Based on mathematical methods, the changing contribution of abundant precipitation to farming risks in the Non-Chernozem zone of European Russia under changing climate conditions over the last 70 years is estimated. For evaluation of crop lodging risks, a grade scale of high values of the G.T. Selyaninov Index is proposed. It allows identifying the recurrence and intensity of farming risks associated with the crop overwetting effects. By means of functional analysis, the increase in contribution of extreme precipitation sums to the crop lodging intensity in comparison with air temperature sums contribution is shown. By applying the statistical analysis methods on the probabilistic basis the significance of the contribution of increasing seasonal precipitation totals to risk degree in crop production practice is assessed. The rising frequency of sharp positive anomalies in summertime precipitation totals within the period of 1981-2015 in comparison with 1946-1980 period is revealed. The obtained results may be used: in crop insurance; in decision-making for improvement of water regime control within agricultural fields (e.g., by means of drainage systems modernization in terms of drainage of surplus of surface and subsurface runoff); in breeding research related to zoning of high productive crops and their hybrids.

The paper is devoted to the analysis of public health in Moscow that is based on the sociological survey conducted in the Eastern and Western administrative districts of the city in 2015. The methodology of research is based on graph theory. As a result, groups of respondents are distinguished in respect to the self-assessment of their own health and factors affecting it, according to their socioeconomic status, place of residence, and other evaluation characteristics. It was revealed that residents of the study areas have more positive assessment of their own health in comparison with other citizens of Russia. Nevertheless, the public health of Eastern and Western administrative districts of Moscow can be determined from «average» to «good». At the same time, there was no critical difference in health self-assessments between residents of Eastern and Western administrative districts. Differences became evident through more detailed analysis at the subdistrict level.

Currently, Russia and Canada participate in implementation of Arctic Marine Strategic Plan on the basis of ecological-economic approach to the management of the Arctic region, thereby carrying out the international principle of parity in development of social and economic environment and preservation of Arctic ecological systems, thus securing the sustainable development of major part of the region. It is widely known that about 80 % of the world trade is made by sea, in this regard the special role in implementing the Strategic Plan of Arctic development by Canada and Russia belongs to the Northern Sea Route. Creation of protected areas in the Arctic significantly increases the region’s sustainability; however the intensification of sea cargo shipment necessary for sustaining population of the arctic region, developing the carbohydrate resources and other minerals, water biological resources, dramatically increases the danger of ecological balance disturbance on the Arctic natural sites.

The application of direct (tacheometric survey) and remote (cosmic and aerial survey) methods of the studying abrasion-accumulative shores was considered. Morphometric measurements were performed at key sites using the tacheometric survey. The influence of the level regime of Lake Baikal and the accompanying exogenous relief-shaping processes on the dynamics of the coastal zone was noted. The interpretation of images obtained using uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV), aerial and cosmic survey, allowed to establish morphometric changes in the shoreline. Conclusions were drawn on the application of this UAV for the investigation of the coasts.

The dependence of the irradiance attenuation index (extinction coefficient) of a number of different water bodies of Karelia on various lake characteristics was studied. Along with calculating the coefficient of extinction from direct measurements of the fluxes of solar radiation in the water column of the lakes, its estimates are carried out according to an empirical formula that takes into account the depth of transparency along the Secchi disk and the color of the water. It is established that the coefficient of extinction in the lakes of Karelia mainly depends on the amount of colored organic matter coming from the wetlands of the catchments, and the period of water exchange characterizing the ability of lakes to self-purification. A relatively simple empirical equation is obtained that relates the magnitude of the extinction coefficient to the catchment and lake characteristics, which is applicable to the parameterization of this coefficient in models of the thermal regime of the humid zone reservoirs or weather forecast models.

Assessments of the volcanic hazard for the territory of the Matua Island are based on incomplete data collected in a short observation period (less than 100 years), and therefore cannot reliably characterize the frequency and scale of hazardous events. In addition to the phenomena recorded during the strong eruption of the Sarychev Peak volcano in 2009 (and during a number of eruptions of the 20th century), which scale and range of impact on the nature of the island has not been sufficiently studied, new signs of potential hazards have been revealed. These are gas emissions that caused damage to woody vegetation in 2007, as well as data on the large-scale destruction of woody vegetation that occurred about 150 years ago. These can also include particularly high eruptive columns (the 2009 eruption). The high frequency of strong eruptions was revealed: during the last century and a half, 4 eruptions of the VEI 4 class occurred, not counting the smaller ones. During strong eruptions, a combination of unfavorable factors can develop suddenly and unpredictably, it will lead to devastating consequences in the south-eastern half of the island. In the aspect of the new colonization phase of the island, potential hazard may be represented by pyroclastic flows and surges on the southeastern slopes of the volcano, lahars, and the impact of strong gas emissions. A powerful ashfall can cause damage to ecosystems, including contaminating and poisoning accessible sources of water, damaging the infrastructure. The obtained data allow drawing a conclusion that in the next 30-50 years no part of the island can be considered safe.

An overview of the available materials of the Holocene history of high-mountain lakes of Armenia is presented. The analysis of the obtained results made it possible to determine the level of the mountain lakes study in Armenia. The most studied one is Lake Sevan, the first studies of which date back to the late 19th-early 20th centuries, and the latter results to 2000-2016. All the available Holocene radiocarbon data is also obtained mainly for Lake Sevan and its basin. All available data made it possible to reconstruct the changes of the Lake Sevan level and the Holocene climate, and to correlate the main events of the Holocene with the available radiocarbon data for different sections in the Lake Sevan basin. The lack of information concerning the development of small high-mountain lakes is revealed. There are several publications on the results of studying the ecosystems of the Kari and Akna lakes, however, no complex paleolimnological studies have been carried out on high-mountain lakes in Armenia.