Vol 37, No 2 (2016)

In the modern world, seven geographical types of development of secularization processes have been identified; the level of secularization is determined not only by the maturity of social space but also by the structure of geospace. The Latin type includes some countries of Southern and Western Europe, most of the population of which confess Catholicism. The countries of the Anglo-Scandinavian type are characterized by Protestant pluralism. The polarized type combines countries and territories in which Protestants and Catholics form stable, influential and competing blocs. The countries in which the secularization processes were unable to seriously shake the influence of religion in society, because it is the institute of church that was resisting the political and cultural infringement by neighboring states over centuries, refer to the type of religious infringement. The resettlement type is characteristic for the countries whose population was being formed as a result of migration of various confessional (primarily Protestant) groups. The post-socialist type includes the countries in which an active policy of not infrequently forced “political” secularization was pursued. The Confucianistic type combines the states, most of the population of which was pursuing various religious-cultural traditions, with Confucianism predominating in general, and with a widespread occurrence of polyconfessionalism. This geographical typology of secularization embraces the countries, the communities of which have gone through the stages of secular development. The spatial boundedness of the secularization processes in the world is determined by the fact that secularization itself is the product primarily of the entire Christian European civilization.

An analysis is made of the chief causes for degradation of agricultural lands: exhaustive agricultural land use, poor planning quality of land use management, deforestation, low volumes of forest planting and reforestation, and a high degree of plowing of lands. The principles of adaptive-landscape generation and land use practices are substantiated on the basis of a system approach to the exploitation of the natural-resource potential and a package of anti-degradation measures. The structure flowchart is given for the model of adaptive-landscape generation as developed on the basis of assessing the natural-climatic conditions, land resources, the degree of land degradation, and analyzing the set of indicators and criteria for a classification of landscapes. It is found that the key elements of the adaptive-landscape organization of land use on slopes are a typization of lands, the determination of the land use pattern, and the employment of technologies, methods and measures to ensure a normal functioning of agroecosystems. The following groups of lands are identified: gentle near-watershed slopes with a steepness of up to 2–3°; near-network lands, the lower boundary of which runs along the edge of the hydrographic network, and lands on the hydrographic network. The schematic of the organization of a large balka catchment is provided.

We have defined the goals and objectives of Shantar Islands National park that was established in 2013 in the western part of the Sea of Okhotsk in the Tuguro-Chumikanskii municipal district of Khabarovsk krai. An outline is given of the natural complexes and floral and faunal diversity of terrestrial and coastalmarine ecosystems of Shantar Islands. Their importance is determined for the solution of environmental issues, and the introduction of a differentiated regime for the protection and utilization in the structure of National Park. The primary purpose of the nature reserve zone and the specially protected zone is to ensure the conditions for the preservation of the unique natural complexes along the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. Within these territories, economic activity and recreational utilization are prohibited. The zones of educational and recreational tourism provide the conditions for spiritual, scientific and educational recreation and imply different modes of visitation. Natural sites are highlighted, which are of interest as touristic resources. The development of touristic activity in the islands of National Park involves creating on the territories of the recreational zone a number of economic facilities and service centers for visitors. Special emphasis is placed on the protection zone for historical sites that includes the chapel in commemoration of the discoverers of Shantar Islands, and the territory of the former plant for whale oil processing.

We bring up the issue related to the need and importance of undertaking an assessment of the present status of vegetation in Prebaikalia. The vegetation of this region has long been experiencing strong anthropogenic destructions, especially in the southern, more developed, areas. Anthropogenic impacts on vegetation continue to be enhanced thus influencing the processes of spontaneous development of vegetation and decreasing its ecological potential. Assessment of the present status of vegetation as a complex self-evolving autotrophic natural entity having its own evolutionary history of development and dynamical potential is used in reference to identifying and evaluating the degree of disturbance of its native (spontaneous) florocenotic structure. To improve objectivity of research results uses a cartographic method supported by GIS technologies. On the basis of the principles of a structural-dynamical classification of plant communities as suggested by V. B. Sochava, we compiled a universal geobotanical medium-scale (1:500 000) map for Prebaikalia. The map was generated for two purposes: inventory, i.e. identifying the typological belonging of existing plant communities in the region, and for assessment–dynamical purpose to identify the epitaxon structure of the entire vegetation cover. These efforts were accompanied by a formalized assessment of the age structure of tree stands of the region’s forest communities as well as a clear differentiation between forest and non-forest vegetation by identifying new burns and felling areas. The findings formed the basis for generating a detailed 1:500 000 map of disturbances to Prebaikalia’s vegetation displaying 11 kinds of vegetation disturbances ranging from the persisting native communities to those substituted by agrocenoses and introductions of urban settlements. A general outline of the present status of vegetation is provided as well as the main directions for nature management optimization in the region within the framework of the state ecological policy.

