ИСТИНА

The results of Land Use/Cover Change (LUCC) study in steppe zone of Russia because of strong human impact are presented. Landscape methodology on the base of remote sensing data of different spatial and temporal resolution , traditional maps and in-field data has been used considering land use change as the driving forces of land cover current status and trends (Milanova et al., 2005). Geographical scaling of LUCC investigation was taken into consideration, that’s very important for Russia where the steppes represent wide (1,5 thou km) latitudinal zone to the south of 55033’ N in-between broad-leaf forested and semi-desert zones, going further to the south in Kazakhstan and Mongolia. The analysis of strong human impact on steppes landscapes is of high importance because more than 40% of agricultural production of the country is produced in this zone with fertile soils, and where about 30% of rural population is concentrated. The transformations of steppe landscapes are related with their long-term cultivation, large hydropower stations’ construction, and urbanization as well as with political and economic transition conditions in the country (changes in ownership and stagnation in agriculture). The steppe landscapes are degraded extremely intensively during the last 25-30 years: humus lost achieved 30-50%, many ploughed areas are abandoned or transformed to grazing lands, the number of rural residents dramatically decreased. The assessment of land cover dynamics in steppe zone allows explaining relationships between different land use practices and land cover patterns and developing the more expedient management system based on agricultural production increasing and on protection of steppe biodiversity - the problems demanding the urgent measures for decision.