From theeditor-in-chief

The basic issues of research of cultural landscape as well as its methodological contradictions are described. Proposed integrated approach for synthesis allows us to build bridges of interdisciplinary communication, combine subjective and objective faces of the cultural landscape, to reach a deeper level of interpretation and scientifi c analysis.

In developed countries, regional policy, which arose in the early 1930s, has traditionally been a focus on a largely social, and to a lesser extent political issues. The state, which is responsible for its implementation, operated through the economy. The scope of regional policy has grown rapidly to the mid-1970s, despite its economization. Modern regional policy is a rather complex mixture of human and economic approaches that take into account the economic, social, environmental, demographic and other factors. The current heightened attention to regional policy arises due to the fact that it is the single channel for subsidizing domestic economy.

Axiomatic basis of fuzzy central places’ conception is presented. The complex study of dynamics of central place system was conducted for the Republic of Korea in the beginning of the 21st century using the proposed methods.

Рассмотрена электоральная активность в России, США, Японии, Германии, Швеции, Испании и Португалии в течение длительных и непрерывных периодов времени, от 20 (Россия) до 120 (Япония) лет. Проведен количественный анализ электоральной активности в административно-территориальных единицах первого порядка/субъектах федераций в сравнении со средней величиной по стране. Установлено, что при предельно высоких показателях географическая специфика явки проявляется слабо, территориальное разнообразие увеличивается при уменьшении интереса к голосованию. Более глубокий территориальный разрез обнажает скрытую средним показателем вышестоящего уровня пространственную изменчивость. Выявлена закономерность соотношения активных, средних и пассивных регионов, которая отражает расстановку политических сил по линии “центр–периферия” на момент проведения голосования. Данное соотношение изменяется с разной цикличностью в зависимости от характера политического режима и формы правления в стране.

Cores of larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) and spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.) were collected on three sites in Western Siberia along the Ob river (65°15' N 65°29' E – 66°38' N 66°20' E) to reveal light rings with purpose (1) to learn possible reasons to light ring formation along the Ob river and (2) to reconstruct extreme climatic events. In the study area the light-ring formation is connected with unusual low temperature of May, June, August, but conditions of light-ring formation are different between species and sites. The period 1880–2000 has 4 years with light rings in coniferous wood at all three sites. Larch light-ring chronologies have 11 common years and spruce chronologies have 5 years. Results of a multiple linear stepwise regression showed that May and June temperatures explain 20–30% of light ring variance in spruce, and May, June and August temperatures explain 30–36% of light ring variance in larch. Infl uence of big volcanic eruption to light-ring formation in the study area was investigated.

Daily near-midday observations (1996–2010) in the mouth of Pregolia River fulfi lled by the ABIORAS at the Museum Vessel Vityaz, located in the center of Kaliningrad are used for calculations of the temporal variability of the main gydrometeorological parameters and of connection between them. The tendency of growth of an average water level, rise of air and water temperature and increased rainfall has been proved. In the last years the growth has strengthened. Wind regime, by contrast, is characterized by a decrease in the intensity. Variation of wind speed, according to data from the Vityaz, have a negative trend. As a consequence, the maximum water levels in the mouth of the river, dependent on wind conditions over the Vistula Lagoon and the Baltic Sea, have been reducing. A shift of the weather-forming cyclones and anticyclones in the south-east Baltic sea (cyclones twice faster than anticyclones) and a decrease in their depth/power are shown.

One of the important issues in limnology is the quantitative description of bottom relief of large lakes and the identifi cation of relationships between geomorphological properties and hydrological features of lake depression. On the basis of the advanced digital model of Lake Ladoga bottom relief the statistical characteristics of depth and slope of the lake and its limnetic zones are determined. The description of the limnetic zones relief and features of sedimentation is given. Characteristic horizontal scales are determined with use of two-dimensional spatial autocorrelation functions of depths and slopes.

The lacustrine-marine (from three lakes) and marine-lacustrine transition (isolation contact) in sediment cores from six lake basins situated 12.0–41.0 m a.s.l. in Umba settlement area, South coast of Kola Peninsula, NW Russia, was identifi ed based on lithological and diatom analysis, radiocarbon dated, and used to construct a relative sea-level (RSL) curve for the Late Weichselian – Holocene. Three lake basins show both transgressive (periglacial lake-transition – marine) and regressive (marine-transition – lacustrine) facies succession, six lake basins show regressive (marine-transition – lacustrine) facies succession indicating a postglacial history of continuous emergence.

Environmental conditions and parent rock materials were determined for the beginning of soil formation (moment 0) in Holocene on the territory of coastal lowlands of North Jakutia. Under the infl uence of active thermocarst processes the dramatic changes of relief, parent rock materials, permafrost conditions, vegetation and soil covers took place in Holocene. So, in the Mid Holocene, a special pattern of landscapes had been formed with the specifi c type of pedogenesis for each one of them.

