The key principle of the Arctic development should be nature-saving nature management. The agro-landscape-ecological zoning of the Far North fodder ecosystems developed at the V.R. Williams Federal Research Centre for Forage Production and Agroecology is aimed at this very goal. About 90 % of Murmansk District is occupied by reindeer pastures, in some places disturbed as a result of their irrational use by reindeer herders, mining, construction, and transport; the ecological state of the territory is tense. In Yamal District, reindeer pastures occupy 65 % of the area; the ecological state of the ecosystems is tense or even critical in some places. The area of lichen tundras has decreased by 3,5-4 times, total fodder reserves in lichen-moss tundras, in those areas where they are still preserved, have decreased by 3-10 times. The total reserves of green grass fodder and shrubs has decreased by 1.5-2 and 2-8 times, respectively. Desertification of highlands (bare sands occupied about 6 %) and waterlogging of lowland areas is going on. Technogenic impact on tundra ecosystems disturbs soil and vegetation cover, hydrological regime. Waterlogging of lowlands due to thermoerosion is starting. It is necessary to find compromises between economy, ecology, social and national interests.

The article presents an analysis of the exhibition activities of the Earth Science Museum of Moscow State University as an important component of scientific and educational work, significantly expanding educational and outreach activities. In accordance with the development of science and the socio-political situation in our country and the world, the topics of exhibitions, places and methods of their holding changed. At the same time, they reflected the current aspects of the 270-year history of Moscow University as if in a mirror.

The article analyses the relationship between tectonic plate movements and global biodiversity dynamics. A new tectonic hypothesis of the causes of mass extinctions of biological species, which have repeatedly occurred in the history of the biosphere, is considered. It is proposed that the triggering mechanism for such extinctions is the periodic unification of lithospheric plates, leading to the formation of supercontinents and, consequently, to a decrease in the geographical isolation of species, increased interspecific competition, climate change, a decrease in the shelf area, changes in global sea level, and other determinants of biodiversity. The separation of lithospheric plates increases the degree of geographic isolation and, conversely, causes a new burst of species diversity that is greater than the previous one, as it engages the species best suited to the changing environment and wins the competition. The tectonic factor (geodynamics) thus becomes an important factor in the dynamics of biodiversity and evolution in general. Similarly, the dynamics of biodiversity are affected by contemporary processes of globalization: the human-accelerated reduction of habitats for native species, the removal of the factor of geographic isolation due to introduction, and increasing invasions are also leading to another mass extinction.

A temporary exhibition “Crimea in the works of naturalists, artists and writers” was opened in the Earth Science Museum of MSU at June 10, 2024. The exhibition is located in the so called “Naturalist’s Cabinet” (the main building of MSU, 24th floor). Its subject reflects some directions of the scientific and cultural developing of Crimea from the 18th century up to modern time. Most attention is payed to the scientists and graduates of Moscow University.

To mark the 160th anniversary of V.I. Vernadsky's birth, Lomonosov Moscow State University has organized an exhibition based on the theme of “living matter”, which to a greater or lesser extent permeates all the geospheres of our planet, provides many mechanisms of interaction between the geospheres and links between the planet and the cosmos. Natural exhibits demonstrate peculiarities of the geochemical transformation of individual organisms and their communities during the transition from the biosphere to the lithosphere, the diversity of biocosmic bodies in the history of our planet, the possibilities of modern sciences in reconstructing geobiosystems of the past. The structure of the exhibition includes a number of special blocks containing original exhibits and information, namely: “Scientist’s Cabinet” with information about the life path, scientific directions and some students and followers of Academician V.I. Vernadsky (connected to him through Moscow University). The cluster “Co-evolution of the Biosphere and Lithosphere” with disclosure of the mechanisms of transition of living matter and integral ecosystems into the “stone record” of the Earth, the structure of the pedosphere in a broad sense, the diversity of biogeoprocesses and their products in the history of the Earth, the formation of “archives of nature” in the geospheres, the functioning of geobiodynamically active zones on the example of the East European Platform; the cluster “University’s Lukomorye”, reflecting peculiarities of coastal geo-ecosystems for the general public (on the example of the Paleocene of the Volga region). Most of the exhibits of the exhibition have been obtained during the scientific and educational expedition “Flotilla of Floating Universities” (2015-2022) from the Volga region, the Caspian Sea, the Don region and the Urals and are considered in the future as the basis for the development of a model polygon of the “MSU Youth Museum”.

