Aim. To identify similarities and differences between the Long-Term Low-Carbon Development Strategies of the BRICS+ countries in terms of their thematic blocks, with a particular focus on climate change mitigation measures within the Land use, Land-use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) sector and their relationship to the land use of countries.

Methodology. The study employed quantitative and qualitative content analysis, as well as comparative and statistical data processing techniques. Documents from the strategic long-term low-carbon development strategy, namely low-carbon development strategies and nationally determined contributions from BRICS+ countries were analyzed, along with statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and data on land use and its dynamics for the period 2012-2022. National data on greenhouse gas emissions, including those from the LULUCF sector, were also analyzed based on information from the Climate Action Tracker and Climate Watch Data.

Results. Based on the approach adopted by the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and according to the results of content analysis, thematic blocks and their roles are identified in each of the strategies considered. It has been revealed that the documents are highly individualized and vary in volume, but the order of topics covered is similar. There is an emphasis on the section on climate mitigation measures developed for each sector of the economy.

An analysis of the characteristics of the land use structure (data on categories of “forest area” and “arable land” (% from country area) allowed us to group the countries into four clusters, for which further consideration of mitigation measures in the LULUCF sector is proposed. According to the Strategy documents, mechanisms such as forest protection, af­forestation and reduction of deforestation are identified as universal measures for countries with a high forest cover, such as Russia and Brazil. For countries with a relatively large proportion of arable land, such as India and Turkey, as well as Russia, measures to reduce carbon emissions from agriculture, control erosion and prevent fires on agricultural lands are outlined. Some countries, depending on their natural characteristics, plan to imple­ment individual measures to mitigate carbon emissions, including assessing the carbon balance of different ecosystems, such as inland waters and wetlands in Russia, and coastal ecosystems with mangrove forests and marine grasslands in the United Arab Emirates, China and India, among others. It was concluded that all the countries reviewed, except for Egypt and Malaysia, have a more or less comprehensive approach to how they will act in the land use, land-use change and forestry sector in order to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality.

Research implications. The results of the study allow us to draw conclusions about the variety of climate change mitigation measures proposed by BRICS+ countries in relation to the structure and dynamics of their land use. The findings can be useful in optimizing international cooperation and exchange of best practices between countries.

Aim. To identify key directions, goals and instruments of China's environmental policy and their evolution from the mid-20th century to 2024.

Methodology. The research methods includes official documents analysis (laws, regulations, strategies and action plans), comparative analysis and case studies. The key research method was content analysis to understand the priorities and rhetoric of environmental policy dur­ing the Xi Jinping period.

Results. The main periods of development of China's environmental policy are analyzed: from the emergence and gradual inclusion of environmental protection issues in the do­mestic policy of the state in the early 1980s to the active process of adapting national en­vironmental legislation to international standards and the formation of the concept of an ecological civilization in the first quarter of the 21^st century. Key elements of continuity have been identified, such as a centralized approach to environmental management, con­tinuation of implementing long-term programs (the Great Green Wall), sustained attention to struggle with pollution issues, which have remained priorities since the 2000s. Innovative approaches include the usage of digital technologies and big data to monitor the environ­mental situation and manage natural resources. Combining traditional approaches with in­novative solutions allows China to make significant progress in overcoming environmental problems. However, to achieve long-term goals, such as carbon neutrality by 2060, it is necessary to strengthen sustainable development measures, including reducing dependence on coal, which remains the main source of energy, strengthening environmental legisla­tion and monitoring its implementation, especially in remote regions where environmental standards may be poorly enforced.

Research implications. The study reveals the features of adaptation of national environ­mental strategies to global environmental challenges. The Chinese concept of ecological civilization represents a unique approach to sustainable development that can be adapted and studied in other contexts, including Russia.

Aim. A comparative analysis of the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation measures in ur­ban areas using the example of Singapore, Cape Town, Berlin, and Moscow was conducted using the author's biodiversity index (IB) as a tool.

Methodology. The study is based on the calculation of the author's Biodiversity Index (IB), developed on the principles of the Singapore Index (CBI) and considering the availability of data for key aspects: species richness (birds, plants), the proportion of native flora and endemic species, the area of green areas and the level of air pollution (PM2.5). The data is obtained from open sources (eBird, GBIF, iNaturalist, OSM, OpenAQ, WHO), official urban statistics and published sources.