The paper summarizes long term studies of natural landscapes and their geoecologic changes during development of mineral resources use. Transformation of landscapes is refl ected through breaking balance between areas of natural taxons and levels of anthropogenic changes on these areas. The principles of applying landscape-mapping method in singling out and assessment of environmental problems of coal and ore mining in Primorsky krai are considered. Based on landscape monitoring of component features the following types of environmental problems are marked out: geological-morphological, atmospheric, pedological, biotical and complex. The paper recommends application of original landscape maps for solving strategic issues of development of resources use of the Russian Far East.

The paper presents the results of completed in 1981–1988 surveys of benzo (a) pyrene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons concentrations in the lake Baikal. We studied the distribution of the pollutants in the surface layer of bottom sediments of the lake in the area of sewage of the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill and in the sewage plant and the lake water. It was found that the content of benzo (a) pyrene in the bottom of the test site in the sewage plant and the lake water is often signifi cantly higher than the requires quality of the environment and the natural background of the lake. Previously, these data could not be published because of existing restrictions.

Geomorphic evidences of a higher than today river runoff are found widely on river fl oodplains and low terraces over the Don River basin, including inherited macromeanders (anomalously big bends of modern river channels), big paleochannels including relic macromeanders (paleomeanders several-fold larger in size than are modern meanders), systems of anomalously large curved levees and meander scars at valley and terrace edges. Three age generations of big meandering paleochannels in the Khoper River middle course are detected for the fi rst time on space images and then explored in the fi eld. They had been forming during 13–16 (20?), 11–12 and 10–10.5 kyr BP (uncalibrated). Planimetric parameters of the fi rst and third paleomeander generations provided estimations of runoff: mean annual paleodischarges were 4.3 and 1.8 times, and mean maximum paleodischarges were 3.8 and 1.6 times more than present-day discharges. By the end of formation of the second macromeander generation, the channel had incised approximately 5 m below its present level. After that progressive aggradation began because of reduction of river discharge. Estimation of the Late Valdai runoff was completed for number of basins which are more than 5000 km2 in area. Within the Don basin, runoff layer decreased southwards from 500 mm to 100 mm. Total annual runoff from the Don basin in the Late Valdai is estimated at 90 km3 , which is 3.1 times greater than at present.

Some common features of emotional and visual perception of landscapes, and the main points of difference between the Russian and Japanese cultures, as well as between different groups of Russian respondents were revealed. While grouping landscapes the most important feature appeared to be the presence / absence of water and type of water basin. Relief is also important for the Russians, while both visual and seasonal characteristics are signifi cant for the Japanese. Russian and Japanese respondents generally agree in assessing the attractiveness of different landscape types, but evaluate their exoticism differently. All groups of the Japanese respondents assess the attractiveness and exoticism of landscapes almost equally, whereas there are some differences in that respect between groups of Russian respondents from different regions. Images existing in both cultures don’t refl ect adequately the diversity of nature in Russia and Japan.

Первый Международный географический конгресс (МГС) прошел в 1871 г. в Антверпене, но в современном виде Международный географический союз (МГС) основан в 1922 г. в Брюсселе. В настоящее время в союз входят 87 стран. Руководящий орган – Исполнительный комитет состоит из Президента, восьми вице-президентов, генерального секретаря и казначея, он избирается Генеральной ассамблеей, состоящей из глав национальных делегаций. В структуре МГС действуют на постоянной основе около 30 комиссий и исследовательских групп. Раз в четыре года проводятся конгрессы МГС, выпускается Бюллетень МГС. СССР стал членом союза в 1956 г. В прошлые десятилетия вице-президентами МГС были академики Ф.Ф. Давитая, И.П. Герасимов, В.М. Котляков, чл.-корр. РАН Н.Ф. Глазовский. В 1976 г. XXIII конгресс МГС прошёл в Москве и собрал наибольшее количество участников – более 3000 человек.

18–23 июня 2012 г. в г. Оренбурге состоялся VI Международный симпозиум “Степи Северной Евразии”, организованный Институтом степи УрО РАН, Природоохранительной комиссией Русского географического общества (РГО) и проходивший при содействии Российского фонда фундаментальных исследований и Проекта ПРООН/МПР/ГЭФ “Совершенствование системы и механизмов управления особо охраняемых природных территорий (ООПТ) в степном биоме России”. Целью симпозиума было решение актуальных проблем в сфере степного природопользования, изучения и сохранения ландшафтного и биологического разнообразия степей в XXI веке. В работе VI Международного симпозиума “Степи Северной Евразии” приняли участие более 180 ученых из 9 стран (Франция, Нидерланды, Турция, Венгрия, Чехия, Монголия, Украина, Казахстан, Россия), в том числе из 24 регионов России. Было заслушано более 80 докладов на двух пленарных и четырех тематических сессиях. Представленные доклады отразили результаты исследований по следующим основным направлениям: актуальные вопросы исторического степеведения; природное и историко-культурное наследие степей; биологическое и почвенное разнообразие степных регионов; стратегия степного природопользования и проблемы экологической реабилитации степных ландшафтов; эколого-географические исследования степей и смежных территорий: эволюция, структура и антропогенная трансформация ландшафтов.