The fulfillment of the tasks set by the 1949-1965 State Plan for Nature Transformation became the work of the whole country. Its goal was the development of sustainable agriculture in the steppe and forest-steppe regions of the European part of the USSR. It is an example of a responsible state attitude to the use and preservation of our lands and soil fertility. The State Plan for nature transformation was bases on the integrated reclamation of agricultural landscapes using a scientific systematic approach to the objects of research and management. State authorities, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, scientists from dozens of universities and research institutes, ministries, 80 thousand collective farms, 2 thousand state farms, and 3 thousand machine tractor stations took an active part in the organization and large-scale implementation of protective afforestation and the development of a grass-field farming system. The plan provided for the creation of 8 large state forest strips with a total length of 5,320 km, located along floodplains and watersheds of the Volga, Dnieper, Don, Ural, Seversky Donets rivers etc.; protective forest plantations in the fields of collective farms and state farms; consolidation and afforestation of sands on an area of 322 thousand ha; the introduction and development of a system of field and fodder grass-field crop rotations; and the creation of over 44 thousand ponds and reservoirs. Over the 5 years of the plan's implementation, more than 2.3 million ha of forest plantations have been planted in the country; an ecological framework of agricultural landscapes has been created on agricultural lands; over 13 thousand ponds and reservoirs have been created. The prototype of the scientific basis of the State Plan for Nature Transformation was the works by V. V. Dokuchaev, V. R. Williams and V. I. Vernadsky on the conservation of land and soil fertility. The implementation of the plan stopped in 1953 and the development of virgin and fallow lands began. Currently, the state, scientists, society, regions and agricultural producers need combining their efforts in the rational usage of natural resources, the preservation of agricultural land and soil fertility for the present and future generations.

Based on V.I. Vernadsky’s teaching of the biosphere and modern scientific data, an attempt was made to analyze the mechanisms of the dynamics of modern global processes using the example of climate changes. Possible causes of the warming, both natural and anthropogenic, observed in the last century are considered. It is shown that it is the increase in temperature that causes the increase in the concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere, and not vice versa, as follows from the greenhouse effect hypothesis. This seems to be the main cause for the low effectiveness of any international efforts to stabilize the climate. The course of natural processes, as well as the evolution of the biosphere as a whole, has an unstable, cyclical nature, running according to its own laws. Particular attention is paid to V.I. Vernadsky’s doctrine of the biosphere, his views on the role of reason and scientific research in solving problems inevitably arisen in the course of evolution on Earth, caused by the rapidly developing, from a historical standpoint, humanity. Scientific research is a reliable defender of both the interests of mankind and the biosphere as a whole. This was V.I. Vernadsky’s basis of his positive outlook on the future of our civilization and the biosphere.

The perfection of ecological culture in agriculture is an urgent and high-priority state task. A dangerous misbalance is often noted in modern agricultural production in favor of economic interests and to the detriment of ecological ones. To solve this problem, a project is being implemented to found a professionally oriented scientific and educational center. Every year, students of the Faculty of Soil Science of Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Faculty of Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Ecology and the Faculty of Agronomy and Biotechnology of the K.A. Timiryazev Russian State Agricultural Academy and others are trained practically at the Federal Williams Research Center of Forage Production & Agroecology. Practical work and conferences for schoolchildren held on the basis of the Williams Research Center are also important forms of work. Schoolchildren, under the guidance of researchers from the Williams Research Center and accompanied by teachers of biology, geography, chemistry, learn to work independently with plants at the molecular genetic level, to isolate genes from plants, to study the processes of plant breeding and cultivation, to take care of experimental samples, and to observe changes in the growth of different varieties and hybrids plants...

The article presents an attempt to compare, in a first approximation, the natural patterns of the dynamics of the number of populations of biological species with the dynamics of the human population. Social factors and mechanisms of population reproduction in various regions are considered. The possibilities of population regulation and the effectiveness of state demographic policies are discussed. The study emphasizes the mechanisms of self-defense developed in the course of evolution and manifest in the global trend of declining fertility, due to the approach of critical population density, and in view of limited biospheric resources.

