The benchmark network for ecological monitoring of the Baikal natural territory

Using an ingenious cartographic method, for the Baikal natural territory we have developed a benchmark network that includes 18 tracts (0.47% of the territory under consideration). Special-purpose ground-based surveys of the selected tracts showed that such a network fully reflects the landscape diversity on the level of geoms, the phytocenotic diversity, and the species diversity of the regional biota.     

The intra-regional resource and ecological factors of development of the mining industry of the Baikal natural territory

The composition of the territorial groups of mineral deposits as revealed to date within the Russian part of the Baikal natural territory is considered. The importance of mineral resources for the development of productive forces of the region under consideration, and for Russia in general, and the degree of ecological danger from mining production systems are characterized.     

Water protection zoning of the Baikal natural territory: Conflicts of laws,landscape-hydrological approach

We examine the complicated situation with demarcation of the boundary of the Lake Baikal water protection zone. It was found that although the principles of ecological zoning, a unique legal instrument regulating the development of a territory with a special nature conservation status and the preservation of the Lake Baikal ecosystem, have been developed and implemented, it was not until 2015 that the boundaries of the water protection zone of Lake Baikal itself were defined. The boundaries of the water protection zone along the boundary of the central ecological zone of Lake Baikal as established by a Decree of the RF Government combined severe restrictions on water use of the two zones across the territory with the area more than 50 thou km2. It is concluded that there is a need to reconsider the decision and develop the project of the water protection zone of Lake Baikal substantiated from the landscape-hydrological perspective. It is demonstrated that the substantiation of the size of the water protection zone must rely on the hydrological runoff-forming and runoffregulating functions of landscapes that determine the formation and transformation of the local runoff between the watershed and the draining water body. The approach to implementing the water protection zoning project on the landscape-hydrological principles is developed to provide maximum protection of Lake Baikal against the input of pollutants with the subsurface and surface runoff from the neighboring coastal territories due to the natural processes of self-purification in landscapes and soil-ground layers. The main criterion is defined for the width of the water protection zone: all pollutants beyond the imposed limits of the zone are drained by the inflows from the lake and do not enter directly Lake Baikal; also, the protection of subsurface waters from the vertical penetration of pollutants is taken into account. For the settlements situation on the shores of Lake Baikal, it is proposed to delineate the boundary of the lake’s water protection zone having regard to the existing and future plans of development and engineering-technological infrastructuring of the territory.     

Cartographic assessment of pollution of forest ecosystems on the Baikal natural territory by technogenic emissions

The implementation of these authors’ original approaches in generating maps of forest pollution and vital status of forest stands in a large region is outlined. The maps so far developed can be considered basic, reflecting the phenomena to be subsequently monitored in order to make justified forecasts of the state of forest vegetation on territories exposed to pollution, including under changes of the level and character of emission load.     

Transformation of soil-protective functions of mountain forests under the influence of forest fires in the central ecological zone of the Baikal natural territory

An analysis is made of the data from experimental investigations into the influence of fires on changes in the soil-protective functions of Siberian stone pine and pine forests in the southern part of the central ecological zone of the Baikal natural territory. The study revealed a negative influence of ground fires of the litter-humus type on changes in reserves and qualitative functional composition of forest litter and its moisture retention capacity as well as in water-physical properties of soils. Quantitative indices are provided for the liquid and solid overland runoff forming in burnt-over areas, depending on slope steepness, and on the intensity and temporal remoteness of past fires.     

System approach to nature management in the Baikal region

The theoretical and practical aspects of sustainable development using the system approach are considered. An analysis is made of a number of major economic projects that were implemented in the Baikal region.     

Chemical composition of snow in the water area of Lake Baikal and on the adjacent territory

It is found that pollution of the territory from local sources of the zone of atmospheric influence spreads over several tens of kilometers along the prevailing wind direction, and in the central zone it is replaced by regional pollution. Snow pollution in the water area of Lake Baikal was recorded near coastal settlements and in the mouth of the Selenga river. It is established that the southern hollow of Baikal holds the lead in the input of NO₂, NO₃, NH₄, PO₄, F, Al, Na, Ba, Mo, Mn, Pb, Cu, Zn, Sr, Hg and oil products to the lake’s water area in spite of the fact that it is twice as small as the northern hollow. The northern hollow receives much larger amounts of SO₄, H₂CO₃, Cl, Ca, Mg and K than the northern hollow, and much larger amounts of Be, V, Cr and Co than the middle hollow, which is associated with the operation of coastal enterprises, boilers, thermoelectric plants, stove heating, automobile exhaust emissions, and with the natural transport of dust in snow-deficient areas of the middle hollow. It is determined that that last five years saw a slight increase in regional pollution for separate components. It is shown that in the late 1990s and in the early 2000s, pollution decreased twice, which was due to the setback in industrial production.     

