Effects of urbanization and Kaniv Reservoir on the thermal characteristics in the region

This study contributes to understanding the effects of urbanization and a large body of water, Kaniv Reservoir, on thermal characteristics in the region. This was done by recording trends in air and surface temperatures in the growing seasons in the period 1985–2022. Specifically, the study’s objectives were to 1) detect and quantify changes in built-up areas using Landsat satellite data, and 2) analyse trends in land surface temperature (LST) in several shoreland zones of the reservoir with different land covers. To identify built-up areas, Landsat data was processed. LST was calculated using Google Earth Engine for the period studied for three shoreland zones and six types of land cover, including sites with substantial, partial and no change in land use. The built-up area increased unevenly over time and differently in each of the shoreland zones. The growth in built-up area was greatest, increasing by 3.7 times, in a zone close to the city of Kyiv. The highest mean LST values were recorded in the zone that was mainly agricultural. Positive LST trends were recorded throughout the entire period of the study, albeit with different trend slopes in individual months. Statistically significant trends were recorded only in August and September

Tree canopy extent and height change in Europe, 2001-2021, quantified using Landsat data archive

European forests are among the most extensively studied ecosystems in the world, yet there are still debates about their recent dynamics. We modeled the changes in tree canopy height across Europe from 2001 to 2021 using the multidecadal spectral data from the Landsat archive and calibration data from Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) and spaceborne Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) lidars. Annual tree canopy height was modeled using regression tree ensembles and integrated with annual tree canopy removal maps to produce harmonized tree height map time series. From these time series, we derived annual tree canopy extent maps using a >= 5 m tree height threshold. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) for both ALS-calibrated and GEDI-calibrated tree canopy height maps was = 94% for the tree canopy extent maps and >= 80% for the annual tree canopy removal maps. Analyzing the map time series, we found that the European tree canopy extent area increased by nearly 1% overall during the past two decades, with the largest increase observed in Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, and the British Isles. However, after the year 2016, the tree canopy extent in Europe declined. Some regions reduced their tree canopy extent between 2001 and 2021, with the highest reduction observed in Fennoscandia (3.5% net decrease). The continental extent of tall tree canopy forests (>= 15 m height) decreased by 3% from 2001 to 2021. The recent decline in tree canopy extent agrees with the FAO statistics on timber harvesting intensification and with the increasing extent and severity of natural disturbances. The observed decreasing tree canopy height indicates a reduction in forest carbon storage capacity in Europe

Past decade above-ground biomass change comparisons from four multi-temporal global maps

Above-ground biomass (AGB) is considered an essential climate variable that underpins our knowledge and information about the role of forests in mitigating climate change. The availability of satellite-based AGB and AGB change (Delta AGB) products has increased in recent years. Here we assessed the past decade net Delta AGB derived from four recent global multi-date AGB maps: ESA-CCI maps, WRI-Flux model, JPL time series, and SMOS-LVOD time series. Our assessments explore and use different reference data sources with biomass re-measurements within the past decade. The reference data comprise National Forest Inventory (NFI) plot data, local Delta AGB maps from airborne LiDAR, and selected Forest Resource Assessment country data from countries with well-developed monitoring capacities. Map to reference data comparisons were performed at levels ranging from 100 m to 25 km spatial scale. The comparisons revealed that LiDAR data compared most reasonably with the maps, while the comparisons using NFI only showed some agreements at aggregation levels <10 km. Regardless of the aggregation level, AGB losses and gains according to the map comparisons were consistently smaller than the reference data. Map-map comparisons at 25 km highlighted that the maps consistently captured AGB losses in known deforestation hotspots. The comparisons also identified several carbon sink regions consistently detected by all maps. However, disagreement between maps is still large in key forest regions such as the Amazon basin. The overall AAGB map cross-correlation between maps varied in the range 0.11-0.29 (r). Reported AAGB magnitudes were largest in the high-resolution datasets including the CCI map differencing (stock change) and Flux model (gain-loss) methods, while they were smallest according to the coarser-resolution LVOD and JPL time series products, especially for AGB gains. Our results suggest that AAGB assessed from current maps can be biased and any use of the estimates should take that into account. Currently, AAGB reference data are sparse especially in the tropics but that deficit can be alleviated by upcoming LiDAR data networks in the context of Supersites and GEO-Trees

Methodological and Technological Foundations of Remote Sensing Monitoring and Modelling of Natural and Technological Objects

In this paper, the remote sensing monitoring of natural and technological objects is represented as a concept of integrated modelling and simulation of the processes of the complex technical–organizational system (CTOS). The main goal of the study is to use in practice predetermined modelling. The paper considers the technology of remote sensing monitoring of the natural and technological objects, methodological foundations of the integrated modelling and simulation, and the process of CTOS operation. Special attention is devoted to the continuity of the model and object solving practical issues. Moreover, the results of CTOS remote sensing monitoring make it possible to adapt models of this system to a changing environment

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for assessment of qualitative classification of Norway spruce in temperate forest stands

