The concept of a new geological epoch – the Anthropocene – is substantiated for Northern Eurasia following Paul Crutzen and Eugene Stoermer and in accordance with criteria accepted in the historical biogeography and evolutionary geography. In the Anthropocene the anthropogenic infl uence on the Earth's biota has reached the level, when the detected trends of changes of the Earth's biota are irreversible. It is shown how this concept relates to the notions of past geological epochs – the Pleistocene and the Holocene, with its own characteristic timeframe and the features of the spatial organization of biodiversity, as well as to the concept of the Technocene proposed by N.K. Vereshchagin. New trends of biota change and biogeographical phenomena that are specifi c to the last millennia and centuries and may indicate the Anthropocene are discussed: the extinction of species of plants and animals, irreversible transformation of the landscape, the widespread formation of new habitats and anthropogenic modifi cations of ecosystems with reduced composition of the biota, invasions of alien species, phylocenogenetics restructuring regional successional systems, the formation of new biogeographic boundaries, etc.

The problem of studying the structural and functional organization of geoecosystems of islands and coastal continental lands in different morphotectonic and macroclimatic sectors of the Pacifi c megaecotone
of Northern Eurasia is expounded. This mega-ecotone is considered as a global model of modern development of the continental biosphere. Some ecological-phytocenotic effects of oro-climatic interactions on the mega-ecotone are described. The theoretical and methodological aspects of evolutionary landscape science as a novel trend of complex physical geography research are considered. The research object here must be the landscape-forming processes and events in the tectonically and climatically active contact zone between the ocean and the continent.

Macroregional identity as a separate level of territorial self-identifi cation of the population is analyzed. Two meanings of the term of macroregion, i.e., the institutional meaning and the imaginary meaning, are proposed. The fi rst meaning refers to subnational level of spatial organization of life of the population of a state, which is localized within macroregion through political and governmental institutions and administrative boundaries. The second meaning is related to a group and a community, the formal territorial boundaries pale into insignifi cance and turn into a mental symbolic construct. The main trends of the system of regional identifi ers of the Urals as a macroregion are highlighted. This macroregion is characterized by industrial specifi city of territories. The boundary of “Europe – Asia” and heroes of the region – Yermak, Bazhov and manufacturers (Demidovs, Stroganovs) also play signifi cant symbolic roles. The content of the existing system of the Ural identifi ers in Perm krai is determined. It is shown that Perm krai is characterized by the diversifi ed macroregional identity and a gradual departure from the Ural identifi cation. The cause of this is the classifi cation of the krai to the Volga Federal District and the policy of former Governor O.A. Chirkunov, who put politics of identity of the krai on civilizational (“European”) foundation.

Day-time and night-time cloudiness and their difference were assessed based on various satellite data (AIRS-LMD, CERES, MODIS, CALIPSO-GOCCP, PATMOS-x) and surface observations. It was found that day-time cloudiness prevails over land and over the entire Northern Hemisphere while night-time cloudiness prevails over the ocean and over the Southern Hemisphere, moreover difference between cloudiness over land and over the ocean (and consequently over both hemispheres) is higher at the nighttime.
Regionally, difference between day-time and night-time cloudiness over land is up to 20–40%, mostly over mountain regions and midlatitudes. Over the ocean, night-time cloudiness prevails in low latitudes in summer (mostly over the eastern parts of the oceans) where it is up to 15–20% more than day-time cloudiness. A disagreement between different data is noted over the vast equatorial and highmountain regions in Eurasia, Africa, South America, Australia, North Pacifi c and North Atlantic. Particularly,
some data display that day-time cloudiness prevails in that regions, other data shows the opposite. It was shown, that time of observations can affect the estimate of total cloudiness. Though, only day-time measurements lead to an overestimation of cloudiness over land (up to 20% of the total daily cloudiness) and underestimation over the ocean. On the contrary, only night-time observations (or observations at the morning) lead to an overestimation of cloudiness over the ocean (up to 5–7%) and underestimation over land (up to 8–10%). Regional differences are even more suffi cient.

Results of spatial-temporal analysis of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ldb.) tree-ring width chronologies for several sites (Kokcy, Chind, Ak-ha, Jelo, Tute, Tara, and Sukor) at the upper treeline in the Altai Republic are presented. Tree-ring growth for all chronologies (for the sites laid at ≥2200 m above sea level) is interrelated. The calculation of the response function between the growth rate of tree-ring chronologies and mean monthly surface air temperatures revealed that June–July temperature was the main climatic factor infl uencing radial tree-ring width growth. The built tree-ring chronologies have high correlation coeffi cients with the chronologies found in the neighboring region (the Tyva Republic – chronology Mongun; Mongolia – chronology Khalzam Khamar), i.e., they contain strong interregional climatic signal and could be used to build regional tree-ring chronologies. Tree-ring chronologies Koksu and Ak-ha are the most promising for building millennial tree-ring chronology and June–July temperature reconstructions.