We reconstructed the hydrometeorological parameters from dendrochronological data prior to the start of instrumental observations. As a result of the dendrochronological investigations made on the mountainous territories of Southwestern Tuva (Mongun-Taiga mountain massif) and Northwestern Mongolia (Mongolian Altai) during 2012–2014, we obtained two regional tree-ring chronologies for the upper and lower tree-lines. Results of dendroclimatic analysis suggest that the influence of the leading climatic factors for the growth of Siberian larch on the upper forest limit in Southwestern Tuva and Mongolian Altai accounts for 50% of the variability in growth. The chronology for the upper tree-line was used in reconstructing the June–July air temperatures, based on data from the Teeli meteorological station, starting in 1715. The analysis revealed the main climatic tendencies which are in good agreement with the climatic periods for the last 300 years: a general decrease in air temperature during the 19^th century (the end of the Neoglacial), and a subsequent rise by 2°C, on the average, i.e. there has been occurring is a positive trend of temperature rise since the late 19^th century. The chronology for the lower forest limits showed a statistically significant correlation with hydrological parameters. This chronology was used in reconstructing the water discharge, according to data from the Buyant-Deluun hydrological station, spanning the time interval since 1474. According to the reconstruction, in the latter half of the 14^th century, and in the 18^th and 19^th centuries the general humidification was lower than in the 20^th century. A positive trend toward an increase in humidity since the end of the 19th century is pointed out.

The problem of cross-border cooperation as a catalyst of local development is considered. Emphasis is placed on the difference and interrelationship of cross-border and interstate cooperation on the territory of the cross-border regions, because the effectiveness of implementation of state projects depends on the ability of a local socium to integrate them into the local life. A skeptical view of the future prospects of cross-border cooperation in the Khabarovsk segment of the Russian-Chinese border is complemented by a constructive assessment of the limits of utilization effectiveness of this instrument. It is pointed out that a further development of cross-border cooperation necessarily runs into a contradiction between the goals of ensuring the country’s security, which are of particular current importance on the border, and the requirement for economic openness. Any economic project in the cross-border zone involves a geopolitical perception, and the adopted political decisions become effective when they are converted to concrete projects. Attention is focused on the limitedness of the potential of cross-border cooperation, and on the fact that it cannot be used to compensate for the deficit of regional development accumulated for many years. The main effect of cross-border cooperation is associated with a reduction of the shadow component of the cross-border economy, cooperation in the solution of the common problems, historical reconciliation, and with the growth of mutual confidence. The Conclusions section considers the issue related to the readiness of the Khabarovsk inhabitants to be involved in cross-border cooperation corresponding to the regional agenda. It is concluded that by combining the state-level initiatives with the public interests in the implementation of concrete projects, it is possible to transform the partial advantages of the location along the border to a further development of the city. The areas of activity are defined, which hold promise for a successful realization of such a scenario.

We consider the various methods of constructing models intended to forecast the average water inflow, in the second quarter of the year, into two reservoirs on the Yenisei river. To solve modeling problems used a new computer technology implemented in the specialized “Stochastic Modeling” software package. Independent data were employed to verify the variants of the models for the formation of variability in quarterly inflow as generated based on different algorithms. A more sophisticated and robust model for forecasting the inflow was constructed as an ensemble of partial models. Based on aggregate results of modeling, we suggest the method of constructing a forecast of the average (for the second quarter) lateral inflow into the Krasnoyarsk reservoir and the inflow into the Sayano-Shushenskoe reservoir by use of observational data accumulated by Srednesibirskoe UGMS (Weather Control and Environmental Monitoring Service), based on an ensemble of partial models. It is established that such an operation reduces the probability of forecasting errors implying an arbitrary selection of models. We constructed forecasts of the aforementioned characteristics using real-time data for 2015. It is stated that the solution of the forecasting problem can be facilitated by using additional information.

An assessment is made of the geoecological functions of the green infrastructure for the cities of Canada by using landscape-basin approach at three spatial levels: regional, intra-urban and local. The study revealed regional and functional differences in the green infrastructure of Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa, and determined the quantitative relationships between territories that have biospheric, recreational, foodproducing and environment-regulation functions. It is shown that the general urban (average according to the spatial scale) level develops many important attributes of configuration of the green infrastructure which come to be intimately linked to the history and modern tendencies of urban development. It is established that for the intra-urban level (Toronto), the large-area elements have the functions of a stabilization of the environment and sustainment of biodiversity, whereas area-limited fragments most often serve as recreational places of the public nearest access. We calculated the proportion of the urban area corresponding to different (according to the functions of runoff formation) types of catchment units; almost one-third of the area is represented by catchment units with no permanent streams or with a transformed drainage system. It is found that the highest percentage of forest land corresponds to the downstream portions of river basins and to areas along valleys, whereas these indicators are much lower in the upstream regions and near drainage divides. It is established that there is almost no correlation between the size of the runoff cell and its percentage of forest land and the degree of development.