Natural and medical sciences

The modern transformation of the world order and Russia's new place in it, which gener­ates additional problematic situations and challenges for the country, initiate the "municipal­ization" of approaches both in socio-geographical, regional studies, and in the field of state regulation of spatial development. In the municipal theme itself, at the same time, issues relat­ed to geopolitics come to the fore. The article presents general theoretical ideas about the geo­political aspects of municipal development (with the isolation of their content block directly related to "internal geopolitics"), their inventory and systematization are carried out (taking into account the special role of individual municipalities and their groupings in geopolitical processes, the general trend shift of the focus of political-geographical, socio-economic and ethnodemographic problems to the municipal the level, as well as the multidimensional influ­ence of geopolitics on the situation of municipalities). Particular attention is paid to the de­terminants and problematic situations of municipal development in the Russian Federation in the context of its sharply aggravated conflict with the "collective West" and the actual transi­tion to geostrategic multi-vector. A conceptual idea of "geostrategic municipalities" is deve­loped, their main typological invariants inherent in modern Russia are characterized.

The article focuses on the dynamics of the Kaliningrad region population in 1947—2023 and the dynamics components in 1990—2022 in comparison with the national average (based on the official statistics). The authors reveal some territorial features of the demographic pro­cesses, such as the development of settlement polarization and suburbanization, as well as the fundamental geodemographic differences between the near suburban zone of Kaliningrad and less urbanized eastern municipalities. It is proposed to use the concept of the Unified Settle­ment System in the eastern parts of the region to improve the spatial organization of settle­ment on the basis of a three-stage system of inter-settlement service. The authors noted strengthening role of Sovetsk and Chernyakhovsk in serving the cities and rural areas of the North and South-East of the region, respectively, developing rural-urban ties between the centers of municipalities with their rural settlements, and within municipal districts, which testifies to the strengthening support functions of the centers of the first level municipalities.

Russia and China are the countries with an active digital agenda and a high level of In­ternetization of the population. The modern foreign policy vector of the governments of the two countries is aimed at strengthening cooperation, including the digital sphere. The article provides an assessment of the cross-country digital divide with an emphasis on the analysis of the dynamics in the development of information and communication infrastructure and the use of the Internet by the population in 2010—2021. The technological, territorial, social and economic factors of the digital divide are considered, and a comparison is made of the main problems hindering the spread of the Internet among the population. The research results highlight the importance of public policy in bridging the digital divide, both within and be­tween the countries. The potential for expanding Russian-Chinese cooperation in technologi­cal and educational fields in order to promote economic growth and greater digital inclusion of the population is shown. The study continues the academic discussion about the role of digital technologies in the global economic development of countries and maintaining their international competitiveness.

Small forms of management in the agricultural system of the Kaliningrad region contin­ue to be an important structural element. At the same time, for the rural area of the region, they perform a more complex role, ensuring, among other things, an increase in the quality of life of the rural population. The current geopolitical and geo-economic conditions in which the Kaliningrad region operates have required strengthening and differentiation of measures and forms of state support for such enterprises. The region has a large-scale program to support farmers, including both financial and non-financial instruments. At the same time, it is nec­essary to assess not only support measures, but also the economic well-being of local agricul­tural entrepreneurs in a dynamically changing economic environment. With the help of ex­pert interviews with local entrepreneurs, key problems faced by local producers were identi­fied and certain practical tools were proposed that can provide a solution to some of these problems. One of the main conclusions of this study is the assurance that despite the change in external conditions that have negatively affected the conditions of operation, small busi­nesses in the Kaliningrad region continue to work and are actively developing, thereby providing conditions for the development of rural areas of the Kaliningrad region.

The study of geo-ecological factors allows not only to determine the nature of human economic activities but also reveals natural influences affecting the placement of archaeologi­cal objects in the past. Special attention is given to «Stone piles» («Lappish cairns») — stone piles widely found within the studied territory. Despite years of archaeological research, the nature of these structures remains enigmatic, though archaeological artifacts are often absent. The application of geo-chemical research methods enables the assessment of ancient human impact on the surrounding environment and also provides insights into their activities and motivations for selecting specific locations. Analysis of geo-chemical indicators such as SiO2, Al2O3, MgO, CaO, Fe2O3 helps reveal distinct microrelief features. The examination of an­thropogenic activity-related geo-chemical modules within the archaeological site, such as P2O5(anthrop), CaO(anthrop), K2O(anthrop), Rb(anthrop), facilitates the reconstruction of functional zones within the site and identifies the type of economic activities conducted there. This study has for the first time identified geo-ecological factors influencing various types of archaeologi­cal sites, including settlements, burial grounds, and ritual objects. Through the analysis of geo-chemical, archaeological, and landscape parameters, it was possible to establish the influ­ence of these factors on the distribution of such objects in the past.

The study deals with the problem of the hogweed thickets spread and ways to solve this issue. Initially, hogweed was grown in the USSR for livestock feed, but it grew uncontrollably and became a threat to the local flora and humans. The study describes a variety of control methods for hogweed, including chemical, electrochemical, and mechanical methods, as well as grazing and mulching. The methods have been evaluated and compared, and it is suggested that an integrated approach combining several methods may be the most effective solution. However, the characteristics of the affected area, the age of the plants and the use of the affect­ed land must be taken into account to determine the appropriate method. In conclusion, pre­ventive measures are proposed to stop the spread of hogweed seeds.

Land reclamation must ensure that the quality of the land complies with environmental quality standards and the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation. The pur­pose of this work was to study the process of formation of a reclamation layer in open-cast coal mines. The indicators of the quality of the fertile soil layer should correlate to the quality of the fertile soil layer on average for the region. For effective recultivation, the fertile soil layer should be distinguished by a high content of humic acids and nutrients, as well as a higher degree of saturation with bases. The mechanical composition of the fertile soil layer should be loamy or clayey. Within agriculturally-focused reclamation, the thickness of the reclamation layer should be 0.8—1.5 m, depending on the moisture regime and the type of crop grown. The thickness of the bulk fertile soil layer depends on its availability and should in all cases be at least 0.3 m, in the chernozem zone — 0.4 m. The thickness of the fertile soil layer can be reduced to 0.20 m when arranging hayfields and pastures plots. During forest reclamation, the soil composition of the reclamation layer prepared for trees in the root layer (1.5—2 m) should be optimal for tree growth. Large (more than 0.3 m) stones should not be fixed at ground level (0.4—0.5 m), as this makes mechanization difficult. Also, the amount of fine-grained soil should not be lower than 5—10 %. Otherwise, a fertile soil layer should be ap­plied to the planned surface of the reclamation layer of the required thickness.

The aim of this study was to investigate the levels of emissions and identify the sources of NOx and SO2 pollution in a rural station in the south-eastern Baltic (Diabla Gora). This analysis was conducted using hourly NOx and SO2 concentration data and meteorological variables (wind speed and direction), which were analyzed over a period of four years (2018—2021). Time series plots, wind and pollutant roses, application of a conditional probability function, and inverse trajectories were considered to analyze the data and identify emission sources. The average concentration of NOx and SO2 for the study period was 2.12 µg/m3 and 0.27 µg/m3, respectively. The results showed a definite pattern for daily and monthly varia­tions, with peaks in the morning hours and at the beginning and end of the year (January and December, respectively). The main identified sources of NOx and SO2 emissions were located south of the monitoring station, particularly during cold periods when the highest concentra­tions were recorded.