From the editor-in-chief

In the article on the base of the complex multiscale approach the role of space in the development of rural Russia and key factors in their spatial organization at the national, regional, and municipal levels are analyzed. We compare the causes and consequences of changes in the rural space development of Non-Black Soil Belt and the South on the example of two regions – Kostroma oblast and Stavropol krai. It is proved that the position on the axes “North – South”, “suburb – periphery”, “Russian – non-Russian regions” for rural areas is more important than socialism to capitalism, or plan to market. These axes form an endogenous basis affecting the embodiment of macroeconomic and institutional changes in a particular area. Processes of polarization and contraction of Russian rural space are identifi ed.

General basis of realization of conception of sustainable development and ecosystem surveys are discussed in the article. It is shown, that both conceptions are refl ected on general theoretic-methodological basis – notions on natural capital, use in “green economy” notions of entropy and information, inclusion of well-being function to the sustainable development and implementation of methods of economic calculation with use of monitoring system of measuring. Based on approaches to evaluation of ecosystem surveys, developed by R. Constance with so-authors (1992) and calculations of potential cost according to industrial function of Coba-Duglas their qualitative expression can be received via gross national product. Unfortunately, integrated in monetary expression streams from natural capital and streams of economic system are few informative for management. Possibility of realization of sustainable development mainly depends from operative reception of independent information on condition and streams of natural capital.

The article investigates the demographic development of the eastern part of Russia (Eastern Siberia and Russian Far East) during the post-Soviet period. Revealed by fi eldwork, social consequences of various types of post-Soviet transformation of territorial structure of natural resources utilization at local level are presented. Absence or weakness of existing mechanisms for mitigation of social and ecological consequences of transformation of natural resources utilization are shown. Existing taxation system and other mechanisms do not promote the social and ecological development of resource territories.

Тhis paper represents palaeoenvironmental reconstructions for Lichvin interglacial and the transition to subsequent glaciation. Three warmings of interstadial rang have been established within this transitional period. The earliest Kosha interstadial was relatively warm. Subsequent Bulatovo and Mar`ino interstadials were distinct by more continental and colder climatic conditions.

The analysis of paleopandscape development under climatic changes and catastrophic events during last 2.3 ka was based on the study of peat bog section on the Ainu Bay coast. The section includes numerous tephra layers of Matua and Sarychev Peak Volcanoes, which was active at Late Holocene and historic time. Grasslands and brush tickets were wide spread near the volcano, plant assemblages were mainly controlled by humidity changes, mainly depended from climatic changes. Hydrological regime was controlled by volcanic ash falls too. Paleotsunami was one of factors of coastal landscape modification.

Geomorphological and biostratigraphical data analyses on key late Pleistocene complexes of Chersk and Kolyma high land, which shows that late Pleistocene glaciation riches here maximum size at the second part of Kargin thermochron and developed at the conditions of moderate moisture and cool (subarctic) climate. By the end of Kargin criochron glaciation has considerably reduced. Along the the Sartan criochrone degradation of glaciation and degradation and widening of periglaciation region with wide spread of eolian and cryogene processes were continued. At the boundary between Pleistocene and Holocene on the background of developing marine transgression on coastal region of Northern Priokhotiya insignificant cirque glaciation has appeared. Late activization of nival-glacial processes appeared in neoglacial epoch of Holocene and conncted with distribution of rock glaciers formation.

According to literature data and data from the South Scientifi c Institute of Fishery and Oceanology investigations a retrospective (1934, 1955, 1986, 1989) analyses of distribution, structure and dynamic of the bottom macrozoobentose community in Kerch Channel of the Black sea was made. Their present condition are evaluated according to the results of the summer joint Russian-Ukrainian bentos survey of 2010. Considerable changes in the character of distribution and structure of biocenois of bentos organisms for the last 75 years were foundid. Species of the bottom animals and areas of the channel, where their maximum degradation was happened were revealed. Possible mechanisms of fi xed hydrobiological transformations are proposed.

New complex regional Atlas of the Kuril Islands is the result of systematization of multiple-aspect information and data got in the course of systematic studies of the unique nature and resources of the Kuril Islands by Russia’s scientists over the last 60 years. This is the first regional atlas of insular geosystems in the world; it contains 270 original thematic maps and related explaining texts as well as 655 illustrations characterizing all principal aspects of the history, nature, population, and economy of the Kuril Islands. Environmental aspects in the course of natural processes were especially emphasized in the process of the thematic maps compilation.

В июне 2011 г. в Ставрополе состоялась российско-немецкая научная конференция. Она проводилась в рамках Международного научного проекта “Миграции и пространственная мобильность в сельско-городском континууме России в ХХ веке: управляемость, адаптивность и стратегия преодоления”. По итогам конференции под редакцией В. Белозерова, Д. Мешкова, Д. Нойтатца и П. Поляна выпущен одноименный сборник рабочих материалов. Кроме того, отдельной брошюрой издан путеводитель, посвященный местам, по которым прошел маршрут экскурсии конференции (составители и редакторы В. Белозеров и В. Чихичин).