Basing on remote sensing data obtained from the ultra-high resolution space images, an original map of natural and anthropogenic geosystems of the Danube River delta was compiled. The analysis of the map proved that the territory is actively used for agriculture, fisheries, water industry, forestry, and for the production of industrial raw materials. Anthropogenic geosystems occupy 35,8% of the delta area; however its economic development could be further expanded. The original method of thematic mapping based on the GoogleEarth imagery has been suggested.

Geographical distribution of bryophytes included in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation is discussed. The quantitative composition and ecological characteristics of rare and threatened species of bryophytes are analyzed by categories of rarity status. Several centers of species concentration for protected bryophytes are identified within the territory of Russia. It is shown that 34% of all federally protected species are localized in the Primorsky Krai. The percentage of protected bryophytes in the bryophyte diversity of biomes was determined using the geoinformation analysis. This indicator varies from 0 to 3,25% in Russia. The area of regions with a higher proportion of protected species is less than 2% of the territory of Russia. The protected species of bryophytes were not found within 40% of the national territory.

Change and anthropogenic succession are characteristic of landscape in every region and the triple boundary area Sa Thay – Ngoc Hoi is no exception. Natural components of this area are quite profoundly differentiated, including the anthropogenic elements, and form one subsystem, three classes, five subclasses, 11 types and 61 kinds of landscape. During 2005–2015, the landscapes have changed strongly – 17 landscape kinds disappeared, and 12 new kinds of landscapes were formed. Succession of landscape kinds happens under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors, under the dominance of the latter. The succession cycle is therefore very short, from several years to several decades. The balanced human activities and the appropriate nature management are the key to sustainable development, conservation and formation of landscapes with high economic efficiency and good environment quality.

The article deals with a phenomenon of rural settlements «without population». It is a specific term of Russian statistics related to the depopulation of Russian rural areas. The process of desolation and abandonment of villages continues for decades in many regions. The Non-Chernozem regions are characterized by the largest number of settlements «without population», and the Tver oblast’ is leading among them. This example has shown that the settlements «without population» can be at the different stages of abandonment. The typology of settlements «without population» was elaborated basing on space imagery. About one third of them in the Tver oblast’ are wastelands with neither buildings nor roads. Case study of a municipal district proves that field and remote sensing data on settlements «without population» are quite comparable.

The article covers main areas of recent investigations carried out by the staff of the Department of Cartography and Geoinformatics in the Satino training area in cooperation with experts from other departments. The authors focus on the development of new methods of relief surveying from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and the ground-based spectrometry of vegetation.

The article deals with the problem of stability in specializations of the Russian regions under the risks of the world commodity markets. The study of existing approaches to this problem has shown that market risks are poorly developed in the studies on the territorial division of labor. In fact, only P.Y. Baklanov in the theory of linear-nodal structures proposed the category of «floating optimum», which indirectly reflects the change in the importance of placement factors, many of which are sensitive to market conditions. According to the results of the analysis, three types of regions (with stable specializations, with unstable specializations and with shimmering specializations с мерцающими специализациями) are identified. Basing on the analysis of GRP dynamics during three crises (2002–2003, 2008–2009 and 2015–2016), types of regions by the integral resistance of their economies to crises are identified.

