The results of research on the key area "Sestra River" (229 km2), located within St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, are considered. The study of recreational development of the territory was carried out in 2009-2010 and 2019-2020 using field surveys, analysis of topographic maps of different times and satellite images. Maps of recreational development of the model territory for the 1960s, 2010, and 2020 were compiled. In 2010, 16 types of land use were identified as the territories that have a recreational function as the main or additional one; this number does not include complexes with a primary residential and additional recreational function (cottage settlements, etc.). In 2020, 17 types of such territories were identified. Comparison of maps of recreational development revealed qualitative changes in various recreational complexes in 2010-2020: collective gardens, social dachas, year-round and seasonal complexes with low-rise buildings, cultural entertainment and sports-entertainment centers, etc. Over 10 years, the share of the area of recreational and residential-recreational complexes at the "Sestra River" key area has increased from 4.8 to 5.2 %. Recreational activities are being diversified. While preserving its traditional types, new types appear: farms with a recreational function, rope parks, entertainment complexes, etc. Recreational complexes for year-round use with low-rise buildings on forest land are being created. Cottage development becomes comparable to recreational development of the territory. A significant part of the houses in cottage and dacha settlements and collective gardens are used as permanent residence; at the same time, their recreational function becomes additional. Increasing the area of cottage settlements on forest land reduces the availability of landscapes of high recreational value for the population. Recreational transformation of territories, which is inseparable from suburbanization in the zones of influence of major cities, is rapidly changing the landscapes.

Landscape maps of Russia at various scales, including individual cartographic products, maps in scientific papers, and comprehensive scientific-reference atlases, as well as digital spatial data on landscapes, have been inventoried. A review of data sources for landscape-cartographic studies in the area of contemporary Russia from 1959 until now and the results of searching for landscape maps on the Internet are given. Taking the difficulties in searching for analog and digital landscape maps and sets of spatial data on landscapes in libraries, bibliographic publications, and databases into consideration, it is proposed to create a metadata base and provide free access to it on the Landscapes of Russia geoportal. It is aimed at disseminating existing Russian and foreign data sources and integrating geosciences data based on geoportal technologies and web mapping tools. The current status of landscape mapping of land and aquatic areas of Russia (Far East; southern Eastern Siberia; Altai; North Caucasus; and the north, northwest, and center of European Russia) is illustrated by some regional case studies (totaling approximately 60 names), which differ in the available cartographic data. The prospects of future landscape mapping include a further improvement of methods and technologies to obtain remote sensing data, as well as the identification of emergent properties of geosystems. The principles of compilation of landscape maps and of the structure of their analysis are formulated with regard for the system properties of the research object (a special subject of landscape science, which is not limited only to the synthesis of information from geology, geomorphology, pedology, botany, etc.), and for practical needs of nature management.

The article analyzes the possibility of using landscape-dynamic maps to assess the recreational disturbance of the territory and the distribution of recreational loads. The connections of recreational disturbance with recreational loads in different types of natural complexes are shown. A step-by-step description of the authors' methodology of mapping recreational disturbance on a landscape-dynamic basis is given. The results of ten-year studies of recreational loads and recreational disturbance of natural complexes at the test area within the natural protected area Lake Shchuchye (St. Petersburg) are analyzed. The relationship of the distribution of recreants with the landscape structure of the territory is shown, namely with the features of landscape sites and long-term states of landscapes. With the help of a number of indicators, the degree of disturbance of natural territorial complexes is estimated, and the change of recreational loads within the test area for 10 years is considered. With the help of landscape-dynamic maps, we demonstrate the processes of restoring the ground vegetation and reducing the total recreational disturbance - which appeared in the first years after the introduction of the protected area regime - in most of the territory. Mapping recreational disturbance on a landscape-dynamic basis made it possible to identify problem areas of the territory where the regeneration processes are slowed down or the degradation of natural complexes will continue. It is in these areas that priority management decisions should be taken to reduce recreational loads and regulate recreational flows.

Recreational nature management becomes vital in the context of continuously developing recreation. Regulation of recreational impact and control of acceptable changes in natural territorial complexes (landscapes) due to recreation is one of the main tasks of recreational nature management. The paper considers the approach to the analysis of the interaction of recreation and landscape based on a landscape-dynamic concept, as well as the method of mapping and monitoring recreational disturbance of the territory for managing recreational use of natural protected areas. We analyze the experience of monitoring recreational disturbance of the test area (Schuchye Lake Natural Reserve, Saint-Petersburg) during 2008 - 2019 years. There is a relationship of the distribution of recreants with landscape structure of the territory, namely, with the features of landscape sites and long-term states of landscapes. We have revealed a decrease in recreational disturbance despite an increase in the number of recreants. Positive dynamics is due to both the restriction of vehicle access to the coast of the lake and providing the territory with the special places for rest. We give recommendations for making priority management decisions related to the development of recreation in the studied area. Further attention should be focused on controlling the most attractive and vulnerable areas, especially complexes of sand hills near the lake coast.