The ecologo-geomorphological consequences of conservation of agricultural lands within the Lake Baikal watershed basin

The results derived from analyzing the long-term dynamics of the runoff of sediment loads of the main rivers in the agricultural areas of the Lake Baikal watershed basin are discussed. The analysis revealed a descending trend of the erosion processes caused by an abrupt change of agricultural activity in the region, i.e. a reduction in the area of arable and pasture lands in the late 20th century. It is shown that a decrease in basin erosion intensity promotes stabilization of desertification processes and, in general, an improvement of the ecological situation in the Baikal region.     

Tendencies of hydroclimatic changes on the baikal natural territory

We have estimated the rate of changes in the main hydroclimatic characteristics for the period 1961–2008. It has been established that all months are involved in the formation of positive tendencies of mean annual temperatures, with the largest changes corresponding to February (0.62–1.94°C/10 years). It has been found that the changes in annual precipitation amount and annual river runoff are differently directed and mostly statistically insignificant. The cold period of a year is dominated by tendencies for a decrease in the amount of precipitation. A predominance of positive changes in river runoff is observed between October and December.     

Mapping of nature management on the territory of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug

We suggest a new approach to mapping of nature management, reflecting the process of interaction of the blocks of the socio-natural system. Our mapping used the algorithm of fuzzy classification to show the spatial position of natural-economic boundaries of nature management in relation to its socio-cultural type.     

An anisotropic model of the Earth's crust in the Baikal rift zone

Summary. An attempt is made to explain the existence of intracrustal low-velocity layers in rift zones by using an anisotropic model. It is supposed that the anisotropy is due to the preferred orientation of micas and amphiboles in metamorphic rocks forming the upper crust. Analysing the velocity distribution along different directions in anisotropic media the authors conclude that the low-velocity layer must be isotropic (randomly oriented) with an anisotropic lid.     

Improving the assessment of the natural fire hazard in nature reserves

The need to improve the assessment of the wildfire hazard in nature reserves is considered. It is suggested that the natural vegetation fuel map compiled by using a specially developed determinant of the types of main conductors of burning having regard to the period of a fire-hazardous season should be used for such purposes. The types of prime conductors of burning constitute the major group of vegetation fuels which determines the possibility of the spread of burning across the territory covered by vegetation. A classification of this group was carried out on the basis of long-term pyrological investigations in different regions of the RF. The vegetation fuel maps are presented for the Stolby nature reserve, separately for the spring (autumn) and summer seasons, because the southern-taiga forests are characterized by a predominance of the grass forest types with the involvement of gramineous species. The map of the current wildfire hazard is compiled and presented as an example, on the basis of the vegetation fuel map for the spring (autumn) periods of the season for drought class II according to the weather conditions. This map is representative of the possibility or impossibility of the spread of burning for each area in the nature reserve in the event that the source of fire (of anthropogenic or natural origins) appears. It is shown that vegetation fuel map can be compiled for any nature reserve by using the determinant of the types of prime conductors of burning.     

Assessment of natural resources in economic geography

Some procedural expedients of assessing the natural resources and natural-resource potential as used by geographical and other sciences are considered. It is stated that there is no consensus understanding of the content of the notions of “natural resources”, “natural conditions”, “natural-resource potential”, “economic assessment of natural resources” and “economic-geographical assessment of natural resources”. The distinctions between them are demonstrated. An example of a monetary calculation of the natural-resource potential for the territory of one of the subjects of the Federation (Irkutsk region) is considered.     

Sediment heavy metal record in Lake Baikal: natural and antrhopogenic sources

Geochemical analysis of six radiometrically dated short cores of recent sediment from Lake Baikal shows clear evidence of enhanced Pb supply. However, the sediment concentration increases are very small; the average Pb concentration rises from a baseline value of 10.9 g g^-1 to a peak value of only 14.8 g g^-1. In contrast to the more polluted lakes commonly studied in Europe and North America, variation in Pb concentration is far more strongly influenced by natural variation than by pollution. In sediment deposited over the last 150–200 years 73% of the variance in the sediment Pb concentration can be accounted for by variation in bulk composition of the sediment, and by atmospheric pollution. Factors influencing Pb concentrations over this time period are, in order of decreasing average importance (fraction of total variance explained), catchment supply (indicated by ²²⁶Ra activity variation) (43%), anthropogenic Pb emissions (24%), and dilution by ferromanganese hydroxides (6%). On longer (1000s of years) time scales dilution by biogenic silica is probably more important.The recent enhanced supply of catchment Pb correlates with accelerating accumulation rates, indicating a link with enhanced erosion. Anthropogenic sources dominate only in the southern basin, where local fossil-fuel burning industry is situated. The evidence for a local industrial source for the Pb pollution is strengthened by the high correlation between the inventories for Pb and for spheroidal carbonaceous particles. The absence of detectable anthropogenic Pb enrichment in the northern part of the lake suggests that long-distance Pb pollution is small compared with the local natural supply.     

