The need to investigate historical («phantom») state borders is stated and the main directions and theoretical approaches of such studies are discussed. Phantom borders have lost the most important functions as dividing lines between the states but remain important political, economic and cultural barriers considerably influencing both contemporary activities and the territorial identity. Social perception of a territory is frequently beyond its legitimate borders embracing the regions lost as a result of wars and/or fragmentation of territorial identities. The outlines of a state territory are the country’s brand and the element of identity, and almost any change of its borders is painfully perceived by the population. Phantom borders play a significant role in the symbolic landscape and can be used to mobilize public opinion. One can distinguish four approaches to their study: morphological, functional-structural, geopolitical and postmodern (constructivist) ones. The «classical» cases of phantom borders in Poland and Ukraine are briefly described: they remain visible in the cultural landscape. In Russia, there are two main types of such borders: the lines separating the territories incorporated to the Soviet Union as a result of the World War II and former frontiers in the south and the east which form a specific type of phantom borders, as in many countries of Europe, America and Asia.

The efficiency of the utilization of photosynthetically active radiation (PhAR) during the vegetation periods of 1958–2008 is studied for the eight forest sites typical for the Central Meshhera region. The photosynthesis efficiency is thought of as a ratio between the energy assimilated in phytomass and the incoming PhAR during the vegetation period. The study revealed the synchrony of the interdecadal dynamics of photosynthesis efficiency between the zonal site types, except the intrazonal Ledum palustre / Carex vesicaria / Sphagnum pine forest site. During the study period all sites showed the certain intervals of the multidirectional trends of photosynthesis efficiency. The photosynthesis efficiency has a nonlinear relation with the average groundwater level in May-August; the optimal depth for the photosynthesis is 0,7–1,0 m. In hydromorphic sites the vegetation utilizes solar energy more effectively during the years with low precipitation, while in other sites the peaks of photosynthesis efficiency correspond to those of precipitation. This may be due to the geophysical and geochemical processes caused by rain water. The correlation between the annual values of the photosynthesis efficiency and the solar activity indices (the Wolf numbers) is insignificant.

The PAHs concentrations in snow and soil were compared and the indication significance of the relations of individual polyarenes was identified to establish the characteristics of their input from the atmosphere and transformation in soils under different combinations of natural and technogenic factors. The studied area was subjected to the long-term technogenic impact of the carbon-producing plant which is the source of air-born contamination for the most part of the territory under study. It was found by the PAHs concentrations in snow cover that the current rate of their atmospheric deposition is very high and is comparable with those typical for large industrial centers. A clear trend of sharp decrease in the PAHs concentrations and less variability of polyarene reserves, both in soil and snow cover, with increasing distance from the technogenic impact source was identified. PAHs transformations under various combinations of natural and anthropogenic factors were revealed on the basis of three different approaches to the interpretation of analytical data: a) analysis of PAH associations; b) calculation of PAH ratios in snow and soil; c) calculation of the ratio of polyarenes, which are isomers, but with different resistance to transformation in snow and soil. All approaches indicate the highest rates of PAHs transformation on arable lands, less intense under forests, and the lowest within the urban territories near the source.

African swine fever (ASF) is a viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, which since its first recording in 2007 has been spreading over the territory of the Russian Federation (RF) affecting both pigs at private and large commercial farms, and wild boars. The disease leads to nearly 100% mortality of infected animals and causes huge economic losses to the national pig industry. The study deals with characteristic features of the ASF spread in the RF and the spatio-temporal patterns of local epizootic development. The Kulldorff space-time scan statistics was used as a cluster analysis method. The ASF outbreak spatiotemporal clusters were identified in: 1) domestic pig populations, 2) wild boar populations and 3) the cumulative populations of both. The main quantitative parameters of clusters including the radius, duration and the observed number of outbreaks were obtained. The correlation between the number of outbreaks within each cluster and the geographical factors which supposedly facilitated the disease spread were analyzed. A total of 17, 9 and 17 statistically significant ASF outbreak clusters were identified in domestic pig, wild boar and cumulative populations respectively. It was concluded that the wild boar population should not be viewed as a primary source of the disease spread in the RF. A strong positive correlation between the observed number of outbreaks in domestic pigs and the total motorway length, total pig population and the number of rural settlements within the clusters was revealed. The number of outbreaks in wild boars and the forest-covered area within the clusters were also found to correlate significantly. The results make it possible to develop a geospatial model for predicting local ASF spread in case of the ASF introduction into disease-free regions.

Basing on the integrated assessment of air pollution in the Russian Federation from 2004 to 2014, two methods are suggested for classifying regions with due account of fuzzy units. Specific features of mapping fuzzy units using different types of hatching, shades of black or various colors are discussed. Additional graphical techniques increase the visibility of classifications and provide information about specific features of individual territorial units.

