Delimitation and analysis of the spatial structure of the Kazan urban agglomeration

© 2018 Institute of Physics Publishing. All rights reserved. Intensive urbanization is a feature of the modern stage of civilization development. The urban population of the planet is concentrated in new urban formations - urban agglomerations. The main goal of this work is to analyze the approaches to the delimitation of the Kazan urban agglomeration and its spatial structure. The isochronous method of transport accessibility of the agglomeration core was used. For the Kazan agglomeration in the delimitation of optimum orientation on 1-hour travel time band of accessibility. Comparison with the formal method of agglomeration delimitation (administrative-territorial) showed that the isochronous method more objectively reflects the agglomeration processes of the studied area. Realization of the "real" borders of the Kazan agglomeration will promote the adoption of the right management decisions and the implementation of measures in the field of regulation of social processes

Spatial-temporal dynamics of the ephemeral gully belt on the plowed slopes of river basins in natural and anthropogenic landscapes of the east of the Russian plain

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Erosion is the leading process of soil degradation on agricultural land. In the spectrum of erosion processes, the most unfavorable for soil degradation are the processes of linear (ephemeral and gully) erosion. An assessment of the dynamics of linear erosion in the intensive farming zone of the European part of Russia (EPR) is relevant due to the lack of generalized data on the development of this type of erosion in the post-Soviet period and also, due to the highest intensity of soil erosion in the ephemeral gully erosion. The development of information technologies and the availability of high-resolution and ultra-high-resolution satellite images make it possible to solve the problems of ephemeral gully erosion belts identification, and also makes it possible to trace the dynamics of development of stream erosion on arable lands over a period characterized by the greatest changes in the climate system and economic conditions in the post-Soviet period (1980s– 2010s). The study was conducted on the eastern wing of the boreal ecotone of the Russian Plain within the southern border of these zones of mixed and broad-leaved forests, forest-steppe, and steppe landscapes using the basin approach. For the initial material, satellite images of medium (30 m) and high resolution (0.5–1.5 m) were used in the work. The study used methods of image interpretation such as remote sensing of the earth and geoinformation mapping. For 70 key areas (interfluve spaces of river basins), the study developed a method of geoinformation mapping of the ephemeral gully erosion belt dynamics on arable lands. In the same way, the research developed a system of quantitative indicators characterizing its development on arable slopes. The dynamics of ephemeral gully erosion was evaluated over three-time intervals: the 1980s, 2000s, and 2010s by determining the horizontal dissection (density) and density of ephemeral gully erosion. Over the past 30 years, in the direction from the south of the forest sub-zone to the forest-steppe and steppe landscapes, there was a sharp increase in the horizontal dissection and density of the ephemeral gully network: an average of 4.6 and 10 times, respectively. The ephemeral gully erosion belt advances toward the watershed because of the formation of new erosion in the upper parts of the ephemeral gully networks and its extension, while there is a noticeable reduction in the width of the erosion-weakly active belt - sheet and rill erosion

Risk Assessment of Anthropogenic Impact on Water Ecosystems Based on Chemical and Biological Monitoring Data

© 2019 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Based on long-term data of chemical and biological monitoring, the risk of anthropogenic impact on urban water bodies was estimated (Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia). These chemical parameters were used as pollution markers: dissolved oxygen, BOD, ammonium compounds, as well as pollutants, which exceeded MAC (15 ingredients in total). The main biological indicators were the total number of phytoplankton, the relative number of oligochaetes in the composition of zoobenthos and the relative number of rotifers in the zooplankton. It is shown that urban aquatic ecosystems are in transition from equilibrium to critical state according to the degree of risk of anthropogenic impact

Risk Assessment of Anthropogenic Impact on Water Ecosystems Based on Chemical and Biological Monitoring Data

© 2019 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Based on long-term data of chemical and biological monitoring, the risk of anthropogenic impact on urban water bodies was estimated (Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia). These chemical parameters were used as pollution markers: dissolved oxygen, BOD, ammonium compounds, as well as pollutants, which exceeded MAC (15 ingredients in total). The main biological indicators were the total number of phytoplankton, the relative number of oligochaetes in the composition of zoobenthos and the relative number of rotifers in the zooplankton. It is shown that urban aquatic ecosystems are in transition from equilibrium to critical state according to the degree of risk of anthropogenic impact

Delimitation and analysis of the spatial structure of the Kazan urban agglomeration

© 2018 Institute of Physics Publishing. All rights reserved. Intensive urbanization is a feature of the modern stage of civilization development. The urban population of the planet is concentrated in new urban formations - urban agglomerations. The main goal of this work is to analyze the approaches to the delimitation of the Kazan urban agglomeration and its spatial structure. The isochronous method of transport accessibility of the agglomeration core was used. For the Kazan agglomeration in the delimitation of optimum orientation on 1-hour travel time band of accessibility. Comparison with the formal method of agglomeration delimitation (administrative-territorial) showed that the isochronous method more objectively reflects the agglomeration processes of the studied area. Realization of the "real" borders of the Kazan agglomeration will promote the adoption of the right management decisions and the implementation of measures in the field of regulation of social processes