Results. The IB calculation revealed significant differences in the obtained indicators: Cape Town (83 points) — the maximum score is due to the high proportion of endemics (68%) and species richness, despite the limited area of green areas (22%). Singapore (51 points), when technological solutions compensate for the low proportion of native species (47%) and endemic (15%). Moscow (46 points), where a large area of green areas (54%) is com­bined with a low species diversity of plants (1,647 species) and endemism (5%). Berlin (44 points) has the most developed network of eco-corridors (44% of the territory), but it has limited biodiversity (1527 plant species, 2% endemic). Correlation analysis showed a strong positive relationship between IB and the proportion of endemic species (r = +0.997, p<0,001) and the species richness of the flora (r = +0.980, p<0,01), and a significant nega­tive relationship with the area of green areas (r = -0.938, p<0.01), indicating the priority of quality (naturalness, conservation of endemic species) over quantity (a formal approach to urban greening) in solving biodiversity conservation tasks.

Research implications. The developed Biodiversity Index (IB) can be used as a tool for com­paring cities in different natural and climatic conditions. By applying a relative estimation methodology to calculate the index, such as normalizing indicators to the maximum value in the sample and using weighting coefficients, differences in the initial biological potential of territories can be offset. This makes it possible to assess the effectiveness of urban poli­cies in biodiversity conservation and develop targeted recommendations based on regional specificities. The information gathered through this process can help identify features of model cities, such as the low proportion of native species in Singapore, the fragmentation of habitats in Cape Town, and the prevalence of decorative species in Moscow's landscaping. Established patterns (the priority of preserving natural communities dominated by native species over the expansion of artificial plantings) provide a scientific basis for biodiversity conservation strategies. These patterns are linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 11 — which focuses on urban environment quality, SDG 13 — which addresses pol­lution impact monitoring, and SDG 15 — which aims to conserve biodiversity). These links allow us to use information to improve national assessment systems, such as integrating quality indicators into the Russian Urban Environment Quality Index.

Aim. To evaluate the response of frozen peatlands in Western Siberia to modern climatic changes.

Methodology. Soil temperature was measured at two sites in the zone of sporadic perma­frost — near the town of Tarko-Sale, YNAO, and in the territory of the Numto Nature Park (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra). The active layer thickness was measured in ac­cordance with the circumpolar active layer monitoring (CALM) program. Soil temperature changes on different types of peatlands were assessed. Data from meteorological observato­ries were obtained to determine the dependence of ground temperature on meteorological parameters such as air temperature and snow depth.

Results. In the southern cryolithozone of Western Siberia, there has been a stable trend to­wards an increase in atmospheric air temperature and an increase in snow cover thickness in recent decades, which poses a threat to permafrost stability. Increased snow retention during successional changes in vegetation (restoration of the tree layer) causes a rapid increase in the temperature of the ground layer and a subsidence of the permafrost table. Coniferous northern taiga forests with dwarf birch-lichen-shrub-moss cover are currently an indicator of thawed soils, in contrast to the data of 50 years ago, when this type of vegetation indi­cated the presence of high-temperature permafrost. At the depth of zero annual amplitudes, the permafrost temperature in the Tarko-Sale area increased by 0,2°C over a 10-year period, while in the Numto area, no increase in permafrost temperature was noted over 5 years of observations. Thus, warm permafrost slowly responds to contemporary global warming. The response of peatlands depends on the morphological features of the peatlands. Under exten­sive flat-mound peatlands, the permafrost temperature is relatively stable. The permafrost temperature of narrow peat ridges of lake-bog complexes is close to the melting point; these will be the first to melt in the event of further warming.

Research implications. The study of the temperature regime of frozen soils allows us to predict the stability of geosystems under the climate warming and to develop methods for preserving engineering constructions. The results obtained expand the possibilities of ana­lyzing the relationships between land covers and geocryological parameters.

Aim. Demonstrate a new approach for assessing the susceptibility of an area to gully erosion based on machine learning algorithms.

Methodology. The key research methods were: machine learning-based modeling and geo­information modeling. A literary method was used in the analysis of existing solutions to assess the susceptibility of the territory to gully erosion. In the practical field of research, one of the most modern methods of machine learning, CatBoost, is widely used, taken as the basis of the developed approach. One of the main ideas of the proposed approach is the ensembling of machine learning models.

Results. A new method is proposed — a smoothed multilevel assessment of a territory's predisposition to gully erosion, using the Vorobyevsky District of the Voronezh Region as an example. The similarities and differences between the proposed approach and existing methods based on the idea of ensemble modeling are considered. Two new metrics for as­sessing the accuracy of the proposed method, RF1 and NDF, are justified. The concepts of soft, hard, and weighted modeling levels are introduced, allowing the contribution of relief morphometry to gully erosion development to be assessed. It has been established that the greatest influence on this process is exerted by the absolute and relative heights of the terrain, the LS factor, the catchment area, and the slope exposure. Together, they explain 95% of the areas of existing gully erosion in the region. Based on the results of modeling in the Vorobyevsky district of the Voronezh region, 2,853 hectares of land with a high and very high predisposition to gully erosion were identified. In terms of landscape, these cor­respond to the steppe-like valley slopes of southern exposures, which are distinguished by their greatest length, steepness, and height, and have a concave cross-section and significant catchment areas.

