Aim. The paper identifies the differences in the properties of spring water in forest-steppe landscapes on the secondary moraine plain and mixed and broad-leaved forests on water-glacial plains. Methodology. The data were obtained as a result of field studies and laboratory-chemical analysis of water samples in 2018-2019. Directly at the springs, flow rate and pH were measured with a portable device. In laboratories, the total hardness and calcium ions were determined by titration. Using the Econix-Expert-001 device, we determined the substance content of NO3-, NH4+, Cu2+, Cl-. Results. Information was obtained about 13 springs of forest-steppe landscapes (environs of Saransk and Ruzaevka) and 8 springs of landscapes of mixed and broad-leaved forests (National Park ‘Smolny’). When comparing the obtained data, significant differences in the physicochemical properties of springs in different landscapes were revealed. The rigidity, hydrogen index, trace element content and flow rate of the water from the springs of forest-steppe landscapes are greater than those from the springs of landscapes of mixed and broad-leaved forests. This is primarily due to the differences in the geological structure of the territories. Captation and the adjacent territory of most of the investigated springs are in good condition, and the water, according to the measured parameters, corresponds to the MPC standards. At the same time, the springs of forest-steppe landscapes are more often used by the local population and experience a stronger anthropogenic impact, both from the direct influence of visitors and as a result of groundwater pollution by land users. Research implications. The results of the study can be used to develop measures aimed at protecting the quality of groundwater and in updating the assessment of the water-resource potential of the Republic of Mordovia.

Аim. The paper identifies geological, geomorphological and hydromorphological factors affecting the variability of the width of the Oka within the Ryazan extension of its floodplain. Methodology. The width of the Oka is determined using remote and field methods. At the cameral stage, we approximated established empirical values in STATISTICA 10.0 and MS Excel programs. Results. The location of the widest and narrowest sections of the Oka river is found for the Ryazan expansion of the Oka floodplain in its middle course. An average width (Bp) of each individual kilometer of the river is determined within a section of 743-662 km from the mouth, taking into account the local variability of the river morphodynamics. It is found that a significant factor, affecting the variability of Bp is the change in the morphodynamic type of the riverbed from anabranching to meandering. It is reveled that the approximation using the least weighted squares method turns out to be the most sensitive to the changes in river morphology. Reseach implications. Geological, geomorphological and hydromorphological factors affecting the Bp variability are analyzed. Statistical approximations of the obtained values of the morphological parameter are proposed. The minima of the riverbed width are found to correspond to floodplain areas that are atypical in geological and geomorphological terms, which should be taken into account in future forecasts of the development of riverbed deformations in the floodplain of the middle section of the Oka river basin.

Aim. The purpose of the paper is to predict the expected changes in ecosystem services of tundra landscapes in connection with the planned construction of the railroad ‘Karskomur’ from Vorkuta to the settlement of Ust’-Kara. Methodology. A conjugate analysis is performed of normative and statistical data on the regional socio-economic development of the area under study and its environmental characteristics. The analysis is based on the use of ecological and economic methods for assessing ecosystem services. The interpretation of the results is presented. Results. The directions of potential competition of economic entities for the use of ecosystem services are identified, and a primary assessment of their unit cost is given. Research implications. The research results make it possible to supplement project documents in order to compensate / restore disturbed pools of ecosystem services to prevent the emergence of conflicts in nature use.

Аim. We analyze land use/land cover in the city of Mandi Bahauddin, Punjab, Pakistan in the period from 1996 to 2016. Methodology. Spatiotemporal aspects of land-use/land-cover changes in the city of Mandi Bahauddin are analyzed. Landsat satellite imageries of 3 different periods (1990, 2000 and 2016) are obtained from the Global Land Cover Facility site (GLCF) and Earth Explorer site to compute the changes in the land use and land cover (LULC) from 1990 to 2016. To classify different categories, a false-color composite is prepared by combining all bands of downloaded images. The false-color composite is prepared through layer stacking, and supervised classification is used to determine a change in residential land use in Mandi Bahauddin by ERDAS Imagine 10.2. The imageries of the area under study are categorized into three classes: agriculture land, barren land and built-up area. Results. The results of this study indicate that the size of the built-up area and barren land increased by 30% and 58%, respectively, and the size of the agricultural land decreased by 88%. Research implications. The land-use/land-cover changes have a great theoretical and practice interest for sustainability of environment and society. It is found that changes are mainly detected in the Mandi Bahauddin city where the population has rapidly increased. The results of investigation have demonstrated the land-use/land-cover changes and shifts from agriculture land to urban settlement. Urbanization is the major cause of land use change in the period from 1996 to 2016 according to the results of the study.

