Aim. Assessment of the state of forest shelterbelts in the dry-steppe subzone of the Altai Territory and identification of key factors contributing to their degradation and area reduction.
Methodology. To achieve the goal of the study, dendrochronology methods were used, which allow analyzing tree rings to assess their age, growth rate, and response to climate change. Dendroclimatology studied the relationship between the growth dynamics of tree stands and climatic parameters such as temperature and precipitation. The taxation of stands included field measurements aimed at determining the composition of species, height, trunk diameter, crown density, and tree viability. In addition, remote sensing data analysis was used to assess the spatial distribution, density, and changes in the condition of forest belts in recent years based on satellite images. The integrated use of these methods provided a comprehensive assessment of the current state of shelterbelts in the dry steppe of the Altai Territory and identified key factors influencing their sustainability.
Results. The radial growth of trees in shelterbelts and their response to climatic factors are determined by their species composition and geographical location within the dry steppe. Precipitation deficiency and rising air temperatures most often cause a decrease in wood growth. The age, morphometric parameters of trees and their sanitary condition are correlatively interconnected, which makes it possible to forecast the state of shelterbelts on their basis. The results of processing remote sensing data (multispectral Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 images) indicate a significant reduction in the area of shelterbelts from 1990 to 2022. An analysis of the NDVI dynamics from 2017 to 2022, performed using Sentinel-2 data, revealed a decrease in the index values, which is probably due to the aging of plantations. Degradation of forest shelterbelts in the dry steppe conditions of the Altai Territory is caused by the complex impact of natural and anthropogenic factors. Climate changes, manifested in increased aridity and more frequent extreme droughts, lead to the suppression of phytocenoses, a decrease in photosynthetic activity and an increase in water deficit. Natural processes of forest stand aging reduce their resistance to stress effects, which contributes to fragmentation and a decrease in the density of plantations. Anthropogenic load, including damage to the integrity of forest belts, aggravates the degradation processes. The combined effect of these factors leads to a decrease in bioproductivity, a decrease in the area of forest belts and the loss of their protective functions.
Research implications. The results of the study allow us to predict the deterioration of the forest belts in 5–7 years and their partial destruction in 15 years. Proposals have been formulated for the renewal of forest belts taking into account their orientation to improve the efficiency of wind protection and increase snow accumulation. It is recommended to carry out planned reforestation using drought-resistant tree species adapted to local conditions. To maintain the sustainability and productivity of plantations, it is necessary to introduce a system of regular sanitary felling, including the removal of dead wood. However, the most important thing is to develop and implement a regional support program aimed at restoring and maintaining plantations.

Aim. Methodology elaboration for determining and estimating the amount of the added light pollution energy to the landscapes of the Vorobyovy Gory Nature Reserve.
Methodology. Landscape lighting technical characteristics in the nature reserve were analyzed. Light characteristics of the LEDs lighting devices were converted into energy units, reflecting artificially generated light energy flux into the reserve natural environment. This energy was compared with the influx of photosynthetically active radiation, including its influx at dusk, as well as at the beginning of the growing season and leaf fall. During these periods, changes in lighting caused a considerable impact on many internal landscape processes, especially noticeable in biota restructuration.
Results. Light pollution is regarded as a factor of anthropogenic landscape dynamics, since it is associated with the supply of photon and thermal energy from lighting devices. Quantitative values of the added energy influx from artificial lighting systems into landscapes were identified. This potentially affects their seasonal and diurnal rhythms, changes in biodiversity which are most often recorded as a result of light pollution, however, without revealing the internal mechanism of this phenomenon. In our experiment, the added energy share due to the artificial lighting flux from the total solar radiation in the summer was 3–6%, in winter – up to 70%. At the beginning and at the end of the growing season, the increase in total radiation due to the added energy amounted to 6.4% and 34.1%. During the growing season, it affected shifts in the start time of tree leaf blooming and leaf fall.
Research implications. The theoretical and/or practical significance lies in identification of physics of light pollution impact process underlining physiological changes in the plant and animal world. Assessment based on instrumental measurements allows us to raise the question of the artificial light added energy impact on natural processes rhythm, changes in biodiversity, soils, and exogenous geomorphological processes. The data obtained may be used to manage light pollution control and regulation in protected areas.