The CORINE biotopes project: a database for conservation of nature and wildlife in the European community

The CORINE Programme was established by the European Commission to create a harmonized geographical information system on the state of the environment in the European Community. The ‘biotopes’ inventory of sites of major importance for nature conservation was a priority topic. At the time of writing, 6144 sites have been described, covering 12.2 per cent of the EC land surface area. The database records the presence of over 30000 habitat units and contains species data for 83 per cent of the sites. It has been used to guide environmental policy in the EC including the planning of the Habitats Directive, the most comprehensive piece of environmental legislation yet adopted by the Community, and is serving as an important tool in its implementation. Future development will follow the transformation of CORINE into an operational system within the European Environment Agency. The scope of the Biotopes database is currently being extended to include countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and members of EFTA.     

国土空间规划中水源涵养功能生态保护红线备选区的识别

水源涵养功能重要性是生态保护红线划分工作中重要的评价指标之一。通过对以往生态系统水源涵养功能区划分的指标及其区域导向的系统梳理,在进一步明晰国土空间规划中水源涵养功能生态保护红线区域指向的基础上,按照国土空间规划关于“三区三线”自下而上试划的要求,探讨了水源涵养重要性生态保护红线划分及其评价的改进方法。选取中国典型喀斯特区域六盘水市作为研究案例区,分别用环保部2015版与2017版《生态保护红线划定技术指南》中的模型法、NPP法以及本研究提出的改进方法,对六盘水市水源涵养功能生态保护红线进行了试划。对比三种方法的划定结果可以看出,改进方法因评价数据精度的提高减少了《生态保护红线划定技术指南》方法的区域损失,提高了区域判别的精准性,可望为国土空间规划中生态保护红线的划定提供科学依据。     

The ecogeochemical role of forest fires in the Baikal region

A study is made of the behavior of artificial radionuclides and heavy metals during a forest fire. It is shown that forest fires are accompanied by airborne migration of some heavy metals and artificial radionucleides as well as by pollution of new areas. The main depositories of elements falling out of the atmosphere are provided by forest litter, mosses, lichens, and tree needles. Up to 40% of 137Cs and 90Sr can migrate from the sites of fires, which originally were contained in the soil-vegetation cover. The elements that are carried away from the sites of fires partly deposit themselves on adjacent areas.     

The natural basis of the formation of the dual-nuclei structural model

The dual-nuclei spatial structure is composed of a regional central city, a port city and their spatial relations in certain regions. In general, this spatial structure could be found in most of the coastal regions or regions along big rivers. In terms of the mechanism, the dual-nuclei structure is the result of the spatial interaction and the complementary characteristics of the center city and the port city. The "marginal function" of the port city and its relationship with the central city has long been discussed in the literature. On the one hand, drainage area is the main natural geographical background of the formation of the dual-nuclei spatial structure; therefore, we can build a theoretical geographic structure that is based on the drainage area. On the other hand, vicissitude of the coastline also has important influence on the formation of the dual-nuclei spatial structure. It is especially meaningful if we can notice this when we examine deeply the research on the spatial structure of delta.     

双核结构模式形成的自然基础

The dual-nuclei spatial structurs is composed of a regional central city,a port city and their spatial relations in certain regions.In general,this spatial structure could be found in most of the coastal regions or regions along big rivers.In terms of the mechanism,the dual-nuclei structure is the result of the spatial interaction and the complementary characteristics of the center city and the port city.The “marginal function” of the port city and its relationship with the central city has long been discussed in the literature.On the one hand,drainage area is the main natural grographical background of the formation of the dual-nuclei spatial structure;therefore,we can build a theoretical geographic structure that is based on the drainage area.On the other hand,vicissitude of the coastline also has important influence on the formation of the dual-nuclei spatial structure.It is especially meaningful if we can notice this when we examine deeply the research on the spatial structure of delta.     

经济全球化背景下的苏州城市化发展模式

本文简要论述了探讨东部沿海发达地区城市化发展模式的重要意义,深入分析苏州城市化发展进程中存在的问题及其经济、政策成因,提出城市化发展模式的择定原则,并阐明经济全球化背景下城市化发展动力的结构性变化,指出苏州应采取分而亲集型城市化发展模式,以期对东部沿海地区推进城市化发展有所裨益。