An analysis of scientific periodicals in the field of museology was carried out on the basis of the Russian Science Citation Index (materials of the information-analytical portal eLIBRARY.RU). The museum community of the country publishes two scientific and practical journals (“Life of the Earth” and “Museum”), one scientific-theoretical journal (“Questions of Museology”), one scientific journal (“Museum. Monument. Heritage»), and one popular scientific journal (“Museum World”). Of them, only the interdisciplinary journal “Life of the Earth” is included into the Russian Supreme Attestation Committee list

The article is dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the birth of Gennady Alekseevich Yagodin (June 3, 1927-January 4, 2015), a Russian physical chemist and statesman, Doctor of Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences Corresponding Member (since 1976), Minister of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education (1985-1989), Chairman of the USSR State Committee for Public Education (1989-1991). Provost of the Mendeleyev Moscow Chemical Technology Institute (1973-1985), Provost of the International University (1992-2003), Director of the Moscow Museum of Education (2005-2015), President of the Moscow Association for Environmental Education, laureate of the USSR State Prize (1985) and the Mendeleyev Prize. Yagodin became widely known for the democratization of higher education teaching, and authored a number of works on the chemistry and technology of rare metals, liquid extraction of their compounds, nature conservation, the rational use of natural resources, and environmental education.

In the last quarter of the 19th century, the Russian government stepped up its activities in Central Asia, organizing a number of research expeditions to explore the Tien Shan and the Pamir Mountains. In connection with the increased activity of the British in this region in the late 1880s - early 1890s, several military topographic expeditions were sent to the Pamirs in 1891-1894. In addition to geodetic reconnaissance, photography of the Pamir landscapes was carried out for the first time. The article considers the second, 1892, Pamir campaign under the command of Colonel Mikhail Efremovich Ionov, aimed at conducting reconnaissance and restoring Russia’s rights in the Pamirs. During the expedition, Ionov organized an administration of the native population of the Pamirs. Russian military researchers of Central Asia were members of the Geographical Society and were part of the Corps of Military Topographers. In the Pamir campaigns, the task of this department was reduced to geodetic reconnaissance and the development of routes for the movement of troops and the establishment of garrisons at border points. The basis of the publication is a series of photographs taken by S. P. Yudin, an artist, photographer and participant in this campaign. His photographs are currently stored in the archives of the Museum of Geography of Moscow State University.

The article is dedicated to the remarkable Russian natural scientist made a significant contribution to soil science and the biosphere theory - Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Igor Vasilievich Ivanov (02.07.1937-30.03.2021). His open mind and encyclopedic knowledge allowed him, working in various fields of natural science, to move on to creation a socio-historical direction in soil research and generalization of the Russian soil science history with other view at the features of its development.

The representativeness of the soil diversity in the network of nature protected areas of the Russian Arctic was calculated on the basis of the Soil Map of the Russian Federation, 1:2.5 M scale by using geoinformation analysis. The authors estimated soil cover composition and soil contours areas using the ArcView GIS system. They have identified 90 different soils and soil complexes in the Arctic zone of Russia, 30 of them belong to the Arctic and tundra soils and occupy 47% of total Russian Arctic zone area. In the nature reserves and national parks territory, 48 different soils and soil complexes have been identified, 15 of them belong to the group of arctic and tundra soils, which occupy 60% of the area of protected areas. The investigation shows that currently the existing system of the Arctic protected areas is characterized by high representation of the taxonomic soil diversity (the representativeness indicator is 94%). The only soil type, Arctic Gleezem (Turbic Criosols), is not territorial protected within its typical distribution areas. To optimize the system of Arctic protected areas, the authors propose to adjust the boundaries of the existing nature protected areas in the Anadyr River basin, as well as to consider the possibility of organizing a protected area in the southern part of the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago.