Aim. One of the negative environmental consequences of the active development of the oil and gas industry in the northern part of Western Siberia is the formation of disturbed lands, which occur, among other reasons, during the extraction of sand and sand-gravel mixtures. The aim of this study is to conduct a remote assessment of the spatial and temporal distribution of dry sand quarries and the dynamics of their natural overgrowth over the past 40 years, using a model site in the Nadym River basin as an example.
Methodology. The research objects are dry sand quarries formed during the construction of railways, highways, as well as main gas and oil pipelines. The initial data included multi-temporal satellite images from Corona (1968 and 1976), Landsat-5/7/8 (1984–2023), and Sentinel-2 (2017–2020). Calculations of the annual median NDVI values for each quarry, based on the Landsat data archive from 1985 to 2021, were performed using the Google Earth Engine platform. Methodologically, the work involved digitizing and attributing linear infrastructure objects, identifying and delineating the boundaries of the quarries, determining the degree of flooding, background landscape type, and the formation time of each quarry. Zonal statistics calculations were also performed using ArcGIS Desktop and MS Excel software.
Results. A total of 343 dry sand quarries were identified, primarily located along highways and main pipelines. Based on their age, the quarries are divided into four generations, reflecting different stages of the region’s economic development. The peak of land disturbance was observed during the construction of paved roads in the second half of the 1980s. It was found that the success of quarry revegetation directly depends on their age and location type. Specifically, the highest NDVI values (0,63) were found in first-generation quarries formed more than 70 years ago in dense mossy forests, while the lowest values (0,36) were observed in younger quarries located along pipelines in lichen woodland areas. In quarries situated in dense green moss forests, the background NDVI level as of 2021 had not yet been reached, despite favorable forest growth conditions. Meanwhile, in quarries located in dry pine-lichen woodlands, NDVI values comparable to or exceeding the background level were recorded due to improved moisture conditions.
Research implications. Overall, it was established that in the modern climatic conditions of the northern taiga in Western Siberia, there is a statistically stable trend of natural vegetation recovery in quarries over the past 40 years, regardless of the effectiveness of the biological stage of reclamation. The results obtained can be used to optimize and improve the efficiency of methods for restoring soil and vegetation cover on disturbed areas within the studied region.

Aim. Evaluation of the impact of soils from lignin-containing colloidal sediments of Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill on higher vascular plants – oil radish, oats, fruit and berry crops (raspberries and strawberries), as well as an assessment of the dynamics of reclamation succession during its intensification by frozen lignin-containing sediments and soils obtained from them.
Methodology. The impact of soils from frozen lignin-containing sediments of Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill on higher vascular plants has been studied. Freezed lignin-containing sediments are formed during the implementation of a nature-like technology for their processing by intensifying the natural processes of freezing and drainage. The paper presents an assessment of both acute and chronic phytotoxicity. To assess the possibility of using the obtained substrate in growing agricultural products, the content of heavy metals – cadmium, mercury, copper, zinc and arsenic – in strawberries and raspberries grown on experimental plots formed at the Solzansky landfill of Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill was studied. To assess the effectiveness of using the obtained substrates from lignin-containing sediments in the reclamation of disturbed lands, an assessment of the dynamics of reclamation succession was carried out. In the period from 2019 to 2024. Research was carried out to change the chemical and agrochemical composition of the waste heaps of the studied lignin-containing sediments, as well as the soils based on them.
Results. The assessment conducted of the impact of soils from lignin-containing sediments on higher plants revealed the absence of both acute and chronic toxicity. It was found that the substrate obtained intensifies active growth and development of plants due to the presence of nutritious components (potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen) in its composition. Elemental analysis of berries of fruit and berry crops grown on the obtained soil did not reveal excess of standards for cadmium, mercury, copper, zinc and arsenic.
Research implications. The developed nature-like technology for obtaining soils from lignin-containing sediments of the pulp and paper industry can be successfully implemented in the elimination of accumulated environmental damage at Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill.

