Development of Meta-Geosystems of Tourist and Recreational Clusters

The study aims to find a key to the problem of managing cultural heritage systems in the example of the Temnikov-Sanaksar cluster located in Eastern Europe. This area is situated between the forest-steppe of the layered-tier Volga upland and the forest geosystems of the layered Oka-Don lowland. The article applies an interdisciplinary approach to solving the problem of optimizing inter-component relationships in the meta-geosystems of tourist and recreational clusters. The sustainable development of meta-geosystems should be based on multifactorial information support, which implements the most important condition for the effective economic development of landscapes through the formation of the regions’ spatial data infrastructure. In order to consistently optimize meta-geosystems of different hierarchical levels, it is necessary to solve several emerging issues, such as assessing the strength and nature of inter-component connections in geosystems, determination of factors describing the territorial variation of the properties of geosystems, interpreting and substantiation the semantics of the selected basic factors

Problems of Designing Geoportal Interfaces

The manuscript is devoted to analysis of the problem of designing graphical geoportal interfaces. The support points for the problem solutions are formulated and rationale of each of them is given. The emphasis was placed on the following orientations: to a flexible process of interface development, the need to introduce adaptability, progressive development, the motivated abandonment of geospatial content management systems and the use of third-party libraries where necessary, problem-solving and achieving goals. The lists of basic functional and qualitative requirements for graphical geoportal interfaces are given. In the last segment, the authors share their experience in the development of geoportal solutions

The surprising discovery of two new subterranean Leptodirini of the genus Spelaeobates Müller, 1901 (Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Cholevinae) from Croatia after more than a century

Two new subterranean leiodid taxa of the genus Spelaeobates Müller, 1901 from three pits in northern Dalmatia (Croatia), S. coriniensis sp. nov. and S. coriniensis nonveilleri ssp. nov., are described. The morphological traits of the new taxa are enumerated and illustrated. These two taxa are placed in the subgenus Spelaeobates Müller, 1901. The relationships of these two taxa and their close relatives are clarified. Data on the sexual dimorphism of the two new taxa and on the intrasubspecific variability of S. coriniensis nonveilleri ssp. nov. are presented. We also redescribed S. novaki, the type species of both the genus Spelaeobates and the subgenus Spelaeobates and the closest relative of the newly described species. A key for identification of the taxa of the genus Spelaeobates is included. The new taxa are endemic to the Dinaric Alps of Croatia. Spelaeobates (Pretneriella) kraussi Müller, 1903 and S. (P.) pharensis langhofferi Müller, 1931 were found for the first time outside their type locality

Formation of geospatial information databases in the system of digital spatial data infrastructures

The article discusses the key aspects of the development of spatial data infrastructures and models of spatio-temporal data based on the study of geosystems, as well as ensuring the updating of the geospatial storage of information based on Earth remote sensing data. The authors have shown that for the formation of the software and hardware infrastructure of a digital storage of spatial data, it is advisable to follow an organized technological process. At the same time, spatial data warehouses should provide system integration of data with spatial and temporal reference. The solution to the problems of visualization and dissemination of spatial data should be based on the effective use of geoportal systems. It is concluded that the development of databases of digital SDIs and geoportal systems is associated with the development of methods and algorithms for the conjugate analysis of the peculiarities of the interaction of natural, social and production systems, complex interpretation of large arrays of spatial data and forecasting the development of natural and natural-man-made processes

Estimation of soil erosion dynamics using remote sensing and swat in Kopaonik national park, Serbia

Soil erosion is a global environmental and economic problem that is significantly related to land-use changes. Over the last decades, several mountain areas in Serbia were exposed to strong human pressure caused by winter tourism development. The largest ski center in Serbia is situated on Kopaonik Mountain within the boundaries of Kopaonik National Park, where the conflict between economic and conservation goals is rapidly growing. In this study, we calculated the sedimentation and surface runoff in three sub-basins in the area of Kopaonik ski resort for two years (1984 and 2018) using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and analyzed the changes that occurred during the observed period. The results show an increase in surface runoff and sediment yield in sub-basins 1 and 3 and a decrease in sub-basin 2. The analysis of land cover change shows an expansion of evergreen forests, appearance of barren soil and urban areas, reduction of mixed forests and pastures, and the appearance of deciduous forests. These findings indicate that in the area studied, the dominant processes are the development of tourism and natural revegetation of abandoned agricultural land. Application of remote sensing techniques and SWAT contributes to identifying and monitoring land degradation problems and improving conservation and management practices

Analysis of the population dynamics in the “Slavic World” with a special focus on Russia

Population changes of the Russians and other Slavs are an important original indicator of demographic, economic, political, and cultural analysis of over 300 million Slavic inhabitants in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. The indicators are conditioned by the large number of people executed in World War I and World War II, significant economic migrations, the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia. Utilizing data from official reports, the authors proceed to analyze the demographic tendencies in order to find out the relationship between modern demographic trends and political and economic events over the past years. The results showed that economic and demographic stagnation, which favor religious and national (ethnic) ambivalence, influence the strengthening of groups ethnically isolated or religiously differentiated in the observed macroregions of Eurasia. The contemporary challenges of modern society in terms of global politics (e.g. terrorism and migrations) will be more pronounced and turbulent in these areas. For these reasons, the original data represent an important segment of the study of Slavic history, demography, and politics throughout the turbulent 20th century and the beginning of the new millennium.