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The chemical and isotope (C, O, Sr) composition of carbonate deposits in three sections of the lower Baratal Group in the southeast of the Altai Mountains, which are considered as one of the oldest known fragments of the carbonate cover of oceanic uplifts preserved in the structure of the Central Asian folded belt, was studied. The contents of Fe, Mn and Sr and their ratios to each other, and to isotope parameters indicate a post-sedimentary alteration which varying within and between studied sections. For the least altered «Akkaya» section, the δ¹³C values ​​are –0.4…+0.7‰, and the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios ​​vary from 0.70818 to 0.70833, which limits the age of sedimentation to the range of 550-520 Ma. In the «Kurai» and «Chagan-Uzun» sections, along with similar values, anomalously low values ​​of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr down to 0.70662…0.70701 are observed, which are often accompanied by a decrease in δ¹⁸O values ​​and an increase in Mn content. These unusual characteristics of carbonates are proposed to be the result of influence of the metasomatic fluids tied with underlying basalts and spatially related to Kuvai regional fault zone. In the «Kurai» section, skeletal small-shelly fossils Cambrotubulus were found, which are not known to be older than 550 Ma, and confirms the transitional terminal Precambrian – earliest Phanerozoic age of the basal sequences of Baratal Group.

The article presents a strategy for empirical-statistical simulation modeling of the organization of forest biogeocenoses as initial objects of terrestrial geosystem monitoring. Spatial functional monitoring of forests is based on empirically established local and regional landscape-ecological relationships, which are considered as mechanisms of metabolic responses of forest geo(eco-)systems to certain climatic trends. This constitutes the novelty of the prognostic empirical-simulation concept of local (and regional) geoecological forecasting developed by the author. The property of polyzonality of local geo(eco-)systems as a way of their response to global climate changes was revealed. An ordination analysis of landscape relationships was carried out based on the main discrete parameters of the biological cycle. A local empirical simulation of the regional bioclimatic trend using the hydrothermoedaphic system of biogeocenoses was conducted, and patterns of transitions of forest communities into critical states were identified. The article describes catenary landscape-ecological structures that form regional systems of localized natural zonality, capable of simulating the main directions and scales of geosystemic restructurings. The landscape-ecological forecast itself is of an experimental nature. It is presented as a system of operations with ecological niches of the objects under study. In computational models, the course of predicted processes is reproduced using their empirical simulation by spatially distributed parameters of basic ecological niches. The basic principle of landscape-ecological forecasting has been formulated, corresponding to one of the provisions of general ecology, namely, the Gause’s law of competitive exclusion. Description of future states of biogeocenotic systems was carried out based on their current spatial organization in accordance with the fundamental properties of ergodicity of the natural environment. Certain time limitations of the empirical-simulation method of landscape-ecological forecasting are noted, and in order to avoid these limitations, it is recommended to use a more meaningful interpretation of the results of forecast calculations.

The study demonstrates that the flow of tourists to the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation has been growing in recent years. The potential positive role of tourism in the socio-economic development of the Arctic, with its particular importance for ensuring the territorial integrity and security of the country, has been confirmed. Accordingly, the article substantiates the relevance of studying the process of development of Arctic tourism and the problems associated with it, specifically, of analyzing existing trends and identifying prospects for the development of Arctic tourism based on expert assessments of operators of the tourism services market in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, obtained during a series of interviews. These expert assessments were compared with the position of federal authorities, as reflected in regulatory documents. Data from the Federal State Statistics Service and the Unified Federal Register of Tour Operators, analyzed using applied statistics methods, were also used. It is shown that Arctic tourism is considered in regulatory documents as a tool for strengthening the sustainability of the Arctic, and its identification as a special type of tourism is based both on the commonality of its objectives and the potential to replicate successful practices. The following was revealed: for tour operators, their activities are not simply a source of income but also a vital mission, stemming from the desire to show their small homeland to a wide range of people. It has been confirmed that tour operators primarily discuss what is needed to improve the sustainability of tourism itself. It has been established that there is a significant divergence in tourism development trends, its prospects and the factors determining this for different regions of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The main trends in the Arctic tourism development have been identified, including a decrease in the share of foreign citizens and changes in the quality of infrastructure. A number of recommendations are made for federal authorities on the Arctic tourism development.

