Regional Dynamics of Industry, Agriculture and Population in Russia in 1990–2020: Geoecological Interpretation

Abstract

—The grouping of Russian regions by the type of conjugate dynamics of industry, agriculture and population for 1990–2020, indirectly reflecting the dynamics of the integral anthropogenic load on nature, is carried out. The zones most severely affected by the transformational depression have been identified, which cover practically the entire European Non-Chernozem region, south of Eastern Siberia and the Far East. And a significant increase in loads is observed in the North Caucasus, the Russian Baltic States, the sub-latitude area of the regions stretching from the Bryansk region to Bashkortostan, as well as the Tyumen region. The increase in load occurred primarily within the steppe and forest-steppe zones, which were most transformed by anthropogenic activity. In general, “pressure” on nature increases in a well-developed territory (about 1/10 of the country, where about a third of the population lives), and decreases in a vast poorly developed territory (about half of the territory and 1/6 of the population of Russia). A new environmentally unfavorable trend in the dynamics of pressures on nature is their relative shift to coastal regions, to vulnerable to impacts and scarce in the country recreationally attractive coasts of the Atlantic seas, as well as the Caspian Sea-lake. It has been established that the increase in all types of loads in the leading regions is much more significant than their reduction in the regions of maximum decline. Therefore, the deterioration of the environmental situation in the regions of strong growth in loads is more likely than its improvement in the regions leading their decline. The increase in the load occurred primarily within the steppe and forest-steppe zones, most transformed by anthropogenic activity. In general, the “pressure” on nature increases in a well-developed area (about 1/10 of the country, where about a third of the population lives), and decreases in a vast underdeveloped area (about half of the territory and 1/6 of the population of Russia). A new environmentally unfavorable trend in the dynamics of loads on nature is their relative shift to the coastal regions, to the recreationally attractive coasts of the Atlantic seas, as well as the Caspian Sea–lakes, vulnerable to impacts and scarce in the country. It has been established that the increase in all types of loads in the leading regions is much more significant than their reduction in the regions of maximum recession. Therefore, the deterioration of the environmental situation in the regions of a strong increase in loads is more likely than its improvement in the regions-leaders of their decline.