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An analysis is made of the ecological status of the Baikal natural territory. The main sources of influence on natural en vironment components. The role of the power industry in atmospheric emissions of pollutants is assessed for each ecological zone. It is shown that in the ecological zone of atmospheric influence the main influence comes from large power generation enter prises, i.e. thermal power stations of the Irkutsk-Cheremkhovo industrial center; in the central ecological zone, they are repre sented by numerous large and small boilers located in the coastal zone of Lake Baikal both on the territory of Irkutsk oblast and in the Republic of Buryatia. In the buffer zone, the main sources of emissions include large thermal power stations: Gusinoozersk GRES, and Ulan-Ude CHI-1 and CHI-2. An assessment of the contribution from the power generation facilities to atmospher ic emissions showed that a decrease in emissions of sulfur oxides must be the priority direction of minimizing the anthropogenic load on the atmosphere in the ecological zone of atmospheric influence, and a decrease in the amount of solids (ash and black carbon) emitted by the boilers directly into the ground layer of air in the central ecological zone; in the buffer zone, it is neces sary to arrange a monitoring of pollutants emissions from high energy sources in order to explore the possibility that they can be involved in the distant transport of gaseous emissions. The estimates obtained show that for the Baikal natural territory as a whole, the contribution from the power generation facilities to the pollutants emissions into the atmosphere varies from 60 to 70 %. Main directions are suggested for minimizing the anthropogenic impact of the power generation facilities on the natural environment of the study territory.

We examine the decadal (2001-2010) regularities in the processes of distant transport of air masses and heavy metals (HM) to five locations in the North of the European territory of Russia. The spatial and seasonal differences in these processes are considered. We use the back trajectories statistical method for the transport of air masses, and a model description of the distant transport of HM on submicron aerosol particles. The study revealed the most significant HM sources metals in different seasons for different regions, namely the industrial centers of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk oblasts, as well as the more distant Sverdlovsk, Leningrad and Vologda oblasts, and the cities of Kirov, Perm and Norilsk. The mean indicators of anthropogenic environmental pollution in the background areas of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk oblasts at a large distance from the emission sources were analyzed. The estimates obtained for lead and cadmium are in a reasonable agreement with available measure ments. It is shown that it is only with high winter-summer ratios of anthropogenic HM concentration (higher than 170, which corresponds to about 50 % of cases) that anthropogenic impacts on the environment in a warm season can be neglected in the areas under consideration. Otherwise 14 to 45 % of the anthropogenic annual HM flux from the atmosphere can be deposited on the snow-free soils and water basins. It is found that a combination of the effectivenesses of sources and sinks during the distant transport of HM leads to uneven pollution of the territory under consideration, and this should be taken into account when selecting so-called background (low-pollution) areas separately for each pollutant involved.

We investigated the present status of the landscape structure of the country estate (usad’ba) parks in the Vsevolozhskii district of Leningrad oblast: Ryabovo, Sofievka and Shcheglovo. Field investigations topographic maps and high resolution space images were used in compiling landscape maps, and in analyzing the landscape structure of the country estates. The history of development of the country estates is described. It is found that the parks and the buildings in the country estates are in an extremely neglected condition to date. The degradation process of the park complexes is demonstrated: overgrowth of the parks with not valuable woody species, swamping, a loss of decorative qualities of meadow areas (replacement of meadow vegetation communities by trees and shrubs), and overgrowth of artificial water bodies. A package of measures has been developed, which are necessary for the restoration of the exterior of the historical country estates: removal of dead-standing trees from the terri tory of the parks, tending of trees along the lanes, cleaning of ponds, and restoration of meadow vegetation. It is conclu ded that a restoration work can be based on studying the landscape structure of the parks and the history of the creation of the country estates. Because of an advantageous geographical location (not far from St. Petersburg), their restoration can transform the neglected historical-architectural complexes to profitable sites of tourism industry.