The spatial distribution of biological and ecological patterns in the Angara-Lena mountain province in Eastern Siberia is characterized according to the data of agroland- scape and ecological zoning of forage lands to assess the potential, sustainable agricultural nature management and environmental protection in the region. The province occupies area of 12 451.7 thousand hectares in the southern taiga zone and covers the Angara-Lena plateau (with 800-1460 m altitudes) and the low-mountain Primorsky Ridge. Most of the province territory (about 83%) is occupied by mountain forests. The area of agricultural land is 5% of the total area (including arable lands 2.7%, hayfields 0.7%, and pastures 1.5%). Significant areas of larch, mixed, birch forests of low mountains with a grass cover of large grasses (mountain crayfish, mixed-leaved bodyak, forest geranium, northern bedstraw, bathhouse species) and cereals (Langsdorf weinwort, spreading bor, sod pike, etc.) are used for grazing. The ecological state of the landscapes is tense, and tense and heavy for thearable. Agriculture and plant growing riskiness is highlighted according to natural and climate region features, especially erosion increasing as a result of agriculture. Simultaneously, however, the richest natural resources in the province, including fodder ones, are perspective for agriculture development.

Anatolij Nikiforovich Tyuryukanov (1931-2001), Dr.Sci (Biol.), professor was a remarkable Russian natural scientist, who made a signifi contribution to soil science and the theory of the biosphere. Investigation of Tyuryukanov’s works shows both evolution of the author’s scientifi interests and development of natural history in Russia in 20th century. He formulated the biosphere natural history principle founded on a new fundamental category of sciences foundation in 20th century. Th principle is based on genetic soil science, biogeocenology, landscape geochemistry and main branches of the Earth biosphere and vitasphere study. Interesting and sometimes unexpected assertions of A.N. Tyuryukanovs provide food for thought about both further studies of nature, development of biosphere study and refl on the human and biosphere relationships.

Проведен анализ списков видов водорослей национальной и региональных Красных книг Российской Федерации.В настоящее время в стране охраняется 265 видов водорослей, из них 35 видов имеют федеральный статус охраны и 259 видов -региональный.Определено, что доля всех охраняемых видов водорослей в общем разнообразии этой группы растений составляет ~2.3% (на федеральном уровне -0.3% и на региональном -2.2%).Места обитания 77% всего видового разнообразия водорослей, занесенных в национальную Красную книгу, сосредоточены на Дальнем Востоке России, причем 46% встречаются в прибрежной морской акватории Командорских островов.Репрезентативность существующей системы особо охраняемых природных территорий по отношению к охраняемым на федеральном уровне водорослям составляет 74%.Оценка видового разнообразия систематических групп охраняемых водорослей выявила, что 66.7% охраняемых на федеральном уровне видов составляют Rhodophyta, 8.6 -Chlorophyta, 5.7 -Charophyta и 20.0% -Phaeophyceae; а на региональном уровне -18.5% Cyanobacteria, 25.1 -Rhodophyta, 10.8 -Chlorophyta, 21.6 -Charophyta, 12.4 -Phaeophyceae, 1.5 -Xanthophyceae, 1.2 -Chrysophyceae, 8.5 -Bacillariophyta и 0.4% -Haptophyta.Составлены карты, отображающие местонахождения всех занесенных в Красную книгу России видов водорослей и количественный состав их систематических групп в региональных "красных списках".Выявлена неравномерность пространственного распространения охраняемых видов водорослей на территории России.По уровню разнообразия выделяется северо-западная часть Европейской территории России, Дальневосточный и Черноморский регионы.В 50 субъектах Федерации водоросли не внесены в региональные Красные книги.Обсуждаются проблемы составления "красных списков" водорослей

On May, 15 it would have been 90 years of Yuri Antonovich Izrael (15.05.1930-23.01.2014). He was an outstanding scientist, world-renowned specialist in geophysics, ecology and climatology, talented science organizer, great statesman and public fi brilliant teacher and remarkable man, head of the Soviet Hydrometeorological Service, chief editor of «Metrology and hydrology» magazine, vice-chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), coordinator for IPCC questions in Russia, founder and director of the Yu. A. Izrael Institute of Global Climate and Ecology, president of the Russian Academy of Ecology, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Yu. A. Israel’s creative path and scientific contribution to the investigation of global nature processes, particularly climate changes and ability of their regulation are considered.