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Land cover/land use maps compiled from remote sensing data provide information on vegetation types, existing land use, and their dynamics in an understandable language for solving management problems. To map the land cover of Asian Russia, the MODIS Land Cover Type map for 2023 with a spatial resolution of 0,05 degrees (17 classes) was intersected with the ecoregion map (42 regions). As a result of interpreting 399 region/class combinations obtained during the intersection, using thematic maps (landscape, vegetation, etc.) and space images from open sources, a hierarchical classification of land cover types and a corresponding map for the Asian part of Russia at a scale of 1:2 000 000 were compiled. The classification includes 6 types of natural zones and 76 types of land cover. The map can have practical value for territorial management at different levels and also serve as basic overview information for non-geographer specialists.

The article examines the challenges of mapping political-geographic processes and phenomena in the Asian part of Russia. It presents conceptual approaches to atlas mapping in political geography within the framework of preparing a special section, “Political Geography of Asian Russia”, for the forthcoming “Atlas of Asian Russia”. The political-geographic phenomena identified as the most significant subjects for cartographic representation include political boundaries, international cooperation among regions of Asian Russia, geopolitical phenomena, electoral events, and various aspects of regional identity. The cartographic representation of these processes reveals territories with multi-level overlapping factors influencing the political situation in the area under consideration. It is noted that both statistical data and constructs derived from their analysis can be subjects of cartographic representation. The article features maps such as “Electoral Behavior of Residents in the Baikal Regions during the All-Russian Vote on Amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation” and “Ethnic Diversity and Ethno-Administrative Divisions in the Asian Part of Russia”.

The article discusses the methodology and content of the maps in the botanical section of the new cartographic work “Atlas of Asian Russia”. In the thematic structure of the Atlas, maps of the botanical section occupy a special place among natural objects, revealing many aspects of biodiversity in its broadest manifestation at different levels of biota organization. The main themes of the maps in this section focus on the inventory of vegetation cover. The central place is traditionally occupied by a scientific reference overview map of the current vegetation of the Trans-Ural part of Russia, compiled within the framework of the methodology of the Siberian (Irkutsk) school of geobotanical mapping, founded by acad. V.B. Sochava. The map is compiled using a set of scientific data, the most important of which are: regional and overview geobotanical maps, materials from remote sensing of the Earth, and scientific publications on geobotany and floristics, as well as the stock materials of the V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The section will feature new types and themes of maps related to the biodiversity of Asian Russia. In this series, there will be an integrated map of the new generation “Biomes”, which, on a single scientific and methodological basis, displays ecosystems and biota diversity of lowland and mountainous territories in accordance with the bioclimatic parameters of the regions, taking into account the altitude belt in the mountains. The maps will be accompanied by texts, drawings, and graphs that complement their main content.

Within the framework of the development of the project “Atlas of Asian Russia”, which provides for comprehensive mapping of the macroregion, it is necessary to solve the complex problem of providing a variety of relevant zoological information on such a vast territory of the country. The article analyzes the accumulated experience of multi-scale zoological mapping, the content of works on regional atlases of Siberia and the Far East, the main methodological approaches and problems of mapping. Based on the accumulated experience of compiling maps, the authors’ team will have to determine their clear connection with the developed theme of new types and plots of atlas maps. Zoological maps in the Atlas will be placed in three sections: “Nature”, “Economy” and “Ecological situation”.

Given the dispersion and dynamism of the Asian Russia’ modern nival glacial geosystems, it seems advisable to draw up a map reflecting the spatial areas of concentration of relief characteristics that contribute to the emergence and stability of modern glaciation under a certain climatic regime. Fragments of publicly available digital terrain models processed by the basic SAGA software are used to automatically calculate such characteristics. These indicators are: the general hypsometry, the predominant exposure of the slopes, and the internal dissection of the ridges. The latter characteristic is an integral indicator, including the distance between the watersheds and the steepness of the slopes. The distance between watersheds is calculated by automatically calculating the distance of each point in space from the nearest point (Overland Flow Distance to Channel Network tool) and manually linking reference points and known vertices. Thus, at the level of macro-regions, areas with the presence of modern glaciation are designated, and at the level of the main basins and larger areas with a combination of relief characteristics are reflected, under which glaciers are able to maintain their condition. This allows us to identify areas with geomorphological preconditions for the stability of the modern glaciation of Asian Russia on different scales and for different user challenges.