A comparison is made of the calculated values of solar radiation incident on the upper atmospheric boundary with the measured values of ground temperature on the territory of the Crimea Peninsula. It is shown that the long-term temperature regime on the territory of the Crimea Peninsula is characterized by a stability. It is determined that the stability of the long-term regime of mean annual ground air temperatures is associated with the characteristics of the latitudinal distribution of solar ra diation incident on the upper atmospheric boundary. The incident solar radiation increases in the regions of heat sources and decreases in the regions of heat sink. Stability of long-term mean annual values of ground air temperature is associated with the location of the Crimea on the boundary of the regions of heat sources and sinks. The study revealed the chronological structure of long-term changes in ground air temperature. The anomaly in the long-term ground air temperature variability is characterized by short-duration variations. An analysis is made of the chronological structure of interannual variability in ground air tem perature on the territory of the peninsula. The dominant interannual and 2-3-year periodicities in the temperature regime variations is correlated with variations in incident solar radiation. In 62.7 % of cases, the sign of interannual variability in ground В. М. ФЁДОРОВ И ДР. air temperature corresponds to the sign of interannual variability in incident solar radiation. Thus it is shown that a small ten dency in the long-term ground air temperature variability on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula, and the characteristics of its variations are determined largely by the specific character of the input and distribution of solar radiation incident on the upper atmospheric boundary.

Using, as an example, the key plot established along meridian 78 in the north of Novosibirsk oblast, we identified and described ten circuses equal in size and 20 km in diameter. An analysis is made of the composition and characteristics of soil spectra (of the ranked lists of soil variants) for each circus having regard to changes in mean annual temperature and the loca tion in the three subzones: northern forest-steppe, the subzone of hemiboreal forests, and southern taiga. A regional characteris tic is given to the spatial structure of soil structure on the study territory of the West Siberian Plain. It is shown that the soil cover on the interface of the subtaiga-northern forest-steppe and subtaiga-southern taiga interface is characterized by a sub-zonal differentiation: the northern belt of northern forest-steppe is distinguished by the formation of meadow-chernozem solodic soils, meadow solonetzes and meadow saline soils with a general occurrence of peaty boggy low-level gley soils. The belt of West-Siberian small-leaved birch-aspen forests (subtaiga) differs from the northern belt of northern forest-steppe by the presence of grey forest gley soils, and by the absence of meadow-chernozem soils (both solonetzic and solodic) and meadow saline soils. They are unified by peaty boggy low-level gley soils with a maxima occurrence in the subtaiga subzone. The composition and characteristics of the soil spectrum in the southern belt of southern taiga are responsible for its considerable isolation from the other two subzones: occurrence of soddy gley soils, peaty raised boggy soils, and peaty raised boggy gley soils with the involvement of peaty boggy transitional soils. Subzonal soil series were identified by analyzing soil spectra. The circus method of investigating the composition and characteristics of soil cover coupled with identification of comparable territories and analysis of soil spectra, was used to obtain new information which cannot be acquired by some other technique, and to identify the unique regional features in the soil distribution in Novosibirsk oblast.

Natural regularities were revealed in the development of irrigated agriculture in ancient Tuva, suggesting that the region of Central Asia was home to an ancient agricultural civilization. The study identified ample evidence of ancient irrigation on des ert landscapes of the Ubsunurskaya depression, large plots of arable land exceeding considerably the areas of today’s agriculture. It was established that the irrigation systems along the valley of the Tes-Khem river show abundant evidence of ancient settle ments. Arid territories of Central Asia - regions of traditional animal husbandry - are considered. A town of ancient farmers, hitherto virtually unknown to science, was discovered on the western shore of Lake Ubsu-Nur. Remnants of irrigation systems were investigated, and it was found that separate plots of land were concentrated on low-level peatbogs which were good arable lands. Paleobotanical analysis of peatbogs and buried soil horizons determined the character of vegetation cover on the study territory, pointing to a stable development of vegetation of the forest-steppe type in the past. Wheat and millet grains were dis covered, which confirm the existence of agriculture in these areas. Macroremains of forest and forest-steppe vegetation and cere als suggest that at the time of ancient agriculture there occurred plant communities on desert landscapes of the Ubsunurskaya depression. It is presumed that deforestation was among the reasons behind the desertification of this territory.