The study investigates the potential of UAV-based remote sensing technique for monitoring of Norway spruce health condition in the affected forest areas. The objectives are: (1) to test the applicability of UAV visible an near-infrared (VNIR) and geometrical data based on Z values of point dense cloud (PDC) raster to separate forest species and dead trees in the study area; (2) to explore the relationship between UAV VNIR data and individual spruce health indicators from field sampling; and (3) to explore the possibility of the qualitative classification of spruce health indicators. Analysis based on NDVI and PDC raster was successfully applied for separation of spruce and silver fir, and for identification of dead tree category. Separation between common beech and fir was distinguished by the object-oriented image analysis. NDVI was able to identify the presence of key indicators of spruce health, such as mechanical damage on stems and stem resin exudation linked to honey fungus infestation, while stem damage by peeling was identified at the significance margin. The results contributed to improving separation of coniferous (spruce and fir) tree species based on VNIR and PDC raster UAV data, and newly demonstrated the potential of NDVI for qualitative classification of spruce trees. The proposed methodology can be applicable for monitoring of spruce health condition in the local forest sites

Effect of Modification on the Behaviour of Kraft Lignin as a Weak Polymeric ACID

The aim of the present study was to investigate the process of the spontaneous disaggregation of kraft lignin (KL) by the methods of conductometry, potentiometry, surface tension and dynamic light scattering in the alkaline media, and to show the difference in the capability for dispersing primary and modified lignin structures

System of criminal penalties of Russian federation: legal regulation and sentencing practice

The article presents the questions of constructing a system of criminal penalties under the legislation of the Russian Federation, the problems of imposing various types of punishments taking into account the rules for constructing criminal law sanctions. Changes and additions, various types of criminal penalties, including the content of sanctions in the articles, lead to an imbalance in the principles of their construction. The punishment system is currently in need of reform. An analysis of the sanctions of the articles of a special part of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation revealed inconsistencies with the requirements of legislative equipment in their development, which creates serious difficulties in the appointment of sentences by the courts. Penalties under criminal law sanctions include punishment in the form of punishment, forced labor, imprisonment for a specified period. The legislation does not take into account the nature and degree of threat to crimes committed in the formation of sanctions articles. Criminal law and criminal law protection, and criminal procedural requirements, and punishments. In accordance with the peculiarities of the formation of the punishment system, the creation of criminal sanctions, as well as taking into account the goals of punishment in the domestic criminal law, which allows us to develop recommendations on the preparation of sanctions for articles of the criminal code of the Russian Federation

Analysing changes in land cover in relation to environmental factors in the districts of Znojmo and Třebíč (Czech Republic)

The aim of this study is to determine the influence of selected environmental factors on the dynamic changes in the landscape in the Czech Republic: 1) to detect land use changes between 1986–2013 along altitudinal gradients in two neighbouring Czech districts (Třebič and Znojmo), 2) to test if there is a relationship between the spatial distribution of the main changes and selected environmental factors, 3) to identify differences in the sizes of agricultural fields between 1953 and 2013, and whether they are associated with changes in agricultural land use. Satellite Landsat TM/ETM scenes for 1986, 1994, 2002 and 2013 were used to define land cover categories (arable land, grassland, coniferous forest, deciduous forest, mixed forest, urban areas and inland water). The association between the distribution of changes in land-cover with environmental factors such as gradient, aspect, altitude, topographic wetness index (TWI), less-favoured areas (LFA), main soil units and climate zones was determined. Only a limited proportion of landscape changes were dependent on environmental factors in the study area. Over the period 1994–2013 there was a decrease in arable land and increase in grassland, mainly in the LFA zone. Slope of the terrain was a dominating factor in landscape changes. The association with TWI values was most significant in permanent arable land and in grassland in transition to arable land. There was an increasing trend in the annual average temperature and sum of solar radiation in both the districts, Třebič and Znojmo. A change from small fields (1953) to large fields (2013) was recorded in the study area. Distribution of field sizes was different in LULC classes for different climatic zones and the main soil units

Jaunā videi draudzīga lignīna saistviela no lapu koksnes atlikuma, tās īpašības un pielietojums ģeokompozītu ieguvei

Pielietojot bērza lignosulfonātus, kas bija iegūti no rūpnieciskās koksnes pārstrādes atlikuma laboratorijas sulfīta delignifkācijas procesā, tika izstrādāta jaunā videi draudzīgā lignīna saistviela, kā arī tās enerģētiski mazietilpīgs un videi draudzīgs iegūšanas paņēmiens, tās tehnoloģiskā shēma. Laboratorijas apstākļos tika izlaistas lignīna saistvielas partijas ar dažādu modifkatora saturu saskaņā ar izstrādāto laboratorijas reglamentu, un tās tika pilnīgi apraksturotas pēc funkcionālā sastāva un tehniskajiem rādītājiem (organoleptiskais novērtējums, sausas viela saturs, pH, dinamiskā viskozitāte, utt.). No izstrādātās saistvielas un vieglas grunts tika iegūti ģeokompozītmateriāli pārklājuma un struktūras veidā, izstrādīti to optimālie iegūšanas paņēmieni un atrastas saistvielas optimālās patēriņa normas . Darba gaitā ir izpētītas ģeokompozītmateriālu mehāniskās un ūdens izturības īpašības, vēja erozijas pretestība, kā arī to rādītāju izmaiņas „slapināšanas – žāvēšanas” un „sasaldēšanas – atsaldēšanas” cikliskās iedarbības rezultātā. Pielietojot dažādus klimatiskos režīmus kamerā „Binder” tika paradīts, ka izstrādātajiem ģeokompozītiem piemīt augstā atmosfēras izturība. Veiktās izpētes ļauj rekomendēt izstrādāto lignīna saistvielu kā atputekļošanas līdzekli grantētu ceļu segumu apstrādei