The article presents the results of the study of chemical pollution of sewage sludge, soil, and surface watercourses with heavy metals in the area of used sludge ponds. High total contents of Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Ni, Pb and the metalloid As were found in sewage sludge. The highest concentrations were found for Cu (3,2-84,2 MAC) and Zn (3,0-77,9 MAC). Sampling of soil adjacent to the sludge ponds revealed excess levels for a number of heavy metals, with the maximum concentrations detected at a distance of 3 m from the boundary of the sludge ponds. The excess for Zn and Cu amounted to 37,5 MAC and 25,4 MAC, respectively. At a distance of 25 m from the sludge ponds, the excess was found mainly for Cu (1,05-1,69 times), and at a distance of 100 m and 650 m it was revealed for Zn and Cu. The ingress of heavy metals into the soil of adjacent areas indicates that the sludge ponds were constructed without isolating protective structures. The physicochemical properties of sod-podzolic sandy-loam soil contribute significantly to soil pollution with heavy metals. In samples of surface water, as well as in soil, excess levels of Cu, Zn, Fe, Ni, and Pb were detected. Particularly high concentrations are characteristic of Cu and Zn, which is primarily due to their increased migration activity along the soil profile, compared to other heavy metals. Addressing the problem of chemical pollution of used sludge ponds with heavy metals primarily involves mandatory remediation measures, using modern technologies such as geotubation of sewage sludge. The results of these studies can be used to assess anthropogenic impacts on soil and to scientifically substantiate necessary environmental protection measures.

The article examines the application of the methodology for assessing the potential natural vulnerability of landscapes using Khabarovsk Krai as an example. Based on the performed calculations, seven categories of landscapes were identified according to the degree of integral vulnerability - from extremely high to very low, and the contribution and spatial distribution of individual vulnerability components (pyrogenic, soil-cryogenic, etc.) to the overall indicator were analyzed. The territorial distribution of the assessment indicators was presented in a series of maps. It was revealed that extremely vulnerable geosystems (mainly highlands and heavily dissected mid-mountain areas with goltsy, mountain tundra communities, etc.) and highly vulnerable geosystems (mid-mountain and low-mountain areas with coniferous forests and post-pyrogenic grass-shrub communities) are insignificantly distributed, occupying 3,4 and 7,9 % of the territory of the krai, respectively. Natural complexes with low and very low values of the indicator are most widespread (44 % of the krai’s area). These are primarily flat and foothill geosystems with a wide distribution of bog, meadow-bog types of vegetation. The resulting information and cartographic database has a level of detail corresponding to a map scale of 1:500 000 and can be used in the development of territorial planning schemes at the level of “subject of the Russian Federation - municipal district” during the procedure of ecological and economic zoning of the territory and the designation of the category of “highly vulnerable landscapes” with a regulated use regime when identifying lands of high conservation value.

The influence of atmospheric circulation on the ice regime of Lake Baikal from 1952 to 2025 was studied. The timings of freeze-up and ice break-up of the lake in the southern, middle, and northern parts of Baikal were analyzed. Synoptic situations preceding the late freeze-up were also analyzed. It was found that changes in the timing of freezing and breaking up of the lake ice led to a reduction of the period of ice cover. Since the mid-1970s, the dates of freeze-up on Baikal have become later and have shifted from the end of December and the beginning of January to the end of January. The ice break-up dates have shifted from mid- and late May to early May and late April. Over the past 70 years, the period of ice cover on Baikal has decreased by 19 days. The maximum ice cover duration values were observed from 1955 to 1975, the minimum ones have been recorded starting from the 1980s. The shortest period of ice cover occurred in 2025. Compared to the average long-term values, the period of ice cover was 29 days shorter in the southern part, 38 days shorter in the middle part, and 22 days shorter in the north of Lake Baikal. The influence of zonal atmospheric circulation on the lake’s ice regime was revealed. Late freeze-up is preceded by the latitudinal transport of warm air masses from the Atlantic, southwestern transport of air masses in the middle and lower troposphere from the regions of Central Asia, active North Atlantic cyclogenesis, and activation of the upper frontal zone. The weakening of the Siberian anticyclone has a significant impact on the ice regime of Lake Baikal.

The characteristic features of distribution and behavior of the Baikal omul were studied for the first time using static hydroacoustic recording from the ice cover of Lake Baikal in the Selenga shallows, as well as in the adjacent deep-water area near the villages of Buguldeika and Bolshie Koty. The analysis of acoustic data on changes in fish aggregation density made it possible to assess their distribution and migration patterns. At the “Selenga” station, fish schools were observed moving at the same depths throughout 24 hours, while at the “Buguldeika” and “Bolshie Koty” stations, individuals aggregated into small groups at depths of 100-200 and 250-350 m, depending on the time of day. The reconstructed fish size composition from acoustic data based on the target strength of individual fish made it possible to determine the characteristics of their migrations at different stations. At the “Selenga” station, a high proportion of fish with a standard length of up to 17 cm was detected, indicating the presence of juvenile fish from the spawning river. In contrast, at the “Buguldeika” and “Bolshie Koty” stations, predominantly individuals with a standard length (SL) of 20-38 cm were recorded, which indicates the migration of fish over two years old from the underwater slope zone of the Selenga shallows to the mesopelagic zone. The study results demonstrated the fundamental feasibility of monitoring the distribution, migration patterns, and formation of the size composition of fish using the hydroacoustic method in static mode during the winter period. This opens new perspectives for studying the seasonal fish behavior and helps to better understand their ecology and interrelations in the natural environment.

