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The article analyzes large-scale railway projects, namely Sakhalin - Mainland, Lena - Kamchatka, and Transpolar mainlines, planned in the long term to be launched in Siberia and the Far East. We apply methods of system analysis and expert-based technologies for assessing their comparative social effectiveness in order to establish projects’ priority ranking in different contrasting scenarios for the development of economy and society in Russia. To support investment decision-making procedures, we use local computer programs developed at the Institute of Economics and Industrial Engineering SB RAS and Siberian Transport University. The article presents and comments on the results of experimental calculations made with this software.

The article discusses the role of small innovative enterprises (SIEs) in the Strategy for Science and Technology Development of the Russian Federation. The research objective is to identify trends and spatial features of the SIE development during the period 2007-2017 and assess the measures of state support for this segment of the national economy. In accordance with the task set, we diagnose the dynamics of the main SIEs condition indicators in various constituent entities of the federation while relying on the data forms of federal statistical observation No. 2-МП (innovation) «Information on Technological Innovations of a Small Enterprise». Different combinations of changes in statistical reporting indicators help estimate the baseline conditions in the region for the development of small innovative enterprises during the next forecast period. The presented analysis confirms that innovation activity has decreased in the field of SIEs and indicates a significant divergence of trends at the regional level. It is shown that the procedures implemented by the Federal Corporation for SMEs have not had a sufficient stimulating effect on the development of small innovative businesses. We examine the data of the draft passport of the national program «Small and medium-sized businesses and support for individual entrepreneurial initiatives» and make proposals to expand SIE support measures.

High investment climate quality is an important factor for the economic development of regions. An investment climate is largely determined by institutions that form the conditions for doing business within the boundaries of territorial formation. Numerous studies show that institutional quality has a significant effect on indicators of investment activity, and the influence of institutions at the regional level is significant. The paper contains an empirical study of the quality of institutions that create investment climate in nine regions of Russia. The author identifies some key institutional problems preventing investment in the regions based on the series of polls and structured interviews with investors and government officials. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the Regional Investment Standard (RIS) implementation practice, where, since 2012, a package of reforms has been introduced in all Russian regions to create favorable conditions for investment activities. The study shows that the most important result of this package of reforms is lower administrative barriers for investors. However, the RIS does not yet have any positive impact on the level of investors ’ rights protection, does not create the necessary tax incentives for investment projects, nor does it imply establishing institutions to consider regional specificities. A part of the reforms ’ implementation problems is also due to the lack of motivation among local authorities.

The paper identifies the factors that affect the success of car sharing companies. At present, Russian car sharing market is highly competitive and companies must invest a lot in factors that will ensure their development and growth. A scarcity of research on Russian car sharing makes the topic relevant and creates the need for studies that take into account the specifics of the business in Russia. Having assessed the practices of other countries presented in foreign literature and the industry in Russia, we put forward two main hypotheses: the success of car sharing expressed in the number of clients will be affected by 1) service availability and 2) its value for money. An econometric analysis partially confirms each of the hypotheses. It turns out that among the positive effects on the number of customers are such features as the quantity of cars available for rent, the presence of the service in both Moscow and St. Petersburg at the same time, as well as the number of airports in the service area, while the price increase has a negative impact. The results of the study allow providing recommendations for car sharing services.

The article examines the scope and nature of migration ties between different-type regions in Russia and their consequences for the socio-demographic potential of donor territories. The objects of the research are the Republic of Bashkortostan, constituent entity of the Russian Federation with a high share of working-age out-migrants, and Tyumen Oblast, oil and gas region with a steady inflow of the working-age population. The article relies on statistical and sociological data to analyze the scope and structure of long-term and short-term migration from the Republic of Bashkortostan to Tyumen Oblast and other Russian regions. Outstanding features of the autonomous regions in Tyumen Oblast, which differ them from other Russian regions in close migration relationships with the republic, include a great share of gross migration with Bashkortostan, a major population inflow from the republic due to employment, and prevalence of people with primary vocational and secondary special education among Bashkortostan migrants. Migration ties between the Siberian regions and Bashkortostan exhibit relatively low performance, which is largely due to the circular nature of such migration. However, quantitatively equal in- and outflows of the population between the Republic of Bashkortostan and Tyumen Oblast differ in terms of quality: the republic donates a young, maritally and reproductively active generation and adopts older people, already accomplished their demographic plans. The existing migration exchange weakens the socio-demographic potential of Bashkortostan as a donor region. Moreover, the republic's socio-demographic potential is also affected by the short-term (on/off) migration of its population which, as a consequence, may alter intra-family relations, have a negative impact on migrants’ health, etc. The current migration exchange between regions under study showcases how inconsistent and ambiguous migration is as a social phenomenon, since solving employment and wealth-related issues comes with risk and threats to the socio-demographic development of donor regions.

Bioclimatic substantiation of the vegetation spatial structure of the Kodar-Kalar orobiome on the basis of altitudinal vegetation divisions using the global climate model (BioClim) and data from the meteorological observing stations is carried out. It is shown that the values of mean annual temperature and mean annual rainfall identify vegetation belt and sub-belts of orobiome. For the first time climatic ordination of geographic-genetic vegetation complexes of the Northern Transbaikalia is carried out on the basis of quantitative data - temperature and moisture supply parameters, including derived characteristics (the indicator of potential evapotranspiration, the Mezentsev wetness coefficient). It is proposed the scheme that determines the diversity of vegetation of the Kodar-Kalar orobiome with account of its development in different geographic variants in the integral system of bioclimatic factors, according to which the vegetation complexes are divided according to the gradients of temperature and moisture supply. The analysis of a complex of bioclimatic characteristics made it possible to identify specific regional features in the structure and diversity of the vegetation of the mountain systems of the Northern Transbaikalia at the regional level.

The paper presents the reconstruction of Holocene dynamics of forest fires and its influence on vegetation in the central part of Meshchera Lowlands. The studies are based on macrocharcoal and pollen analyses and radiocarbon dating of peat deposits from the peatland Studencheskoye. According to obtained results, changes in the structure of the plant cover were largely determined by fire regime during the Holocene. In the period of high forest fires intensity (~9200 - 6400 cal. (calendar) years BP) the study area was occupied by birch-pine forests. The role of spruce and broad-leaved species in forest stands was increased in the period with low frequency of forest fires (~6400 - 1400 cal. years BP). The influence of fires on vegetation increased after 1400 cal years BP due to human impact. The obtained results show that periods of increased fire frequencies occurred before the human occupation of the area and were determined by climatic reasons.

The features of communities of alien species-transformers, capable of blocking regenerative successions, are studied. The process of delay of succession is considered in the example of Solidago canadensis L. and Acer negundo L. Typical habitats of communities of alien transformer species are deposits and wastelands with non-extremal moisture, pH and nitrogen richness edaphotopes. The overwhelming majority of the identified phytocenoses with the dominance of alien transformers are confined to the old anthropogenic landscapes.

The features of communities of alien species-transformers, capable of blocking regenerative successions, are studied. The process of delay of succession is considered in the example of Solidago canadensis L. and Acer negundo L. Typical habitats of communities of alien transformer species are deposits and wastelands with non-extremal moisture, pH and nitrogen richness edaphotopes. The overwhelming majority of the identified phytocenoses with the dominance of alien transformers are confined to the old anthropogenic landscapes.