Rivers of Asian Russia are characterized by a great variety of channel formation conditions, sizes, water regime, geological and geomorphological structure of basins, runoff and sediment composition, morphodynamic types of channels. This determines complex geographical patterns of distribution of mountain, semi-mountain and plain rivers, incised and wide-floodplain, meandering, branched and relatively rectilinear channels, and each channel type with a different combination of natural factors and anthropogenic impacts on rivers differs in development features. General patterns, regional and local specifics of manifestations of channel processes are reflected on the channel processes map, which highlights areas of free or limited development of channel deformations, distribution of mountain and plain rivers, reflects morphodynamic types of channels, indicators of channel deformations and anthropogenic changes in river channels. For the main basins - the Ob, Yenisei, Lena and Amur - maps of channel processes have been compiled on a larger scale. The compilation of the maps is based on the methodology for mapping channel processes developed at Lomonosov Moscow State University in the 1980s and 1990s, refined and adjusted based on the latest research.

A methodological approach combining databases, economic and mathematical methods and geoinformation modeling technologies is proposed. Based on this complex, maps are constructed characterizing resources, infrastructure, factors and results of distribution of economic activity in the territory of the Asian part of Russia. The article discusses in detail an example and constructs a map for the territory of potential influence of a large infrastructure project and then demonstrates one of the maps obtained on the basis of the proposed approach for Asian Russia as a whole. Based on the combination of information layers using the obtained maps, the consistency of the development of different elements of the resource, production and infrastructure potential of Asian Russia is studied. The conclusion of the study was the confirmation of the spatial gap between the southern part of the east of the country, which has a developed transport infrastructure and a relatively high density of economic activity, and the northern territories of the Asian part of the country, where rich deposits are located and resource projects significant for the country as a whole are being implemented, but there is no transport infrastructure. The absence of all-season meridional roads makes it impossible for the southern zone to perform the functions of a production, service and scientific base for resource development and project implementation in the north. Visualization of the spatial imbalance of economic activity in Asian Russia on the map emphasizes the importance of transport and communication infrastructure for the prospects of not only the macro-region, but also for the country as a whole, which is currently solving the strategic task of reorienting business and launching the eastern vector of development.

The paper shows the capabilities of mapping as a way to visualize geospatial data that reflect technical, economic, and environmental indicators of energy production. The environmental performance of energy production is compared through a specific indicator of pollutant emissions released by energy facilities per energy unit produced. This characteristic of energy production largely depends on the mix of generating facilities, which reflects the proportion of energy sources of various types. Each of the subjects of Asian Russia has its energy infrastructure that combines both fuel and non-fuel power plants. The environmental performance of energy production significantly relies on the structure of fuel consumption, which also differs across various regions within Asian Russia. The paper presents diagrams and maps that demonstrate the environmental performance of energy production, making it possible to conduct comparative assessments. Differences in the structures of energy generation, fuel consumption, and emissions of pollutants are shown for various territories of Asian Russia. The use of mapping capabilities in energy system development studies, in conjunction with environmental and economic assessments, adds validity and improves the perception of analytical research results through the consideration of a wide range of indicators.

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the state and development of road transport in Siberia and the Far East, based on geoinformation mapping and statistical data. The study covers 24 regions of the Russian Federation, including the Siberian, Far Eastern federal districts, and part of the Ural Federal District. The research focuses on the following key aspects: road network density, transport accessibility of rural settlements, volumes of freight and passenger transportation, and the level of vehicle ownership among the population. The study highlights significant regional disparities: the most developed road infrastructure is observed in southern regions such as Omsk and Novosibirsk Oblasts, while northern territories, including the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, remain underdeveloped. Special attention is paid to the dynamics of freight transportation, which shows a decline in some regions, likely due to economic factors, while passenger transportation demonstrates growth, linked to the recovery of demand after the pandemic. Differences in vehicle ownership levels are also identified: high rates in Kamchatka and Primorsky Krais contrast with low values in the Republic of Tyva and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The findings emphasize the need for targeted measures, such as modernizing road infrastructure, developing logistics hubs, and supporting public transport, especially in remote and underdeveloped regions. The study contributes to the understanding of transport systems in Siberia and the Far East and may be useful for government authorities, transport companies, and researchers involved in regional development and transport planning.

The relevance of the study is determined by the important role of forests and various activities carried out in forests in the overall economic development of the Asian part of Russia. It meets the objectives of the Strategy for the Development of the Forest Complex of Russia until 2030. Statistical, comparative-analytical, cartographic, and geoinformation research methods were used for the study. It was determined that the forested area of the study territory is large and constitutes 78,1 % of the similar area in the country. Small-scale forest mapping of the territory was carried out in terms of the development of activities, and sample maps were compiled reflecting the priority and degree of their development within the boundaries of economic zones of forest development. Some key forest indicators (stock and annual increment of timber per unit of forested area, the share of commercial forests), reflecting the potential for the development of logging activities, were mapped within the boundaries of 26 forest districts. It has been determined that the relatively low forest production and timber reserve formation indicators, as well as the intensity of forest management development, are due to the harsh forest growth conditions in most of the region’s taiga geosystems.