The article describes the results of field geobotanical and landscape studies in spruce (Picea abies) forests of the eastern and southeastern parts of Izhora upland (Leningrad Region), carried out in 2016. This upland is a plateau with prevailing absolute heights of 100–150 m. The carbonate rocks of the middle Ordovician represent the upper part of the geological basis. Everywhere the bedrock is overlain by the moraine of 1–5 m thickness. The moraine has high content of carbonates on a larger area. Features of the geological structure of the territory determined the widespread fertile (for the taiga zone) sod-carbonate soils (rendzinas) and richer vegetation than in the surrounding southern taiga landscapes. According to geobotanical subdivision (Geobotanicheskoye..., 1989), the vegetation of Izhora upland accords to the extrazonal subtaiga okrug of Ordovic plateau, which is located in the southern taiga subzone. The data on the current spruce forests of Izhora upland are very few (Nitsenko, 1960; Boch et al., 1992; Sambuk, Smagin, 1992). The results of our research allowed us to supplement information on spruce forests and their current state in the territory with a thousand-year period of agricultural use. The characteristic of five groups of spruce forest associations, including the full species composition of communities, their layer structure and quantitative characteristic of species participation in each layer is presented (table). The approaches of ecological-phytocenotic classification were used for grouping of the available relevés, as well as dominants of all layers of communities and determinant species were taken into consideration. Plant communities of Piceeta brachipodiosa group of associations (rel. 1–4) occur on the tops and gentle slopes of low hills composed of calcareous loamy moraine rich in limestone fragments. Along with spruce always present in the tree layer is Pinus sylvestris; broad-leaved species are not found, small-leaved species are rare. The broad-leaved species are absent in young grows. The shrub layer in such forests is usually not thick. The grass Brachypodium pinnatum is a dominant of herb layer; Convallaria majalis, Rubus saxatilis and nemoral herb species (Viola mirabilis, Hepatica nobilis, Aegopodium podagraria) are co-dominants. The projective cover degree of mosses ranges from 30 to 85 %. Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus and Hylocomium splendens predominate in moss layer. Plant communities of Piceeta convallariosa group of associations (rel. 5–8) occur in similar sites. Besides spruce and pine, the tree layer includes small-leaved species (Populus tremula, Betula pendula). Acer platanoides and Quercus robur grow occasionally in young grows. The shrub layer is usually closed and rich in species: Lonicera xylosteum, Sorbus aucuparia, Padus avium, Daphne mezereum, Ribes alpinum and Viburnum opulus. Convallaria majalis is a dominant and Rubus saxatilis is a co-dominant of herb layer. In addition to these species Calamagrostis arundinacea, Geranium sylvatica and nemoral species are constant, but not abundant in communities. Moss cover dominated by Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus is well developed. Piceeta nemoriherbosa group of associations (rel. 9–15) is the most common type of communities in the Izhora upland. They are distributed mainly on plains, hills and ridges composed of carbonate moraine. Besides spruce, there are pine, rarely aspen and birch in the first tree canopy and Acer platanoides in the second one, as well as in young grows. The dense shrub layer is character for this type. This group of associations can be divided according the composition of shrubs and moss abundance: spruce nemoral herb-moss forests with Lonicera xylosteum and spruce nemoral herb with Corylus avellana. Nemoral species are the dominants in herb layer. Hepatica nobilis and Aegopodium podagraria are the most constant and abundant among them. Viola mirabilis, Lathyrus vernus, Carex digitata, Paris quadrifolia, Pulmonaria obscura are present with less constancy. Continuous moss cover is absent in spruce forests with Corylus avellana and its projective cover degree reaches 50–85 % in those with Lonicera xylosteum. The moss layer is dominated by Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus. Plant communities of Piceeta oxalidosa group of associations (rel. 16–20) occur on plain areas and low ridges with different composition of soil-forming rocks: both carbonate and non-carbonate morainic loam and cobble-less loam. Tree layer is formed by spruce only. The dense shrub layer, mainly of Lonicera xylosteum, is typical for this type. Oxalis acetosella is dominant of the herb-dwarf shrub layer. There are also nemoral (Hepatica nobilis, Aegopodium podagraria, Paris quadrifolia, Anemonoides nemorosa) and boreal species (Luzula pilosa, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Maianthemum bifolium, Rubus saxatilis) in communities. The proportion of these two groups of species is different, but can be roughly equal. Vaccinium myrtillus was met only in these communities. Well-developed moss cover is typical for the majority of the communities. Plant communities of Piceeta aegopodiosa group of associations (rel. 21–24) were described on plains and gently sloping hillsides with different soil-forming rocks, including the once cultivated and used for agricultural purposes. Aspen is always present in the tree layer, birch and grey alder are in the majority of the communities; the latter is character species only for this type of spruce forests. Aegopodium podagraria is a dominant in herb layer. Moss layer is well formed; its projective cover degree reaches 70–85 %. Spruce nemoral herb forests prevail in the studied area. Their specific features, in comparison to similar subtaiga communities, are smaller abundance or even absence of broad-leaved trees in the tree layer, the absence of some characteristic species in the herb and moss layers (e. g., Asarum europaeum, Carex pilosa, Rhodobryum roseum), and well-formed moss cover dominated by boreal species of mosses (Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus and Hylocomium splendens). Author’s and available literature data show that there are no broad-leaved-coniferous forests in the current vegetation cover of the Izhora upland and the richest mixed (with broad-leaved tree species) spruce forests are extremely rare. In addition to prevailing spruce nemoral herb forests there are also spruce wood sorrel forests, more character for southern taiga. Nemoral herb spruce forests is a kind of transition between south-taiga and subtaiga forests: a small share of broad-leaved trees and developed moss cover brings them closer to the first types, while abundance of nemoral species in the herb layer and developed shrub layer to the second ones. According to some climatic parameters, the Izhora upland differs from the surrounding landscapes: here is more severe winter, the amount of active temperatures is 100–200° lower and, accordingly, the vegetation period is shortened. Despite this, more southern types of plant communities are common here, which is most likely due to the richness of the soil, but not to climate. Thus, the zonal vegetation status of this area can be defined as a calciphytic variant of the southern taiga forests rather than as an extra-zonal subtaiga forest, as presented in the existing schemes of geobotanical subdivision (Rastitelnost..., 1980; Geobotanicheskoye..., 1989).