Presented are the results from investigating the periglacial zone of the Munku-Sardyk massif in Eastern Sayan. Dendro chronometry data are used in analyzing the cyclicity of natural processes that manifests itself in increment in trees growing in extreme conditions. The analysis revealed secular and intrasecular cycles. A correlation of increments in larch and Siberian stone pine with changes in summer temperatures (the correlati on coefficients 0.56 and 0.48, respectively) is observed. For the period of observation of the Peretolchin glacier (1900-2015), the stages of its retreat (1900-1965 and 1983-2000) and advance (1965-1983) were revealed, which influenced the changes in increment in trees and the degree of accumulation of bottom sediments in the proglacial Lake Ekhoi. A comparison of the character of growth of a “fossil” tree in the Holocene optimum with present-day long-lived trees shows a higher sensitivity of the ancient tree (the coefficient 0.43) and a lower sensitivity in present-day trees (0.32 for larch, and 0.26 for Siberian stone pine). Thermochronometry data were used to determine a decrease in air temperature with height in June (an optimal month for increments in trees) to 0,468 °C/100 m.

From 1999 to 2011 the Onon river basin experienced an enhancement in aridity of climate, which led to substantial changes in the water-thermal regime of geosystems, depletion of soil water storage, and to a decrease in groundwater table and in streamflow. Drying of birch forests on a mass scale showed their vulnerable position in steppe and forest-steppe areas of the basin. For revealing the territorial regularities of climatogenic dynamics of tree vegetation, geoinformation methods were used in analyzing the relief and constructing the map representing a combined influence of three parameters of the relief - absolute altitude, dissection, and the position relative to the direction of moisture transport by air masses. It is established that the status of birch forests is impaired from the tops of the mountain ranges to the hollows and intermontane depressions as well as from the surrounding mountains to the middle of the basin. The most unfavorable conditions have developed in flat, weakly dissected, inland areas which are protected the most from westerly moisture-carrying air masses. This is confirmed by results of field in vestigations assessing the vital status of the birch forests on the study territory.

Investigations were made with a view to assess the geographical features in the formation of the chemical composition of surface waters of natural landscapes in Southern Yakutia. On the basis of studying the lithologo-geochemical and landscape-climatic characteristics of the region, we determined the specific character of the chemical composition of surface waters. It is established that the waters of the Lena-Aldan plateau refer to weakly alkaline, soft waters with moderate mineralization, and the waters of the Chul’manskaya hollow are categorized as neutral, very soft waters with very low mineralization. It is found that the intensity of water migration of most of the elements being studied (S, C, N, and others) increases with an increase of the degree of climate humidity, in dissection of relief and redox potential as well as with a decrease in acidity of the river waters in Southern Yakutia at the transition from the Lena-Aldan plateau to the Aldan highland and the Chul’manskaya hollow. It is determined that long-term changes in chemical composition of the waters of the Lena-Aldan plateau and the Aldan highland depend primarily on the natural conditions whereas in the Chul’manskaya hollow they are caused by the influence of the an thropogenic factor.

This paper considers land use dynamics within Aksai-Chatyrkul depression of the Inner Tian Shan for the period of last several decades. The territory of this alpine valley is used as pastures for livestock of Atbashy district - a traditional branch of agriculture in Naryn region. In this paper, for the first time the dynamics of alpine pasture land use in Aksai-Chatyrkul depres sion in recent years are analyzed, taking into account the climatic and anthropogenic changes. A map of land use at as scale of 1: 500 000, based on satellite imagery for the period of 1978-1980 as well as a map of monitoring observations of pastures in Naryn region for 2010 were used. The analysis and assessment of the spatial distribution and area changes of pastures from 1980 to 2010 were conducted. Due to the closing of representative Aksai and Chatyrkul weather stations in the study area the data from the closest weather stations of the Inner Tian-Shan with longest time series (Naryn and Tian Shan) were also used to reconstruct the time series of mean annual air temperature and annual precipitation. Trends of recent climate changes in Aksai-Chatyrkul area in 1930-2014 were identified according to the data of six weather stations. Selyaninovs hydrothermal coefficient for Aksai-Chatyrkul depression was calculated and the assessment of climatic and anthropogenic changes potential impact on land-use dynamics was made. Cartographic analysis of land use dynamics shows that there is a tendency of total pasture area reduction in Aksai-Chatyrkul depression, which reduced by up to 12.2 % from 1980 to 2010. For verification of the map docu ments the 2014-2015 field observation data were used. There is an increase in mean annual air temperature and a slight increase annual precipitation in the region during the period from 1930 to 2014, as well as a weak trend of aridization in Aksai-Chatyrkul area. These factors have very slight impact on land use dynamics in the region compared with anthropogenic factors.