Aim. To conduct a quantitative assessment of household and communal water consumption in rural settlements, excluding major industrial and agricultural water consumers, as statistical information is absent in state reporting forms but is necessary for the management of regional water resources.
Methodology. The identification of a model settlement was based on an analysis of territorial planning documents from rural areas in the Altai Krai and Novosibirsk Oblast. Typical water users were identified using municipal statistics and the categorization of socio-cultural facilities. Water consumption rates were established according to regulatory documents, sanitary rules, and other sources. The calculation of minimum water requirements, using the proposed methodology, was performed for individual settlements and for rural municipalities within the study region.
Results. In an average rural settlement, typical water users include the population engaged in personal subsidiary farming and organizations of socio-cultural significance. According to the proposed norms for daily water consumption, the most water-intensive activity is the irrigation of garden plots, while among socio-cultural facilities, kindergartens are the largest water consumers. The calculated minimum water needs for rural populations, both for individual settlements and for municipalities as a whole, showed that over 80% of annual water consumption is attributed to personal subsidiary farming, 10-15% to personal household needs, and less than 5% to public-business zone facilities. Calculated water consumption exceeds explored reserves of groundwater only in 9 districts of the endorheic basin.
Research implications. A methodology for determining the minimum water needs of the population of rural settlements has been proposed.

Aim. Against the general background of global climate warming, to study the regional features of this process as a risk factor for the health of the population of the Kaliningrad region.
Methodology. The study is based on data on average monthly and annual air temperature and precipitation at meteorological stations in the Kaliningrad region for various periods from 1949 to 2022. Statistical processing of time series was performed, identifying trends and anomalies based on standard programs.
Results. Positive effects of climate change are noted, in particular, an increase in the duration of the period with air temperature above 10˚ to 160–180 days per year. The average warming rate in recent decades in the westernmost region of Russia reaches 0.49˚C/10 years, in some months (February, March) exceeds 0.6˚C/10 years. A trend of an increase in the number of days with abnormally high air temperature, exceeding 29.5˚ over the past 30 years by three times is characterized. The increasing extremity of climate change and heat waves are considered to be the leading health risk factors. Examples of heat waves influencing cardiovascular disease and mortality, the spread of natural focal infections, in particular, Lyme disease, are given. It was established that in the Kaliningrad Region outbreaks of diseases caused by ixodid ticks occurred in years with extremely high air temperatures in the winter-spring periods.
Research implications. Conclusions were made about the need to expand research in the field of weather and climate factors on human health in order to improve the quality of life of the population of the Kaliningrad region.

Aim. Improving the efficiency of forecasting the spread of chemically hazardous substances (using the example of ammonia emissions at a chemically hazardous enterprise of hazard class I, Voronezh) in various meteorological conditions and assessing the danger to the population by integrating the ALOHA toxic zone calculation program and the population database, taking into account its density Maps.ie.
Methodology. ALOHA algorithms allow predicting the spread of toxicants in the air with high reliability, taking into account their physico-chemical properties, the type and scale of the accident, and the underlying surface. The graphical interpretation of the simulation results clearly shows the depth and area of the spread of a cloud of chemically hazardous substances for three levels of toxic hazard. When using databases Maps.ie It is possible to accurately estimate the number of people in need of assistance and emergency evacuation in the event of a man-made accident.
Results. An assessment of potential toxic hazard zones in the event of a possible accident at a chemically hazardous facility of JSC Voronezhsintezkauchuk has been carried out. At the same time, various accident scenarios were considered – leakage and guillotine rupture of a 10-ton ammonia tank in winter and summer. Calculations have shown that unfavorable conditions for the development of an emergency situation are typical for the destruction of a tank on hot, dry days with a weak turbulent atmosphere. Under these conditions, the radius of the potential toxic hazard zone is 8,9 km, where ~660 thousand people live. Voronezh residents, of whom about 4 thousand people are in mortal danger at a distance of 1,9 km from the ammonia storage facility. The most unfavorable wind directions have been identified, in which the maximum number of people is at risk. Since it is impossible to test the algorithms used in the work on a real object, we simulated the spread of the cloud as a result of an already accomplished ammonia leak. The model and publicly available information about the accident showed good convergence of the results.
Research implications. The obtained patterns of the spread of chemically hazardous substances in the air, taking into account the characteristics of the underlying surface, meteorological conditions, the nature, type and scale of the accident, as well as the use of algorithms to estimate the number of vulnerable populations, make it possible to expand the theory of geoecological monitoring of potentially chemically hazardous objects. The presented scheme of integration of ALOHA algorithms and the population database Maps.ie It can be used as a ready-made electronic guide for decision makers in the prevention and occurrence of emergency situations.