Aim. The place of residential energy consumption in the overall structure of final energy consumption in the country is determined and its regional differentiation is presented. Methodology. The state statistics on the consumption of certain types of utilities (heating, hot water supply, natural and liquefied gas supply, solid fuel supply) are analyzed and general economic data from Russian regions in 2017 are presented. Results. Large bodies of statistical data are generalized, the scale of consumption of various types of energy resources in the residential sector of Russia is described, and regional differentiation and specific indicators of energy consumption differentiation are presented. Reporting statistical information of individual consumers is compared with the comprehensive survey data on living conditions in the regions of Russia. Research implications. The analysis makes it possible to show contradictions in the statistics and draws attention to regions where inefficient use of energy resources in housing and communal services could take place. The paper is a logical continuation of the study published in Bulletin of the Moscow Regional State University, Series: Natural Sciences, 2019, no. 4.

Aim. Based on the analysis of the fuel and energy complex and its role in the pollution of the atmosphere of Belarus, we show the prospects for the development of wind power in the country. Methodology. The research makes use of analytical and statistical techniques. The main sources for the study are data from industry and thematic international and national statistical databases, as well as recent thematic publications. The dynamics of emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases on the territory of Belarus in the energy sector from 2012 to 2018 is analyzed. Results. The influence of the fuel and energy complex on air pollution is revealed, primarily in Minsk and Vitebsk regions, where large thermal power plants are located. Opportunities and obstacles for the development of wind power, which will solve some of the problems of atmospheric pollution with sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and other substances and greenhouse gas emissions in the fuel and energy sector, are analyzed. The primary task is to study in detail the spatial potential of the wind energy development based on the consideration of environmental, economic and natural factors in the country. Obstacles to the development of wind power in Belarus (legal, economic and natural) are identified. To develop wind power in Belarus, it is necessary to introduce changes to the tariff policy and legislation aimed at encouraging investment and creating new wind farms. In addition, it is necessary to attract investment in this branch of wind energy. Research implications. The results of the study allow us to assess advantages and prospects for the development of alternative energy in Belarus.

Aim. Systemic principles are identified as the basis for the development and implementation of regional tourism projects. The features of the application of a systematic approach in tourism are revealed. Nine system principles are substantiated that are a condition for the efficiency of regional tourism projects in the framework of the development of recreational systems. The objectives of the study are to identify correlation in tourism as in a recreational system and formulate recommendations on the systematic construction of tourism projects. The object of the study is recreational systems, and the subject is systemic relations in tourism and recreational systems. Metodology. This study is carried out as part of the implementation of the systematic approach as a general scientific method and is based on systemic interdisciplinary research, including the geosystem method. Results. The paper substantiates 9 systemic principles for constructing regional tourism projects and reveals a systemic relationship between these projects and other systems in the region. Research implications. The analysis clearly demonstrates the need for a comprehensive application of the system approach, including clarifying the class of systems, identifying the elements of the system, determining the nature of the relationship between them, substantiating the basic element of the system, formulating the features of the system’s relationship with the environment, clarifying the nature of reducing entropy, identifying synergies, and substantiating new qualities and entities that are formed as a result of the manifestation of systemic features in tourism and recreational systems. The paper summarizes the practice of developing and implementing about ten regional tourism projects presented in various constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