The soils of high-arctic and typical tundras of the Barents Sea islands (Mabel Island of the Franz Josef Land Archipelago, Severny Island of the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, Kolguev Island) were studied. The article considers the features of formation and morphological structure of soils in the concept of tundra soil formation. The taxonomic position of soils was determined within the framework of substantive-genetic classification systems. A comparative analysis of zonal and landscape conditions of soil formation was carried out. It has been concluded that the harsh climatic conditions and fragmentary nature of the soil cover of high-arctic tundras determine the formation of thin profiles with weak morphological manifestation of soil horizons. It has been revealed that in typical tundras of the island landscapes, full-profile zonal tundra soils are formed under natural vegetation. Moreover, the specifics of soil formation at the landscape level are determined by the composition and structure of parent and underlying rocks. The influence of landscape conditions is most pronounced on mountain islands, where shallow rocky soils have formed. In high-arctic tundras, cryogenic psammozems and lithozems develop on various rock types, while typical tundras produce gley and peaty cryogenic soils. It has been shown that the high rockiness of soils and underlying rocks contributes to an increase in the depth of seasonal thawing. The occurrence of permafrost in the depth of underlying dense rocks limits the possibilities of its manual probing, making ground penetrating radar methods the main ones in studying the depth of soil thawing. Differences in the genesis and morphological structure of soils of high-arctic and typical tundras are due to the significant latitudinal extent and great diversity of landscapes in the island Arctic.

Based on meteorological station data for 1952-2020, long-term changes in the main climate indicators in the study area of the lower Yenisei basin were analyzed. Air temperature trends are characterized by a steady increase at a rate of 0,39-0,45 ° C/10 years; for most of the meteorological stations under investigation, an increase in atmospheric precipitation was noted for the period from 1966 to 2020 amounting to 2,4-32,6 mm/10 years. The influence of climate on the current conditions of formation and ongoing changes in the regimes of annual and winter low-water runoff of the lower Yenisei river basin was studied. It is shown that the noticeable climate warming in the lower Yenisei basin over the past decades has been accompanied not only by a rise in air temperature and a slight increase in precipitation, but also by a change in the annual and winter low-water runoff. Using hydro- and meteorological data, an analysis was conducted of changes in the average annual and average low-water runoff for the entire observation period (1939-2020) and for the period of modern air temperature increase (1976-2020). The analysis of changes in winter low-water runoff by years for different periods revealed that, since the 1940s, all the studied rivers showed a tendency toward an increase in this indicator from 0,13 to 1,25 mm/year. The annual runoff also increased on all rivers from 0,09 to 0,93 mm/year. This indicates a general trend of increasing river runoff in the study area of the lower Yenisei basin. According to the results obtained, the trend in the winter low-water runoff during the period of modern climate warming is more pronounced compared to the annual runoff. This demonstrates that permafrost thawing is becoming a more significant factor in the formation of the river runoff in the lower Yenisei basin.

The article considers the conditions of formation of carbonic mineral waters common within the Khentei-Daurian vault, located in the neighbouring territories of Russia and Mongolia. This area belongs to the Daurian hydromineral region. Currently, 28 manifestations of carbonic waters are known, but there is a high probability that their number will increase with detailed research of this hard-to-reach territory. All carbonic springs are associated with tectonic fault zones. They are characterized by low water temperatures and high CO₂ content. The main anion of the studied waters is bicarbonate, while calcium and magnesium predominate among the cations. Elevated concentrations of several balneologically valuable microelements are noted in the spring waters. One of the most valuable components is iron, which is present in all the studied springs. According to existing classifications, carbonic waters of the Khentei-Daurian vault belong to the Darasunsky, Kukinsky, and Lastochkinsky types. The analysis of the isotopic composition of carbon has shown that CO₂ is of magmatic origin. Some enrichment with the light carbon isotope is explained by the influence of organogenic carbonic acid from coal seams or from peat bog deposits. There are resorts in Mongolia operating on the basis of carbonic waters of the Khentei-Daurian vault. In Russia, the former “Yamarovka” resort is used for bottling mineral water for retail sale; other carbonic springs are visited by vacationers without any organization. In addition to the water’s healing properties, the carbonic springs of the Khentei-Daurian vault are natural monuments and require constant protection from pollution and depletion.