The innovative technologies for geographical mapping develop both new and classical methods. It is first of all true for the methods of thematic mapping based on technologies for creating thematic geodatabases (GDB) and specialized Web-cartographic support for the territorial research. This contributes to the elaboration of a single free-access geo recourse. The article describes the methodology of the implementation of this approach using the example of problem solution – the evaluation and monitoring of the territory of New Moscow planned for urban use. A Web-cartographic application was created, containing more than 35 digital maps for the Troitsky and Novomoskovsky administrative areas of Moscow. It is located on the MSU Geoportal using software ScanexWeb-GeoMixer. It allows users not only to obtain and analyze the cartographic information in a quick access, but also to construct their own cartographic representations using the tools of information selection based on spatial and attribute queries to thematic blocks of the geodatabase.

The main trends of rural migration, the spatial distribution of labor resources in rural areas and the change in agricultural employment associated with its post-Soviet transformation are analyzed. Five types of regions and their subtypes are identified which have different prospects for agriculture development and its labor resources. The relationship between rural labor resources and informal («shadow») employment, including seasonal and other temporal work in cities, is discussed. Despite the fact that spatial variations of agriculture stem from both natural, institutional and economic conditions and the accumulated consequences of rural depopulation, the actual population drain has no direct linkage with the agriculture wellbeing. Key factors are described due to which even positive trends and sustained growth of agricultural production do not in fact reduce human incentives to move from the countryside to cities, both for permanent residence and in search of temporary work.

Basing on the case study of the Stepurino rural municipality (Staritsa raion of the Tver oblast), the main changes of population numbers, functions and links between settlements at different historical stages were analyzed. The municipality is an example of the old-developed non-Chernozem area. Models of rural settlement systems which are typical for pre-revolutionary, Soviet and post-Soviet periods are proposed. It is shown that the radical changes in socio-economic life and the mass depopulation decreased the diversity of functions in rural settlements and weakened the links between them. The conclusion about the disorganization of modern rural settlement systems is made, the first and foremost manifestation of the process being the decreasing number of local centers. Along with the isolation of settlements excluded from the local links, the links with large external centers become stronger due to regular labor migration of the population. 

The rural lifestyle and its individual elements were studied for the Kashino rural settlement (Volokolamsk raion, Moscow oblast). Different types of the rural lifestyle evolution were identified, from traditional perception (village=agriculture) to modern one (village=recreation, second home, etc.)

The results of field research of the Kondurcha and Baytugan rivers (the Lower Volga basin) during water shortage of summer 2010 are presented. The rivers are significantly different in size, anthropogenic pressure over the drainage area and forest cover. Different trends of water discharge and turbidity, suspended and bed sediments and their grain-size distribution along the rivers were revealed. The specific discharge at the Baytugan River mouth was 1,5 times higher than in the Kondurcha River mouth, due to azonal features of the Baytugan River basin (small area, karst processes, important role of springs, higher forest cover – 55%, low anthropogenic pressure). During the studied period the contribution of springs located in river valleys to the water flow amounted to 5% for the Kondurcha River and 18% for the Baytugan River. Hydrological conditions of 2010 water scarcity resulted from a combination of long-term heat and very dry summer. The air temperature exceeded the average rate by 5,2 °C, or 28%, precipitation deficit between April and September varied from 33 to 95%. As a result, the average water discharge decreased to 4,48 m3/s (37% less than the long-term average values), corresponding to 86% exceedance probability, thus the year could be classified as very low water one. Extreme weather phenomena affected the intra-annual distribution of water runoff in 2010; its summer-autumn part for the Kondurcha River decreased almost twice (from 28 to 16% compared to the long-term average). In the absence of rainfall, affecting the slope erosion in the river basin, the content of suspended solids depended solely on hydrological transport capacity, which naturally increased downstream with the increase in water flow. Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) increased 5 times along the Baytugan River because of the erosion of riverbed sediments with increasing water discharge. On the contrary, SSC decreased by 1.6 times along the Kondurcha River, due to regulation of river tributaries by small reservoirs and ponds, which hindered the movement of sediment along fluvial systems and reduced water content of the main river in the dry season. Suspended sediment discharge in the Kondurcha River amounted to 3% of the average annual values at 2010 water shortage. 

Evaluation of the recreational potential of landscapes of South West Transbaikalia for the purposes of experiential tourism and environmental education development is discussed. The case study has been performed in Altachejskij partial reserve, established in 1969 in Buryatia Republic and placed under the Baikal biosphere reserve jurisdiction in 1985. Methods of evaluation of the recreational potential, identification of stimulating and limiting factors in experiential tourism development, and techniques for implementing ecological routes are suggested. Original maps of native landscape pattern of the sample plot in the partial reserve and evaluation of its educational value and recreational potential are presented.

Field research carried out in February 2015 in Berlin included mental mapping and interviewing local people. Basing on these materials the processes of territorial identity transformation of Berliners and changes that occurred in the society, especially in the capital, after the unification of Germany were studied. Particular attention was paid to the presence and significance of the border between West and East Berlin in the minds of people. It is shown that even after 25 years of the city reunification the border still exists and is comparable in importance to other elements of the urban landscape.

Results of a rural territory survey carried out in the Yaroslavl region are presented. The process of urbanization in rural areas has begun in the smallest settlements in contradiction to the theory which claims that urbanization starts within large settlements.