Aim. We study the spatial position of the Ustyurt geoglyphs. Methodology. Use is made of space images and special cartographic sources to identify and study geoglyphs. All of them are measured using satellite images and plotted on a schematic map. Four groups of places are identified where arrow-shaped patterns are concentrated. It is found that locations are geographically stipulated. There is no randomness in the placement of figures on the Earth’s surface at all four of their locations. Results. It was found that individual (‘key’) geoglyphs are oriented to the countries of the world. This makes it possible to fix the main places and directions of movement of wild animals on the ground. It is revealed that 14 out of 50 geoglyphs of double arrow-shaped drawings are oriented to the countries of the world. Most of them (10) are directed to the North, one to the West and South, and three fix directions to the East. Some other repetitive orientation directions of the arrow-shaped patterns are found, including 15 arrows at 45° (NE) and 225° (SW) azimuths; and 12 arrows, 335°-340° (NW) azimuth. It is possible that these statistically significant directions are not random. They can be associated with calendar events of the aborigines, essential for life and integral to hunting wild animals. It should be noted that there was no need to orient all the arrow-shaped structures by the countries of the world. Research implications. Geoglyphs on the Ustyurt plateau were created not randomly, but taking into account the most specific long-term observations of migration routes of wild ungulates. The natural-scientific basis for the construction of traps was the orientation of some of them to the countries of the world. This was done in order to fix the main migration routes of animals on the ground. Thus, the geoglyphs of the Ustyurt are heritage monuments and serve as indicators of the ancient development of the geographical space.

Aim. The paper assesses the degree of contamination and phytotoxicity of the soil cover of Sumgayit as an integral part of the overall biomonitoring. Methodology. The environmental indicators of the soil cover of Sumgayit in its various zones are analyzed, including industrial, transport and recreational zones. The content of total hydrocarbons in soils is determined by a gravimetric method, and the degree of their phytotoxicity is found by the Grodzinsky method. Barley seeds are used as test plants. The results of the analysis are statistically processed using the Statistica V 6.0 code. In assessing the statistical reliability of the average data obtained, the Student t-test is used. Results. The study concluded that the degree of soil contamination by hydrocarbons depends on the zone’s functionality: the content of total hydrocarbons in the soils of roadside zones and industrial zones is on average 2.8 times and 244 times more than that in soils of park areas. It is shown that the soil cover acquires phytotoxic properties as a result of pollution with organic pollutants of various nature. Research implications. The results of the study make promising scientific research in the field of selection of higher plant species that are best adapted to growth and development in the soil cover of Sumgayit in order to increase the assimilation potential of phytocenoses in relation to pollutants.

Aim. We study the elemental composition of samples from the gas cleaning system of an autothermic plant for the disposal of medical waste and determine their hazard class. Methodology. Fly ash samples from the elements of the gas cleaning system (air sparging system, “wet scrubber”, impeller of smoke exhaust) of an autothermal unit disposing medical waste were analyzed by an X-ray fluorescence method. The content of 30 elements, including toxic ones (Pb, Cd, As) was measured in samples. Based on the results of chemical analysis of samples from the elements of the gas cleaning system, the hazard class of the waste was calculated. Results. The analysis showed that ash from the elements of the air sparging system contains such elements as Cl, Fe, Ca, K, Ti, Zn, Cr, Mn, Pb, Ni, Sn, and Sb. The maximum metal content (Fe, Ti, Zn, Mn, Pb, Ni, Cu, and Mo) is absorbed by the scrubber cleaning system. The ash sampled from the elements of the impeller contains a high content of halogens (Cl, Br, I) and As. The presence of Cr, Zn, Ni, Pb, and Cu in the ash sampled from the elements of the impeller indicates incomplete cleaning of exhaust gases from heavy metals. The waste from the gas cleaning system of the autothermal plant for the disposal of medical waste corresponds to hazard class II (highly hazardous). Research implications. The presence of Cr, Zn, Ni, Cu, and Pb in the composition of ash taken from the elements of the impeller indicates incomplete cleaning of exhaust gases from heavy metals, a high content of halogens (Cl, Br, and I) and As indicates the possibility of environmental pollution and the risk for human health. The waste from the gas cleaning system of an autothermal plant for the disposal of medical waste corresponds to hazard class II (highly hazardous) and must be transferred to a specialized organization for neutralization or disposal in a manner that is safe for the environment and human health.