Research implications. The significance of the study lies in the proposal of a new approach to assessing the predisposition of the territory to gully erosion based on machine learning methods. From a practical point of view, the ideas proposed in the work and the method itself can be used to obtain a higher-quality result in assessing the predisposition of a terri­tory to gully erosion, compared with a number of classical methods and machine learning technologies, especially when analyzing large territories with high uneven distribution of gully erosion.

Aim. Development of proposals for optimizing the interrelation between nature conserva­tion, reindeer breeding and tourism at the Ingilor Nature Park in the Yamal-Nenets Au­tonomous Okrug.

Methodology. A wide range of methods were used during the study. The assessment of the basic, potential and real recreational capacity was carried out in accordance with the "Methodological recommendations for determining the recreational capacity of specially protected natural areas" (2021). Simulation of recreational loads of different intensity to assess the stability of natural complexes was carried out during field work at experimental sites. For correct extrapolation, a landscape basis was used, which was also prepared during field work and subsequent processing of field materials. The study of the current state of the socio-cultural environment was carried out on the basis of an analytical in-depth interview with representatives of local communities and tourists.

Results. Landscape analysis showed that 16.1% of the territory of the Ingilor natural park is suitable to one degree or another for organizing tourist sites. Within the boundaries of the Ingilor natural park, an increase in the actual recreational load on natural complexes is observed. In the course of imitation of recreational loads in the park, 3 groups of natu­ral complexes were identified, differing in resistance to recreational loads. The approved zoning scheme for the Ingilor Natural Park is extremely imperfect. It is proposed to adjust the existing scheme of functional zoning of the park. To regulate the recreational load on the territory of the Ingilor Natural Park, it is necessary to develop and implement a system for accounting for organized and unorganized groups of tourists. It is necessary to increase the number of cordons, including in remote parts of the park, and the number of inspectors.

Research implications. Detecting recreational capacity based on landscape heterogeneity of the territory and visualizing the results in the form of a series of landscape interpretation maps has a certain methodological significance. The method of calculating recreational capacity adapted for a high-latitude region can be used to design a tourist space in regional and federal specially protected natural areas. The author's proposals can be used to optimize the relationship between nature conservation, recreation and traditional nature management in other regions.

Aim. To determine the role of natural and socio-historical determinants in shaping the structure and functioning patterns of cultural landscapes in the mid-mountainous regions of Chechnya and Ingushetia between the mid-19^th and mid-20^th centuries across different spatial levels.

Methodology. The research is based on a comprehensive analysis of historical regional studies, literary sources, statistical compendia, and cartographic materials from the Soviet period, as well as field expedition descriptions of the landscape structure and inherited ele­ments from the period of traditional economic development of cultural landscapes. The method of historical-cartographic reconstruction, carried out using GIS modeling, allowed for the identification of spatial patterns in the structure model and the quantitative assess­ment of the influence of natural factors on the land use of traditional cultural landscapes in the study area. The comparative-historical method was applied to identify the characteristic changes in traditional land use systems during their transformation.

Results. The research enabled a comprehensive assessment of the interaction between the natural environment and anthropogenic activity at multiple spatial scales. At the level of landscape-economic settlement areas, the key factors are the distance of agricultural lands from settlements and the morphometric factor (slope steepness, plan and profile curva­ture), which determine the selection of areas for agriculture and livestock farming. At the micro-regional level, i.e., at the level of the territories of rural communities in Chechnya and Ingushetia, significant factors include altitudinal zonation and slope aspect, which are responsible for the diversity of types and subtypes of landscape structure in the mid-moun­tain regions. These factors, in turn, determine various types of traditional land use: grain farming, haymaking, and seasonal transhumant pastoralism. However, at the regional level, encompassing the mid-mountain areas of the formerly unified (until 1993) Chechen-Ingush region, socio-historical factors play an important role. Due to the specific characteristics of the study area, these socio-historical factors conflict with natural determinism, leading to qualitative transformations in land use structure and the alteration of the traditional func­tioning of cultural landscapes.

Research implications. The study holds both theoretical and practical significance, contrib­uting to a more nuanced understanding of the adaptability of economic activities within the context of resource-constrained mountain landscapes. This is particularly pertinent to the North Caucasus, given the contemporary trend of re-utilizing abandoned mid-mountain ar­eas, and thus facilitates the formulation of effective rural development strategies and cultural landscape management plans.