From the editor-in-chief

The position of Russia in G-8 and in the world, as well as in comparison with 19 countries representative for the global water-use sector, by water resources, mainly resources of rive runoff, anthropogenic pressures on water and efficiency of water use, in investigated.

The concept of the metropolization as one of the dominant trends in the evolution of the territorial organization of society in the post-Soviet period is formulated. Metropolization is the priority aspect of studies of the geography of power, which are updated in modern Russia. The theoretical model of the territorial structure of the metropolis is proposed.

The paper analyzes the main theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of the phenomenon of cultural regionalism in its Ukrainian version. The cultural regionalism in Ukraine is examined from the point of view of the formation of cultural differences at the junction of civilizational influences, geopolitical and dynastic projects, ethnic and religious rivalries, and in line with relevant intellectual reflections. Emphasis is placed on demands for close interdisciplinary cooperation of geographers and historians of Russia and Ukraine aimed at the elaboration of the methodological basis of cultural regional studies and historical limitology.

Results of analysis of the anomalous hydrometeorological situation, which emerged in the beginning of 2012 in the seas of Western Arctic and in Central Europe, are given. It is shown that as a result of western transfer blocking in temperate zone by the branch of Siberian anticyclone, the marked positive anomaly of air temperature and ice cover in the Barents and Kara seas was formed. At the same time in the Central and Southern Europe protracted negative anomaly of air temperature was observed. Winter hydrological situation in the Pechora and Kara seas is depicted with unique set of observations, made with the usage of expendable bathythermosalinograph.

In the last decade the frequency of abnormally hot summer weather in the European part of Russia increased. Growth of summer temperatures is associated with increased frequency of heat waves caused by the advection of hot dry tropical air masses or transformation of temperate air masses due to their long-term stationing in the area. Such situations are caused by blockage of western disturbance in the European part of Russia. Heat waves cauce hazards such as droughts, fires, loss of crops, increased morbidity and mortality. The article provides an estimate of the change of the thermal loads on the population using the different characteristics of heat waves and temperature gradients. The main trends in the thermal loads on the population in European Russia in the last decade due to changes in the localization of the polar front in summer are shown.

The results of research on the role of the macrocirculation processes in the northern hemisphere according to the classification of BL Dzerdzeevskii in the formation of ground-level ozone concentrations in the Karadag Nature Reserve National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine are shown. Types of elementary circulatory mechanisms under which ground-level ozone concentrations increases in the territory are identified, as well as the reasons of such increases.

In regional assessments of permafrost and groundwater conditions, it is necessary to account for the abundance of floodplain taliks. A generally accepted opinion on the regularities of their territorial distribution has not been formed due to the scarcity of direct information serving a basis for traditional approaches. The fact that convective heat exchange between rivers and floodplain taliks sufficiently lowers water temperatures, makes it possible to use the according reference data. An integrated characteristic has been worked out accounting also for climate conditions and water discharge. Estimates demonstrate that North-Eastern Asia is distinguished by the outstanding abundance of floodplain taliks and also reaffirm their correlation to braided rivers. The results facilitate significantly territorial assessments in question and improve their feasibility.

The article presents some results of the research of the dynamics of structural components of the plant species richness in the Amu-Darya delta – annual and biennial herbs and perennial herbs – under the changing hydrological conditions of the territory. The competition mechanism and coexistence mechanism which have provided structural stability of the herb plants species richness of the Amu-Darya delta in 1947–1981 are defined. According to the results of the research of relative dynamics of structural components of the herb plants species richness in the Amu-Darya delta, we defined the mechanism of self-preservation and the mechanism of maintenance of stability working prior to the Aral Sea crisis.

Three different types of integration of spatial data on natural landscape components are introduced: spatial, geographic, and thematic. Thematic integration is the process of combining data carried out on the basis of the integrated hierarchical genetic classification of natural landscapes-systems. Natural landscape-systems are regarded as elementary structural units of the earth’s landscape envelope comprised of interacting elements (basic ones – rock, air, waters, and living organisms, and derivative one – soil) with relatively homogenous genetic properties. The result of the thematic integration is represented in GIS as one polygon spatial data layer with joined table of attribute data. The layer produces the systemic landscape maps, namely maps of landscapes of different hierarchical levels and maps of natural landscape component properties. Currently the concept, technology, and tools of the thematic integration of spatial data on natural landscape components are tested and developed in the prosess of landscape mapping of Saratov oblast, Russia. Scale of the basic topographic map, which was used, is 1 : 1500 000.

Experiences of large-scale mapping of Yenisei Ridge ecosystems at the planned site of ores extraciton are presented. An advanced large-scale mapping method uncludes geological-geomorphological and ecosystems indication information for detection of permafrost ecosystems. The integrated processing of this information including data on surface sediments genesis, their relief correspondence and its exogenic processing enabled to reveal and find limits of the most unstable ecosystem complexes. They demand extended protection measures in case of exploitation of the Vysokoye ore deposit (the upper stream of the Chapa river).

Article is devoted to the development of complex studies of underwater landscapes in the USSR and Russian Federation since the 1950s. The applicability of the approaches and methods of the physical geography of the land to the research of the ocean, including basic concepts and the provisions of geographical science, is shown. In the middle of the 20th century, the technology of aerial mapping of the sea shallow botton was developed, which gave impetus to the development of complex underwater research. The article examines the experience of the theory and practice of Physical Geography and Landscape studies of the oceans. The principles of construction of a hierarchical system of units of landscape bionomic zoning of large marine ecosystems are proposed.

В статье представлен новый взгляд на происхождение топонима “Валдай”, в основе которого автор видит отражение уникальности лесного ландшафта конечно-моренного холмистого края и историю его аграрного освоения.

Общность высокогорных и высокоширотных природных условий поясности. Еще великий А. Гумбольдт подметил соответствие высотной и широтной природной зональности. Выделяя в Андах зону холода “терра фриа”, он рассматривал ее как крохотный сгусток и отражение великой полярной зоны.

Бесспорно, есть разительные контрасты между высокогорьями и полярными областями. Специфика экологической среды высокогорий опре­ деляется снижением с высотой атмосферного давления. В высоких широтах долгую часть года господствуют полярный день и полярная ночь, а в низких круглый год происходит смена дня и ночи. Но так ли важны эти различия за холодными пределами лесов? Попытаемся вслед за А. Гумбольдтом проследить то общее, что связывает природу гор и равнин, сравнить восхождение на гору с путешествием к полюсу.

Необычно уже название словаря, в котором ключевым словом “туризм” объединены природа, культура и путешествия. Между тем, это органичное объединение, обусловленное исторически. Ведь путешествия всегда, наряду с утилитарными, приносили множество познавательных результатов – природоведческих и культурных, питали эстетическое чувство путешественников. Недаром возникла традиция путешествий после свадьбы: именно в путешествии обостряется восприятие нового и молодожены постигают как новый мир вокруг, так и свою новую жизнь.