On May 3, 2018 Elena Anatolievna Volkova ce­lebrates her anniversary. She is a highly qualified phytogeographer, thoughtful field researcher, expert in mountain vegetation of Asia, tireless traveler. The field of her scientific interests is the regularity of vegetation cover, small- and large-scale mapping of vegetation in different regions of Eurasia. She has made a great contribution to the study of the composition and structure of vegetation cover of complex and inaccessible arid and subarid mountain areas of Central Asia. E. Volkova began to work in deserts and steppes of Kazakhstan, and then 15 years studied arid plain and mountain regions of Mongolia. In Joint Soviet-Mongolian complex biological expedition of Academies of sciences of USSR and Mongolian People’s Republic E. Volkova investigated the deserts of Alashan Gobi, Trans-Altai Gobi and Dzhungarian Gobi. The result of these field works was a publication on the study of the relationship between the composition and structure of plant communities with the petrographic composition of rocks in melkosopochniks in different subzones and provinces of Gobi (Volkova, 1976); together with E. I. Rachkovskaya original vegetation maps of these extra-arid territories were created (Rachkovskaya, Volkova, 1977, 1980, etc.). The collected data on mountain vegetation were used to produce the vegetation map of Mongolia in the National Atlas (Karta..., 1990) and the monograph “Botanical geography of Mongolian and Gobi Altai” (Volkova, 1994). E. Volkova has made two vegetation maps: of Asia in atlas “Our Earth” (Волкова, 1996) and (together with I. Fedorova) of the World (scale 1: 60 000 000) for “Resources and Environment: World Atlas” (Volkova, Fedorova, 1998). In 2003 the monograph “Botanical geography of Kazakhstan and Central Asia (within the desert area)” was published in which E. Volkova is the author of a large section “Vegetation cover of mountains” and sub-section “Mountain provinces” in the section “Principles and basic units of regionalization” (Volkova, 2003a, b). After the collapse of the Soviet Union, most of the arid areas of the country became inaccessible for research, and E. Volkova’ interests have turned to the vegetation of the Northwest of European Russia (Le­ningrad Region). The Botanical Institute of Russian Academy of sciences organized complex researches for the purpose of inventory of natural complexes and their components in territories valuable for nature protection, and also of areas of economic importance. The result of this work was the organization of natural protected areas in the Leningrad Region and Saint Petersburg and the publication of the “Atlas of natural protected areas of St. Petersburg” (Atlas..., 2013, 2016) and 11 collective monographs (2001–2017) in which E.Volkova is the constant co-editor and author of the sections on vegetation. E. A. Volkova has published about 190 works, including articles in the journals “Proceedings of theRussianGeographical Society”, “Botanical journal”, “Vegetation of Russia”, “Biosphere”, the “Geobotanical mapping” (Volkova, Khramtsov 2018). She conti­nues to be an active field researcher and preparing new articles and monographs.

Under market economy conditions, life sustenance and protection of traditional culture have become extremely urgent for 26 indigenous small-numbered peoples (SNPs) living in Russia’s North and Far East. To solve these problems, legislative measures must be taken and the territorial differentiation of the geographic environment of the area settlement of SNPs (10 mln km2) and its enthocultural diversity must be taken into account. The landscape structure of the area of SNPs is analyzed, its ecological and demographic carrying capacity is assessed, and the influence of landscape diversity on the settlement of SNPs and formation of different economic and cultural types are considered. Ethnic and landscape zoning is developed and 11 highlighted macroregions are characterized in brief.