Digitalization processes in supply chain management as a factor of forming smart cities and the improvement of the quality of urban environment

© ExcelingTech Pub, UK. The concentration of population in large cities causes the emergence of problems leading to a decrease in the quality of the urban environment. Currently, one of the key urban trends of modern times is represented by smart cities ("smart-city"). The development of the digital environment, which is reflected in the functioning of various spheres of citizens' life, contributes to the formation of a high-quality urban environment in modern conditions.The aim of this work is to examine the digitalization processes in Russian and foreign practice, which act as prerequisites for the creation of smart cities in the context of improving the quality of the urban environment. The authors use such theoretical research methods as analysis, synthesis and scientific synthesis. The concept of "smart city" ("smart-city") involves reducing the environmental burden, efficient use of resources, the introduction of digital technologies, the creation of a comfortable and healthy living environment. This concept is implemented in a number of developed countries in Asia, Europe and America. Russia is also exploring and attempting to implement the concept of "smart city".Researchers recognize the impact of the digital economy on the quality of the urban environment, with particular attention being paid to developing a methodology for assessing the needs of citizens in various digital services as components of the digital economy environment in the context of improving the quality of the urban environment. Thus, determining a long-term development strategy, and developing approaches to introducing digital technologies and services by municipal authorities and city administrations

Mapping croplands with a long history of crop cultivation using time series of MODIS vegetation indices

In the study, a method of automated detection of croplands and natural grasslands using multi-year time series of the vegetation indices was developed and implemented. The metho­dology is based on a new recognition feature enabling identification of all lands cultivated over a long period. The new recognition feature was calculated from time series of the MODIS vegetation indices. It takes into account both intraseasonal and interannual characteristics of the vegetation period for arable lands with spring and winter crops, as well as for natural grasslands. The methodology determines: the procedure of obtaining time series of the NDVI and EVI vegetation indices for the period from March to November in the given years; gene­ralization of the time series by land cover categories and agro-climatic zones; dates for calculating the recognition feature in each zone; calculation of the recognition feature; adaptation of the decision rules to the regional environmental conditions (threshold values for the agro-climatic zones); procedure of classification into croplands and grasslands. Croplands within the territory of the European part of Russia were mapped for the period from 2000 to 2016. The assessment of recognition accuracy and comparison of the results with the existing products confirm that the developed recognition feature can be successfully used for cropland detection and can improve the accuracy of data interpretation when applied along with other features

MAPPING CROPLANDS with A LONG HISTORY of CROP CULTIVATION USING TIME SERIES of MODIS VEGETATION INDICES

© 2020 Kazan Federal University. All rights reserved. In the study, a method of automated detection of croplands and natural grasslands using multi-year time series of the vegetation indices was developed and implemented. The methodology is based on a new recognition feature enabling identification of all lands cultivated over a long period. The new recognition feature was calculated from time series of the MODIS vegetation indices. It takes into account both intraseasonal and interannual characteristics of the vegetation period for arable lands with spring and winter crops, as well as for natural grasslands. The methodology determines: the procedure of obtaining time series of the NDVI and EVI vegetation indices for the period from March to November in the given years; generalization of the time series by land cover categories and agro-climatic zones; dates for calculating the recognition feature in each zone; calculation of the recognition feature; adaptation of the decision rules to the regional environmental conditions (threshold values for the agro-climatic zones); procedure of classification into croplands and grasslands. Croplands within the territory of the European part of Russia were mapped for the period from 2000 to 2016. The assessment of recognition accuracy and comparison of the results with the existing products confirm that the developed recognition feature can be successfully used for cropland detection and can improve the accuracy of data interpretation when applied along with other features

Contemporary gully erosion trend in the northern part of the forest-steppe zone of the Russian Plain: A case study from the Republic of Tatarstan, European Russia

© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. This article presents results for gully head cut retreat rates (GHRR) in the Pre-Kama region (Republic of Tatarstan, Russia) based on monitoring (1984–1994 and 2015–2018) and the interpretation of high-resolution satellite images (2004–2014). The results suggested that the mean linear GHRR have reduced by about five times, from 1.6 m per year (1983–1994) to 0.4 m per year (2015–2018). The main reason for the significant decrease in gully erosion was the increase in winter-spring air temperatures, which resulted in a reduction in the depth of soil freezing and surface runoff. The impact of land use, as well as erosion control measures, which were implemented in the study area during the late 1980s and early 1990s, was found to be less important

Contemporary gully erosion trend in the northern part of the forest-steppe zone of the Russian Plain: A case study from the Republic of Tatarstan, European Russia

© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. This article presents results for gully head cut retreat rates (GHRR) in the Pre-Kama region (Republic of Tatarstan, Russia) based on monitoring (1984–1994 and 2015–2018) and the interpretation of high-resolution satellite images (2004–2014). The results suggested that the mean linear GHRR have reduced by about five times, from 1.6 m per year (1983–1994) to 0.4 m per year (2015–2018). The main reason for the significant decrease in gully erosion was the increase in winter-spring air temperatures, which resulted in a reduction in the depth of soil freezing and surface runoff. The impact of land use, as well as erosion control measures, which were implemented in the study area during the late 1980s and early 1990s, was found to be less important