Aim. To identify the level of food security of Arab countries on the basis of system economic and geographical analysis, to determine the main factors causing the problems of food security of the population of the selected group of states.
Methodology. Various geographical methods were applied in the course of the study: cartographic, historical-geographical, comparative-geographical, economic-statistical, as well as elements of system analysis. The differentiation of Arab countries in terms of food situation was carried out by cluster analysis. The Food Availability Index (FAI) for Arab countries was calculated on the basis of a large set of statistical data, showing a wide range of food availability, while comparative-geographical and factor analyses helped to explain the basic reasons for the differentiation of countries in terms of food availability. ArcGIS, Adobe Illustrator, QGIS-maps, and Microsoft Excel programmes were used to construct cartographic materials and charts reflecting the main results of the work.
Results. It is shown that the majority of Arab countries in the first two decades of the xxI century had serious problems with food security. The most acute ones are in the states where military conflicts do not subside, first of all in Yemen, Syria and Sudan. Due to objective reasons (lack of fresh water, shortage of fertile land, immaturity of existing productive forces and production relations), the key factor for most countries of the group is the lag between food production and consumer demand. In the Arab region there are multidirectional processes in food supply: malnutrition is increasing in conflict-ridden and low-income countries (Iraq, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan), while obesity is a growing concern in high- and middle-income countries (Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia). International food trade and its volumes are in many cases determined by political motives rather than economic and commercial factors. The analysis reveals the most effective ways to overcome the problems of food security in Arab countries.
Research implications. New material on the topic under study is summarized and proposals for achieving food security as the basis of economic security of countries are formulated. It is shown that food security and food security of the countries of the region is mosaic in a wide range and is determined by a large spectrum of economic, social and geopolitical factors. The conducted research has both theoretical and practical significance, in particular for a better understanding of Russia's economic and geopolitical interaction with the Arab countries.

I. Kurbatova and H. Abu-Qdais prepared a new monograph "Bioeconomics 4.0: Innovative Approaches to Valorization of Organic Waste" for the ecological and economic community. This review analyzes the main ideas of the authors and assesses their significance.
The authors propose a definition of the term "bioeconomy" in the context of the industrial revolution 4.0, linking it with digitalization, automation and the use of big data to optimize the processes of valorization of organic waste; integrate the concepts of circular economy, sustainable development and industrial ecology within the framework of a new paradigm. The monograph discusses advanced technologies for processing organic waste: anaerobic digestion, composting, pyrolysis, gasification and the production of bioplastics. An overview of international experience in valorization of organic waste is provided, including examples of successful projects and strategies implemented in various countries. The comparative analysis made it possible to comprehensively assess the existing approaches to the valorization of organic waste and to identify both general trends and the most important features characteristic of different economic regions.
The authors disclose key aspects of biotechnological processing of food waste (lactic acid fermentation, acetone-butyl fermentation, heterotrophic algae production, synthesis gas fermentation). Biotechnology using the Black Lion fly (Hermetia illucens, or Black Soldier) from Central and South America is considered: its larvae consume and decompose a number of organic materials, the degradation of which reaches 70%. Modern technological approaches (hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL technology), hydrothermal gasification) were characterized and their environmental and economic significance was analyzed (no need for preliminary drying of raw materials; possibility of processing various types of food and other organic wastes with high efficiency of product output (up to 90%) in form of biogas, therefore, it can be easily compressed, conveniently transported and stored, which reduces economic costs).
The work in question contributes to the development of interdisciplinary scientific discourse by combining knowledge from different fields of knowledge – ecology, economics, biotechnology and sustainable management. The synthesis of knowledge from these thematic areas creates the basis for modeling bioeconomic processes.