Assessment of landscape ecological stability in the border postvirgin regions of the Urals and Siberia

Abstract

In the steppe regions of the Urals and Siberia bordering the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK), there is a noticeable spatial dynamics of the land fund structure and the environmental sustainability of the territory, characterized by geographical peculiarities and confinement to international transport communications. The border municipalities of the Orenburg Oblast are characterized by a greater relative size of agricultural lands, agricultural lands, hayfields, and pastures with a smaller share of arable lands, perennial plantations, and non-agricultural lands. The index of landscape ecological stability (ILES, 1.13) is 0.29 p.p. higher than that of the oblast as a whole (0.84) and corresponds to a conditionally stable state. In the Altai Krai municipalities bordering with the RK there is an excess of the regional average relative values for the area of SPNA (specially protected nature areas), pastures, non-agricultural lands and fallow lands, a close share of agricultural land and a smaller share of agricultural land, arable land, perennial plantations and hay fields. The average ILES value (1.08) is 0.09 p.p. lower than in Altai Krai as a whole and 0.05 p.p. lower than in the border municipalities of the Orenburg Oblast. The location of bordering municipalities to international transport communications is accompanied by a trend towards decreasing ILES. To a greater extent, it is connected with the increasing share of arable land in the structure of land, especially in territories predisposed to the production of marginal crops (oilseeds, melons).

Keywords

• post-virgin border regions
• ural
• siberia
• land fund structure
• environmental sustainability
• territory landscape
• food safety
• land use intensification