Ecological patterns of the altitudinal differentiation of bird population in the northern shoots of the Koryak Highland are analyzed. Data was collected during expeditions carried out in summer 2014 in the Mainitz Lake basin, the Gytgyponytkynvaam River valley and the Tynulve Nangagte ridge (63°8’– 63°14’N, 176°42’–176°48’E). 76 species of birds breed in the surveyed areas of the northern shoots of the Koryak Highland (40% of the total avifauna of the Koryak Highland). Several species (n=7) were for the first time recorded on the nesting in the northern shoots of the Koryak Highland 300–1200 km away from the northern boundaries of their main areas. Taxonomic structure of nesting avifauna corresponds to the zonal and landscape features of Northeast Asia. The species of Passeriiformes, Charadriiformes and Anseriformes groups dominate accounting for 85% of the total diversity. Similarity coefficient of nesting avifauna for the northern and southern regions of the Koryak Highland is high (83%). The avifauna species richness decreases with altitude, while 44 species inhabit a wide range, covering at least two altitudinal belts. The species composition of birds changes gradually with height. The species of the Siberian faunal complex (34%) and widely distributed species (33%) are the most significant in the avifauna. The original zoogeographical element of the local nesting avifauna is the species of the American faunal complex. A significant part in the avifauna belongs to the species of boreal-hypoarctic species (29%) and widespread (26%) geographical-genetic groups. The density of the nesting population of birds decreases with height. The bird population density in the terrestrial habitats is 725 ind./km2 in the shrubby belt, 471 ind./km2 in the subalpine belt, 83 ind./km2 in the alpine belt. The maximum similarity is observed in the population of birds of the shrubby and subalpine belts (46%), the minimum is in the population of shrubby and alpine belts (6,8%). The density of the bird population of water-surrounding habitats varies from 13 individuals per 1 km of the coastline on the river up to 30 individuals per 1 km of coastline on the lake.

Potentials of predicting fir-spruce forests (fir groves) drying in the Middle Sikhote-Alin Mountains are demonstrated. The quantitative relations between the leading ecological factors and the foci of fir- spruce forests drying were defined using the multivariate analysis of correlation of vegetation with ecological factors of the environment. It will allow well-timed estimating of the scope and intensity of fir-spruce forests drying in the Far East.

The article presents a research project on historical and political geography of the Greater Mediterranean – a «macroregion» which includes Mediterranean, Black and Azov seas and surrounding areas. The author focuses on the crisis of Euro-Mediterranean paradigm in macroregional studies as a result of the Arab spring, crises in the European Union, аnd the Russian spring, i.e. the engagement of the Russian Federation in Mediterranean affairs after reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia and operation of Russian military forces in Syria. This challenge requires elaboration of a brand new concept of the macroregion as a «great area» linking several regions, e.g. United Europe, Mediterranean, Greater Middle East, with Far East, South Asia, and North Eurasia. The author postulates a crucial role of Russia in such linkage. Adopting Fernand Braudel’s methodology of longe duree, critical geopolitics and chronopolitics along with the concepts of soft power and smart power, the project team undertakes a large-scale historical and geographical research, mapping the geomorphologic structure and the history of macroregion. The resulting innovative concept of Greater Mediterranean as a specific communicative area will contribute to balancing the processes of globalization and sustainable development.

The Republic of Kalmykia is an agricultural and sparsely populated region with a number of infrastructure and socio-economic problems to be solved, including the energy supply. It requires the up- to-date regional planning of modern natural-economic systems with account of the territorial structure of diversified energy generating objects and the management of renewable energy resources. The article considers the issues of regional planning in Kalmykia suggesting the economic-geographic typology and prospect of development of both centralized and distributed renewable energy sources.

The content and scope of methods for the assessment of landscapes humidification are considered. Several groups of indicators having a different scope are used for the assessment of humidification: indicators of moisture coming into the landscape, indicators of moisture supply and the amounts of water leaving the landscape. Each group of indicators has specific relations with the properties of the landscape. Indicators of the first group can be regarded as factors of landscape formation and functioning. The second and third groups are largely the result of landscape processes.

Calculation of chlorides and total phosphorus concentrations at the water intake of the water treatment plant (WTP) at the Uchinsk reservoir (the Moscow oblast), examplifies that the methods of linear systems dynamics could be applied to assess the degree of water quality transformation in the reservoirs and to calculate changes in both conservative and non-conservative water quality indicators.

The article considers a problem of the quality of underground drinking water, which is the only source of water supply for most areas of the Altai Territory. The main attention is focused on the detection of area of the distribution of water with high boron content. The main sources of the element in groundwater are identified and the consequences of its intake into human body are discussed.