Mapping changes in the availability of electric transport in Moscow

Electric transport is an environmentally friendly way to solve the transport problems of the city. There are four modes of intracity electric transport in Moscow: metro, tram, electric bus, and trolleybus (until 2020, now only the museum route has been preserved). In recent years, large-scale reforms have been carried out in organizing the electric transport of the capital. A transition from trolleybuses to electric buses has occurred, and major overhauls of the tram network have begun, greatly complicating the work of electric transport. This work aims to assess the availability of various electric transport modes in Moscow for different years. It should be noted that the assessment of the development of electric transport (not only between cities but also over time) can characterize the decisions made in the field of city management and help with its further development. The main research method is cartographic, which can be called one of the most evident in visualizing changes in transport networks. As part of the research, such indicators as the Kansky gamma index, the Engel coefficient, and the density of the electric transport network have been calculated and visualized. They make it possible to judge two different aspects of the development of the network: its topological complexity and accessibility to the population. As a research result, it becomes clear that the reforms carried out in Moscow in 2016–2020 have led to a decrease in the topological complexity and the accessibility of electric transport for the population and that ground-based electric transport has become much worse in doing its job. The only mode of transport developing consistently throughout the entire period of development of the transport network of the city is the metro

Development of A Spatiotemporal Database for Evolution Analysis of the Moscow Backbone Power Grid

Currently in the field of transport geography, the spatial evolution of electrical networks remain globally understudied. Publicly available data sources, including remote sensing data, have made it possible to collect spatial data on electrical networks, but at the same time a suitable data structure for storing them has not been defined. The main purpose of this study was the collection and structuring of spatiotemporal data on electric networks with the possibility of their further processing and analysis. To collect data, we used publicly available remote sensing and geoinformation systems, archival schemes and maps, as well as other documents related to the Moscow power grid. Additionally, we developed a web service for data publication and visualization. We conducted a small morphological analysis of the evolution of the network to show the possibilities of working with the database using a Python script. For example, we found that the portion of new lines has been declining since 1950s and in the 2010s the portion of partial reconstruction reached its maximum. Thus, the developed data structure and the database itself provide ample opportunities for the analysis and interpretation of the spatiotemporal development of electric networks. This can be used as a basis to study other territories. The main results of the study are published on the web service where the user can interactively choose a year and two forms of power lines representation to visualize on a map

Development of A Spatiotemporal Database for Evolution Analysis of the Moscow Backbone Power Grid

Currently in the field of transport geography, the spatial evolution of electrical networks remain globally understudied. Publicly available data sources, including remote sensing data, have made it possible to collect spatial data on electrical networks, but at the same time a suitable data structure for storing them has not been defined. The main purpose of this study was the collection and structuring of spatiotemporal data on electric networks with the possibility of their further processing and analysis. To collect data, we used publicly available remote sensing and geoinformation systems, archival schemes and maps, as well as other documents related to the Moscow power grid. Additionally, we developed a web service for data publication and visualization. We conducted a small morphological analysis of the evolution of the network to show the possibilities of working with the database using a Python script. For example, we found that the portion of new lines has been declining since 1950s and in the 2010s the portion of partial reconstruction reached its maximum. Thus, the developed data structure and the database itself provide ample opportunities for the analysis and interpretation of the spatiotemporal development of electric networks. This can be used as a basis to study other territories. The main results of the study are published on the web service where the user can interactively choose a year and two forms of power lines representation to visualize on a map

Restoration of Western Siberia meadow vegetation after fires according to Sentinel-2 data

The paper considers the dynamics of restoration of plant communities of meadows in the south of Western Siberia according to Sentinel data-2. Four subjects of the Russian Federation and nine specially protected natural territories within them were taken. Sentinel-2 data is characterized by a repetition of the survey once every five days and a spatial resolution of 10-20 m, which allows you to track the moment of the fire with high accuracy and record the state of vegetation before and after it. For quantitative evaluation, we used NDVI and NBR2 indices, which were compared for burnt and unburned areas before the fire, immediately after the fire, one year after the fire and two years after the fire. As a result of statistical analysis by the Mann-Whitney test, it was found out that both indices practically do not show the consequences of meadow fires in any way a year after the fire

Geochemical Partitioning of Heavy Metals and Metalloids in the Ecosystems of Abandoned Mine Sites: A Case Study within the Moscow Brown Coal Basin

Significant environmental impacts of mining activities connected with high-sulfur materials result from the production of acid mine drainage and potentially toxic elements, which easily migrate to adjacent ecosystems due to the typical absence of vegetation on spoil heaps and toeslope talus mantle. In this paper, we present the results of the first comprehensive study of the ecosystems affected by acidic and metal-enriched (Al, Ca, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, and Zn) mine drainage conducted at spoil heaps and adjacent talus mantle under semihumid climate conditions within the Moscow Brown Coal Basin (Central Russian Upland, Tula Region, Russia). A total of 162 samples were collected, including 98 soil samples, 42 surface water samples, and 22 plant samples (aerial tissues of birch). Coal talus mantle materials of Regosols were characterized by the increased concentration of water-soluble Ca, K, Mg, and S, and all mobile fractions of Al, Co, S, and Zn. The chemical composition of birch samples within the zones affected by acid mine drainage differed insignificantly from those in the unpolluted ecosystems with black soils, due to the high tolerance of birch to such conditions. Differences between the affected and undisturbed sites in terms of the chemical composition decreased in the following order: waters > soils > plants. The geochemical characterization of plants and soils in coal mining areas is essential for the mitigation of negative consequences of mining activities

Geochemical Partitioning of Heavy Metals and Metalloids in the Ecosystems of Abandoned Mine Sites: A Case Study within the Moscow Brown Coal Basin

Significant environmental impacts of mining activities connected with high-sulfur materials result from the production of acid mine drainage and potentially toxic elements, which easily migrate to adjacent ecosystems due to the typical absence of vegetation on spoil heaps and toeslope talus mantle. In this paper, we present the results of the first comprehensive study of the ecosystems affected by acidic and metal-enriched (Al, Ca, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, and Zn) mine drainage conducted at spoil heaps and adjacent talus mantle under semihumid climate conditions within the Moscow Brown Coal Basin (Central Russian Upland, Tula Region, Russia). A total of 162 samples were collected, including 98 soil samples, 42 surface water samples, and 22 plant samples (aerial tissues of birch). Coal talus mantle materials of Regosols were characterized by the increased concentration of water-soluble Ca, K, Mg, and S, and all mobile fractions of Al, Co, S, and Zn. The chemical composition of birch samples within the zones affected by acid mine drainage differed insignificantly from those in the unpolluted ecosystems with black soils, due to the high tolerance of birch to such conditions. Differences between the affected and undisturbed sites in terms of the chemical composition decreased in the following order: waters > soils > plants. The geochemical characterization of plants and soils in coal mining areas is essential for the mitigation of negative consequences of mining activities