The lynx was always common species in the predatory mammals’ fauna of the European Russia. At the present time, the studied region is characterized not only by high forest cover but also high fragmentation of forest landscape, and the correlation between the number of lynx and the size of the forest areas is clearly expressed. It is higher in those oblasts where the forests cover bigger areas. In 2011, the highest numbers of lynx were in Vologda, Tver and Novgorod oblasts (762, 452 and 300). The total number of lynx in European Russiawas 1908 individuals. However, the correlation between forest cover and population density of lynx is not so obvious. It is connected with the degree of anthropogenic transformation of natural ecosystems, ecological capacity of a landscape, biotope preferences of the species, density of rural population, level of hunting pressure, etc. Since 1993, the lynx number is falling in the European Russia and in the country as a whole. The greatest decline was in the North-Western Federal District in2003–2010: nearly 40%. Depression  of the number of lynx is not due to only the shortage of fodder. No clear causal tie of the lynx number and the number of hare and roe – main food objects of the lynx – is observed. The decrease in the lynx number at least in some oblasts of the European Russia is explained by a high degree of anthropogenic transformation of forest ecosystems, infl uence of disturbance factor, lack of shelters, and poaching.

In the context of the ongoing degradation of water resources, new approaches to water management in the context of transition to sustainable development of green economy are required. India is one of the fi rst countries that faced the need to address global challenges in their regional perspective. The article analyzes the evolution of concepts and practices of water use in India. Resistance to looming water crisis occupies a central place in the system of management of development of the country. Policy changes of water use are associated with different stages of evolution of the transition economy, on the one hand, and the infl uence of natural and environmental limits, on the other. The stages of evolution of water use are divided: (1) state-led building of complex hydraulic structures in large river basins (1950–1980) – the main source of expansion of irrigated land and development of hydropower in the country; (2) massive use of groundwater – construction of tube wells with electropomps subsidized by the state (peaking in the 1990s), leading to their depletion; (3) escalation of water crisis in the early 2000s century – emphasis on the rationalization of water use and technological innovation; (4) preparation of the Law on water (2013) based on the concept of integrated river basin development; (5) the study of promising projects of inter-basin transfer of river waters. India’s experience refl ects the complexity of the problem of transition to sustainable use of natural resources. Ensuring water security requires addressing interrelated naturalenvironmental, socio-economic and administrative–political problems at the regional, state and international levels. This is possible when conducting science-based policy oriented toward implementation of sustainable development principles.

Assessment of natural conditions and climatic resources of Murmansk oblast for the present time and climate modeling for the middle of the 21st century is provided. The trend of improvement of climatic conditions of population life under modern climate warming as well as for predicted climate change is shown. At mountains this improvement of climatic conditions will be slower than at plain. A decrease of bioclimatic conditions inclemency and an increase in the number of days suitable for active recreation (both in winter and in summer) will be observed. Murmansk oblast provides a wide variety of sanitary resources for urban development throughout the year, as well as recreational resources in the winter.

Among fi rst widely known circumnavigations of the early 19th century, the journeys of outstanding Captain L.A. von Hagemeister turned out to be half-remembered. Experienced seafarer, explorer, the pioneer of the “Eastern route” around the globe, Russian America governor, he was the fi rst who made three circumnavigations after J. Cook and M.P. Lazarev. He also commanded the fi rst Russian ship that visited Port Jackson in Australia. Carrying on the tradition of Russian seafarers, L.A. von Hagemeister performed continuous geographical and astronomical explorations, defi ned more exactly the coordinates of many encountered islands in the Fiji and Samoa archipelagos as well as the Cook Islands. In the Marshall Islands he discovered two groups of inhabited islands forming a chain named the Menshikov Atoll (Kwajalein) by him. His voyages were rather signifi cant in terms of their diversifi ed scientifi c results. L.A. von Hagemeister holds a high position among famous seafarers who bolstered Russia’s reputation as a major maritime nation in the early 19th century.

The forms of international cooperation in the fi eld of use and protection of biological resources of the Black Sea (the second half of the 20th century – early 21st century) is analyzed. It is concluded that now the Black Sea countries do not have the single legal base for exploitation of bioresource potential, including development of fi shery sector of economy, fi shery regulation and enforcement of environmental protection measures for conservation of biodiversity of the Black Sea ecosystem. The characteristics of present (after demise of the Soviet Union) situation in the context of exploitation and protection of biological resources of the Black Sea by fi shery industry of the Russian Federation are given. Some proposals regarding necessary strategy of marine natural resource management in the studied basin for the purpose of sustainable development are formulated. At that, the special attention is paid to development of commercial marine aquaculture.