceeding 3°. According to the results of cartometric analysis, such conditions characterize 35 % of the region’s area. More than half of the region’s area (60 %) has an average density of erosional dissection of 0.5–0.8 km/km2, another 36 % of the area is characterized by moderate values of 0.2–0.5 km/km2. The calculated relief energy index has a value of 3–13 points; on its basis, 4 categories of relief erosion hazard were identified. In accordance with the results obtained, most of the perm Territory (63.0 %) is characterized by a low erosion hazardous relief, 36.6 % by a medium and highly erosion hazardous. The share of land, the relief of which is characterized by zero erosion potential, is 0.4 % of the region’s area.

Air pollution from stationary sources: analysis of visualization capabilities using interactive infographics

The article presents an analysis of the possibilities of visualizing data on emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere from stationary sources using interactive infographics. We used data posted on the official website of Rosprirodnadzor on various characteristics of emissions from the level of municipalities to Russia as a whole. Examples of visualization of similar data are presented in the reports of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the National Atlas of Russia and the Environmental Atlas of Russia. We have reviewed software products for creating interactive infographics, including geo-infographics. Among them, we chose the online service Datawrapper, where a template for a map of Russia in its modern borders is available to users. Methodological recommendations for displaying emission data using interactive infographics for different levels of information generalization are presented. Examples of interactive infographics have also been created: a map of polluting emissions by municipalities and bar charts of the dynamics of some specific pollutants emissions. The article contains links to online versions of the resulting interactive graphics. It is concluded that interactive infographics are a technological, convenient and accessible tool for a wide range of users to visualize data on emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere. Visualization of this type of data is necessary for the field of environmental monitoring and management, in the field of environmental education and enlightenment activities. The integration of geoinformation technologies and technologies for creating interactive infographics is a promising direction for further research.